This year's E3 is right around the corner, and leaks and teases have started coming out regarding what fans may see at the conference. One of the most recent leaks involves the presentation coming from 2K Games, including a spin-off of its popular looter shooter Borderlands. The spin-off is reportedly named Wonderlands, featuring the iconic Tiny Tina that first appeared in Borderlands 2 and quickly became a fan favorite among the Borderlands community. Of course, Gearbox just recently released Borderlands 3, in 2019 and recently finished releasing content as part of its second Season Pass, so revealing another entry in the series would make sense.
The leak remains largely unverified, and likely will until E3 rolls around, but it is substantiated by a trademark from Gearbox for the name Tiny Tina's Wonderlands that was filed and published last year. The leak also comes after Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford said in early May that Gearbox was not working with other companies on any Borderlands spin-off titles. Many fans interpreted the tweet as hinting at the company developing a spin-off title itself. A Tiny Tina based spin-off is far from confirmed, but it definitely seems possible and could be a unique entry in the series.
Who is Borderlands' Tiny Tina
Tiny Tina has always been an NPC character since she was first introduced in Borderlands 2. After players get her help to rob a Hyperion train in the campaign, she appeared again multiple times across Borderlands 2's DLC, and again in Borderlands 3 in a larger NPC role. The character has also been cast in the upcoming Borderlands movie that just recently started filming. Tiny Tina has clearly become a large part of the Borderlands franchise, and it is likely because her bombastic and eclectic personality epitomizes the series' tone that fans have come to love.
The Borderlands series has always been very light-hearted with plenty of jokes throughout all of its games. The series champions a tone that is ambivalent towards death and has more insane characters than sane ones. Tiny Tina fits comfortably in the latter. A demolition expert that grew up largely alone on Pandora after being orphaned, Tiny Tina is well known for yelling her lines, not being afraid of torturing psychos, and also loving stuffed animals, cookies, and unicorns. Her personality contrasts with itself frequently, but that is also a big part of what makes her so endearing to the series' fans.
Previous Borderlands Spin-Off Games
If Wonderlands is really in development, it wouldn't be the series' first. In 2014, Borderlands was given to Telltale Games who went on to make Tales from the Borderlands. The game was a big departure for the series. Not only did it adopt an episodic release structure, but it was also a narrative action game that didn't feature the series' biggest feature: the loot. Instead, Tales from the Borderlands focused on fleshing out the world through an entirely new cast of characters that weren't Vault Hunters. Many characters from Tales from the Borderlands appeared in Borderlands 3, as well as gave players more context on the story consequences of Borderlands 2.
The series also had a more traditional spin-off in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. The Pre-Sequel jumped back in time to take place before Borderlands 2 to give players more information on the history of Handsome Jack and his reign of the Hyperion corporation. The Pre-Sequel's gameplay was largely what players would expect from a core Borderlands title, although it had the twist of low gravity and oxygen mechanics since it took place on Pandora's moon. The game also featured characters from previous Borderlands titles that players could never play before like Athena, Claptrap, and Wilhelm.
What a Tiny Tina Spin-Off Could Look Like
A Tiny Tina spin-off title would likely be much more comparable to Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel than Tales from the Borderlands. Since Gearbox is developing it, the game would most likely feature gameplay similar to Borderlands 3, but with new playable characters and features inspired by Tiny Tina. It would make sense for Wonderlands to follow in The Pre-Sequel's footsteps and allow players to jump into the shoes of characters that were previously NPCs. It would make sense for Tiny Tina herself to be a playable character, but stepping into the shoes of Patricia Tannis, Ellie, or even Tales from the Borderlands' Vaughn or Fiona, are all great options.
As for Wonderlands' story, it could be placed either before or after Borderlands 3, but a prequel still seems most likely. The Director's Cut DLC tried to redeem Borderlands 3's Calypso Twins, but many fans still felt that they fail to live up to the legacy of Handsome Jack. Wonderlands being a prequel would present the perfect opportunity for Gearbox to further flesh out the characters and tell more of their story.
Wonderlands' story would also likely be even crazier and more ridiculous than previous games in the series. Tiny Tina previously had her own DLC for Borderlands 2, Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep, which was a love letter to fantasy properties while also being a slightly less grounded narrative than Borderlands 2. If Tiny Tina got her own game, it would only make sense for it to somehow be even crazier and wilder than previous titles.
Only time will tell whether or not Wonderlands is real or not, but Borderlands 3 and its DLCs laid a lot of groundwork for the series' future. Borderlands fans will undoubtedly get more content in the future, whether it be Wonderlands, Borderlands 4, or even Borderlands: The Post-Sequel. With Borderlands 3 just finishing up all of its announced post-launch support, hopefully, fans will get some information on what is in store for the series at this year's E3. And if Borderlands' future ends up including more Tiny Tina, that is even better.