Matter is a fairly big deal for a game that hasn't technically been announced yet. Even though the game is almost completely a mystery and nobody really knows what to expect, it's important just by virtue of being a new game under Bungie's development. Bungie doesn't have a lot of IPs under its belt, especially ever since it let go of Halo. It's mostly just known as the studio responsible for Destiny nowadays, but it wants to be more than a one-trick pony. Matter is supposedly another looter, which Bungie certainly has lots of experience with, but it's hard to say for now how similar Matter is to Destiny otherwise.
It could be that Matter has a cousin in another shooter that Bungie isn't involved with. Another loot-driven sci-fi shooter that's popular right now is Borderlands 3, the thriving continuation of Gearbox Software's billion dollar franchise. Based on job descriptions for Matter, Bungie's mysterious project might actually be significantly more like Borderlands than Destiny. It'll be a very new kind of tone for Bungie, so it's interesting to think about what direction the studio wants to go in and what other games in the genre it'll take inspiration from. Maybe there'll be a lot of echoes of Borderlands in Matter.
Back in the Borderlands
When asking just about any looter fan to name a looter game known for its sense of humor, Borderlands is bound to be one of the first games they come up with. Borderlands has always distinguished itself by its irreverent humor and over the top action, making the game just as good for a laugh as for intense action. That definitely makes it a very different game from the more contemplative Destiny. Each of these sci-fi stories thinks about its themes, tropes, and lore in different ways and weaves its own lore from it.
However, part of what makes Borderlands great is that the sense of humor doesn't get in the way of memorable characters. Pandora is a pretty well developed setting that Gearbox keeps managing to explore in new ways, even though many aspects of the setting aren't meant to be taken too seriously. The franchise is willing to laugh at itself. Even after heavier moments in the story, it bounces back and lightens the mood with a particular character or questline, and it's valuable ability to be able to strike that balance without making the game feel like it's unsure of its tone.
Above all, though, there are obvious similarities between the gameplay mechanics that will supposedly feature in Matter and the looter-shooter style that Gearbox has built the Borderlands brand around. Any Borderlands veteran can recount memories of farming bosses and replaying quests over long hours trying to get the best equipment possible. Although Destiny proves that this aspect of Borderlands isn't something that Bungie needs quite as much inspiration for, it's still an important similarity between Borderlands and Matter. Even if Matter has a different target genre from these other looters, it's possibly leaning heavily on the spirit of these other shooters.
What Matters About Matter
Bungie could very well be looking at Borderlands as a spiritual sibling to its new title, and it's certainly a worthy franchise to hold oneself up to. For one thing, Matter sounds like it'll be all about exploring outlandish locations and taking on equally striking bosses in order to get their loot. One Matter job listing makes mention of a "necromancer's dungeon," which could either hint at the genre or be a red herring. Matter could readily be a sci-fi game in disguise, considering that's Bungie's specialty, but it could also be whimsical enough to undertake some genre-bending in the way Borderlands has before with its Dungeons & Dragons themed expansions. Other job listings hint at "memorable, whimsical characters," which is basically the description for most Borderlands characters.
Really, though, the genre isn't that important if one wants to compare the clues about Matter to Borderlands. It's the aforementioned spirit of the game that will make them similar. Even if it turns out Matter is a high fantasy piece that leans on familiar medieval or mythological tropes, if it's written in the same outrageous and eccentric style as Borderlands, the two IPs will go hand in hand. The looter genre tends to take itself fairly seriously, looking at other major entries like Diablo and Godfall, so there's room for another game that wants to crack a joke.
Admittedly, concrete details about Matter when it eventually surfaces properly could still redefine just how well it compares to Borderlands. Right now all there is to go off of is the general description of the game, which is sure to be early in development. Bungie could decide to take the game in a very different direction from the image it had at the outset. Hopefully, that doesn't happen; it'd be a valuable experience for Bungie to make a game that likes to laugh.
The Future of Matter
Even with these seeming comparisons, one feasible outcome is that there won't be much connection between the two franchises at all. Bungie has only committed to producing a new IP by 2025; Matter is not an urgent project. By the time it comes out, Gearbox could be focused on transitioning into Borderlands 4 or working on a different project altogether, making the comparisons less notable.
Maybe Matter and Borderlands will end up respecting one another at a distance, quietly exchanging inspiration but being worlds apart except for tone. It'll probably be a long time before anything really meaningful or reliable will come out about Matter, and development is still likely in the early stages. The success and unique style of Borderlands seems like an appropriate inspiration for the game, but only time will tell if that's relevant at all.
Borderlands 3 is available for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X versions are in development.