One of the many qualities that makes Borderlands such a distinct and memorable franchise for so many in the gaming community is its aesthetic. With its pseudo-cel shaded art design, vibrant color contrasts, and its unmistakeable character designs, Borderlands has left a strong visual impact on many who have played through the series. Although, one of the more noteworthy aspects of Borderlands is the design of its guns.
More than the fact that Borderlands features first-person shooting mechanics, guns play an integral role during active gameplay. With Borderlands 3 revamping how guns behave in combat scenarios, the variety and versatility of Borderlands' firearms play a key role in the franchise's memorability. Now, one fan has managed to create an exact replica of one of Borderlands' fictional gun manufacturer's weapon designs.
A Reddit user named lootgruppe has 3D printed an exact replica of a Maliwan sniper rifle. While the replica lacks any of the embellishments or colors that are typically expected of an in-game Maliwan sniper rifle, the design itself is unmistakable. Once the model has been sanded and painted, the end result should be a truly impressive replica of an in-game weapon.
3D printed Mailwan Sniper I am making for a friend. After 3 weeks of printing and 2 spools of filament, today first the day I put all parts together. Next up: sanding and painting :D WDYT? from borderlands3
This isn't the first time that fans have recreated certain items from any given Borderlands game. Just a week ago, one fan 3D printed a Borderlands Outrunner, a vehicle that's been in the series since the very first installment. It's amazing to see just how much fan-made Borderlands content continues to get produced on an active basis, despite the age of the series.
It's impressive how much fans have managed to accomplish in terms of celebrating the Borderlands series. Though, it certainly helps that the Borderlands universe is filled to the brim with memorable moments and pieces of world building for fans to pull from and create something uniquely its own. For instance, one fan managed to make a custom Loader Bot made out of Lego.
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the Borderlands series going forward. Not only is Borderlands 3 the fastest selling 2K game of all time, but it also continues to receive updates that include additional content for players to enjoy in-game. Considering the five year gap between Borderlands 3 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, it's unlikely that the gaming community will see another mainline installment in the Borderlands franchise anytime soon. In the meantime, fans will still continue to make content such as art, cosplay, and weapon replicas as a way to show their appreciation for Borderlands.