The Borderlands series has become one of the most popular in recent gaming history, wowing players with tongue-in-cheek wastelands full of bloodthirsty bandits and killer creatures. Whilst the original game proved to be very successful, Borderlands 2 upped the ante, becoming the best-selling 2K game of all time. Whilst Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel failed to live up to the critical acclaim set by previous titles, the franchise has nonetheless become a firm favorite in the first-person shooter genre.

There was one question on everyone's minds, however - where was Borderlands 3? Publisher 2K Games has branched out the series in the last year, with Telltale Games creating a story-driven experience with Tales from the Borderlands, whilst Shanda Games has been trusted with a China-exclusive MMO in the form of Borderlands Online. Another game from Gearbox Software, however, has been disappointingly absent.

Now, Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford has given an update on the fan clamour for Borderlands 3, although it may not be exactly what Borderlands players want to hear. In an interview with IGN, Pitchford stated that the developer is currently working on another project set within the Borderlands universe. However, the development team is not entirely sure what form the future Borderlands release will take.

Pitchford revealed that there would "almost certainly" be more Borderlands at some point, and that "there are people working on Borderlands things for the future." However, those looking forward to imminent news will have a while to wait. The Gearbox CEO stated that there would "probably not" be an update on the horizon, as the development team needs to "figure out" what form the future Borderlands game will take.

Pitchford continued to be even more cryptic about the next Borderlands game, stating that it may well not even be called Borderlands 3. "What we call it and what it is are things we care about and we’re engaged about but it would be irresponsible to share anything at this stage," said Pitchford. The CEO then revealed that no ideas of the project are finite at this moment in time, explaining that "anything we’re thinking now is going to change between now and when we commit ourselves."

It's not surprising to hear that Gearbox Software is still some ways off being able to reveal any news on the next Borderlands game. After all, the developer has previously reiterated its focus on other titles over working on the successful franchise. Given how far the Borderlands world has branched out from its co-op focused shooter roots, perhaps the developer will try something radical with the next title. Who knows, maybe we'll see a Battlefront-style spin-off after all.

Source: IGN