Borderlands 3 recently received a new DLC, Director's Cut, which makes rumored leaks concerning an upcoming Borderlands title slightly questionable. The rumors alleged that Gearbox Software was set to become co-developer of an all-new Borderlands spin-off that would bring "something different" to the table. Exactly what this spin-off could be is unknown as details were fairly scarce. Nonetheless, Borderlands fans were left excited by the rumors, as speculation around whether this title would be closer to Tales From The Borderlands, or The Pre-Sequel mounted.
Bad news for Borderlands fans arrived not long after as Randy Pitchford, Gearbox Software CEO, took to Twitter to deny rumors of a Borderlands spin-off co-developed by Gearbox Software. This, however, has not killed the hype surrounding the rumors, as the possibility of a Borderlands spin-off was not out-and-out denied by Randy Pitchford, just it being co-developed. Randy Pitchford also revealed on Twitter that Gearbox Software is working on "the big one" and is currently looking to hire staff for this project. Many have speculated that this project could be Borderlands 4, which would suggest that development on the spin-off is tenuous if not impossible.
Will There Be A Borderlands Spin-Off?
With Randy Pitchford's remarks leaving the possibility of a Borderlands spin-off on the table, there's cause to look at what motivation there may be behind any decision for a spin-off. Motivation could arrive in the shape of the Borderlands movie currently in production. This could spell good news for the possibility of a spin-off, as a Borderlands game arriving alongside the movie would drum up plenty of good promotion, reminding fans of what it is they love about the series before they check the movie out. While the existence of the Borderlands movie certainly doesn't confirm anything, it's as good a reason as any to release a new game.
Gearbox Software has not been shy in releasing non-mainline Borderlands titles in recent times. Both Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Tales From The Borderlands were released following the success of Borderlands 2, which adds credence to the idea of a game between Borderlands 3 and Borderlands 4. It is possible that the unconfirmed title will follow the lead of The Pre-Sequel, as a game like this is more what can be expected from Gearbox Software as a developer. It seems unlikely that a title of this scale could be hidden from the public for so long, but a Borderlands "post-sequel" would make a lot of sense following the bombshells dropped by Borderlands 3.
What Could The Borderlands Spin-Off Be
Fans have very little information about what this spin-off could look like, if anything at all. One of the things The Pre-Sequel did very effectively was building upon Handsome Jack's characterization, providing context for Jack's evil nature in Borderlands 2. A post-sequel could do something very similar with Ava, only flipping it. In Borderlands 3, Ava was thrust into the spotlight somewhat and fans picked up on this as Ava's inexperience ended up having dire consequences for a fan favorite. Perhaps a sequel to Borderlands 3 could build upon Ava's characterization in preparation for her taking a starring role in Borderlands 4.
The story of Borderlands 3 left many questions for the next game in the series to answer, not least of all, leaving the question where does the story go from here? With The Destroyer and the events around that likely to make a return in the next mainline Borderlands title, a break from the inevitable destruction of the Borderlands universe could be well received by fans. In any case, too much Borderlands doesn't exist so another Pre-Sequel-type game could be a good way to break up the long wait for Borderlands 4.
Borderlands 3 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.