What We Know: Borderlands 3

I have waited years for a new main entry to Borderlands, and now the third game arrives in a week. It seems like the other titles, but there is plenty that will evolve this franchise of looting and shooting. Time to hop on the hype train by going over every juicy detail we know about so far.

Vault Hunters

Moze the Gunner: A tech expert mixed with the Gunzerker. Her robot, named Iron Bear is her unique ability that will add another hero to the battlefield. Her skill tree consists of Demolition Woman, Shield of Retribution, and Bottomless Mags. She can be played in both defensive and aggressive styles.

Amara the Siren: Like previous Sirens, your powers grant you superhero-esque powers to give you that edge in battle as she tosses enemies around in the air, at each other, and into the ground. This is a great support character that can hold her own in fights. Her skill tree consists of Brawl, Mystical Assault, and Fist of the Element.

Zane the Operative: The stealth character who focuses on staying back to deal critical damage. His gadgets give him a far greater variety of playstyles than Zer0. His skill tree consists of Hitman, Double Agent, and Under Cover.

FL4K the Beastmaster: A class that involved summoning robotic helpers similar to Moze’s Iron Bear to help in battle. His focus on his companions dealing elemental damage is identical to the Mechromancer’s focus on acidic, electric, and fire-based attacks. Fl4K’s skill tree surrounds Hunter, Master, and Stalker.

NPCs

Many familiar faces return from Borderlands 2, and the Tales from the Borderlands like Zer0, a grown-up Tiny Tina, Marcus, Sir Hammerlock, Claptrap, Lilith, and many more will surely surprise anyone who has played previous titles.

Villains

Anyone who has played any Borderlands game knows there will be a diverse population of enemies to face against, but the central narrative circles around the Calypso twins as the game’s new Handsome Jack for players to face. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford described Tyreen and Troy by saying, “the douchiest kind of live streamers of the future you can possibly imagine.”

Tyreen and Troy lead a faction called Children of the Vault, so you can start your theories based on that name.

GUNS

Besides unique classes, interesting enemies, and plenty of fun quests to complete, Borderlands is best known for its insane amount of guns. The developers at Gearbox state that there will be about a billion firearms for people to get their hands on from burger launcher RPGs, guns with legs, and various elemental damages like the new radiation.

Is the billion a lie? Well, this is how the team made so many:

Space Travel

Your base will be a spaceship in which you can travel to other planets. Sanctuary 3 as your hub, similar to Sanctuary in previous Borderlands 2. Pandora will still be present, but new worlds like Promethea will give a new breath of fresh air to the environments.

Friends will accompany you on your ship like Moxxi’s bar with slot machines, Sir Hammerlock’s room has walls to mount your kills, and Crazy Earl’s Black Market is available. Your own room will be open to decorate with guns.

True Vault Hunter Mode

The new game plus mode True Vault Hunter Mode lets players keep everything but restarting their story progress for more leveling up opportunities and plenty of better loot.

Mayhem Mode

The endgame comes from a new mode called Mayhem. Challenges get ramped up along with game rules flipping. Those changing mechanics have not been given detail to keep the surprise, but I am sure you all have your ideas popping up in your head.

Guardian Ranks

Badass Ranks from the second entry of the series returns as Guardian Ranks. A seemingly endless list of challenges to complete for points that can be redeemed for extra boosts to stats like less recoil, faster shield regeneration, and more health.

Multiplayer

Remember playing with randoms or friends who took that gun you really wanted? Well, loot in Borderlands 3 will be individualized, but an option for the shared loot style is still available if you want it.

Level scaling allows anyone to come into your game and not unbalance the difficulty for either you or them. Along with that, loot will scale for each individual, so nobody who is level 12 gets a pistol for level 45s. This can be turned off if you wish.

Social features make it easy for anyone playing on and off with friends. You can mail people items or sell gear to buy in your own game. You can even browse a friend’s inventory or skill tree to see how they are playing their vault hunter.

The popularized feature pinging which gained a lot of traction in the FPS genre from Apex Legends and Rainbow Six Siege comes to Borderlands. Now you can communicate easier to point out loot boxes or where to go for your friend with a bad sense of direction.

Cross-platform will not be a mechanic at launch, but Gearbox has stated that it is trying to make this a possibility at some point.

Microtransactions

Cosmetic microtransactions will be available. Also, DLC will come up in the future.

Streaming

Now users on Twitch for both the entertainers and fans can have a more intimate interaction when playing Borderlands 3. ECHOcast extension is a mechanic to view your favorite streamers character build to see their playstyle or mimic what they have done with their Vault Hunter. Along with that, the chat during a stream can influence the game by drinks from Moxxi’s bar for buffs, be chosen as a badass enemy with your username on display, and many more to help or torment streamers.

Pre-Order Bonuses and Special Editions

Standard: Just the game and gold weapon skins for $59.99.

Deluxe: Additional to the game you get gold weapon skins, Retro Cosmetic Pack (character skins, Echo Device skin, weapon skin), Neon Cosmetic Pack (character skins, Echo Device skin, weapon trinket), Gearbox Cosmetic Pack (weapon skin and trinket), Toy Box Weapon Pack (two toy gun, toy grenade mod, weapon trinket), and XP and loot boosts. This will cost $79.99.

Super Deluxe: Everything listed above including a season pass to the campaign DLCs and Butt Stallion weapon skin, trinket, and grenade mod. This edition will cost $99.99.

Diamond Loot Chest Collector’s Edition: A $249.99 edition that will have everything above plus a lot more. A replica to a diamond loot chest, 10 figurines of Borderlands 3 characters like the Calypso Twins and iconic faces that players love, a model ship of Sanctuary 3 you can build, four Vault Key keychains, cloth galaxy map, five prints of various characters, Borderlands 3 steelbook case.

New Claptrap?

The annoying robot friend Claptrap might sound a little different. Due to an alleged altercation between Pitchford and Claptrap voice actor and former Gearbox vice president of licensing and business development David Eddings, he will not return to play the iconic character. Jim Foronda who is best known for English versions of popular animes like Attack on Titan, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Dragon Ball Z will replace Eddings.

Eddings now works for the video game development department for the production company Rooster Teeth.

Release

Borderlands 3 will be out for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on Sept. 13. The PC release will be an Epic Games Store exclusive for a year. At some point next year you can play it on Google Stadia.

Images via Gearbox