Gaming

When is Borderlands 3 coming out? Release date, trailers, details and more

Connor Bennett

Gearbox Software has revealed that they are working on Borderlands 3, the newest title in the iconic franchise – and here’s everything we know about it so far.

Fans of the popular Borderlands series have had to wait seven years for new details from Gearbox about the next step in the main series – if you look past the Tales from the Borderlands spin-off and the pre-sequel release.

That long wait finally came to an end at PAX East 2019, with the reveal of the first, real trailer for the game and the announcement of some details about the upcoming release. So, here’s everything we know so far about Borderlands 3.

The iconic Borderlands art style will return for the new release.

When is Borderlands 3 released date?

On April 3, the release date for Borderlands 3 was officially confirmed as September 13, 2019, coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

The release date was leaked shortly before the official announcement, after a French YouTube ad went live earlier than expected, also confirming the September 13 launch date.

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford previously confirmed that they will be “supporting” the Epic Games Store, so it’s almost a certainty that the game will be available to purchase there.

There is some speculation that the game will be exclusive to Epic Games Store on PC, as Epic made an official post advertizing the release, and the Epic Games Store logo was spotted at the end of the trailer. However, it has not been confirmed as an exclusive.

There will be plenty of new perks and abilities for players to ravage the Borderlands with.

Where and when will Borderlands 3 be set?

The game is set to take place more than five years after the end of Borderlands 2 and should span over a number of different planets. Pandora will, of course, play a role but it isn’t likely to be the main part of the universe that players are operating in.

However, it is unclear which other planets are set to be explorable during the game.

Long-time fans of the series will, however, be excited to hear that a long-awaited trip to Promethea is apparently on the cards. The rough planet has been teased in almost every Borderland title through character dialogue, weapon descriptions, and a number of in-game easter eggs from previous DLC packages.

Players will be returning to Pandora.

What do we know about the characters in Borderlands 3?

Gearbox has already given some insight as to who and what will be returning from previous games – with new enemies and NPC’s also coming to the forefront.

Tiny Tina will return – with it also being confirmed that she will be voiced again by Ashley Burch – but as an adult, seemingly rendering the tiny tag pretty useless. Patricia Tannis will also return but earlier hints about the game have confirmed that she is ‘not what she seems’ which, while vague, sets up a number of interesting paths for the character to follow.

Both Gorty and Rhys will return, with Gorty returning to help players find the in-game vaults. Yes, that is vaults and not just a singular vault. Rhys is back as CEO of Atlas, confirming that Atlas is also back as a weapons manufacturer – but Troy Baker won’t return to voice the character. 

As for new characters, a pair called the Calypso Twins are the main antagonists – a seemingly brother and sister pair with the abilities to wreak havoc. They rule the Children of the Vault, a cult that will replace the Bandits and Scavs from earlier games as the enemy mob.

There is currently no word on just who else will play a role but Gearbox did pump plenty of cameos into Borderlands 2, so we could see a number of other fan favorites returning. Handsome Jack will not be returning, despite some early leaks stating that he would be. Pitchford killed that rumor at PAX.

The Calypso Twins are the newest in-game baddies for fans to combat.

Borderlands 3 trailer and dev update

Gearbox had teased the announcement of the game a day earlier with a short teaser trailer centered around a Psycho’s mask, called Mask of Mayhem, which didn’t give fans much to work with but confirmed that something Borderlands-based was on the horizon.

The first trailer for Borderlands 3 followed a day later on March 28, being showcased at PAX East – despite a few technical errors affecting the show. The first full-length trailer can be viewed below.

Aside from that, we now know that Borderlands 3 is going to include a lot more endgame content than past installments – according to Randy Pickford. 

The Gearbox CEO replied to a curious fan on Twitter on April 16, claiming that while there will be similarities of how the story works in Borderlands 3, it will be bigger than its predecessors. 

Will Borderlands 3 release for Nintendo Switch?

While the hugely anticipated title has already been confirmed to release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC, Nintendo Switch owners have been left wondering if they will ever have the chance to play the game on their device. 

Pitchfork was asked about the possibility of that happening via Twitter at the end of April, stating that he would “love to see that happen.” However, he is yet to disclose any more information – so it appears as if there may be a little bit of a waiting game. 

It’s not like Gearbox hasn’t ported one of their titles to a ‘portable’ device in the past. Borderlands 2 was released on the Sony PlayStation Vita console, showing that it can, in fact, be done. While it remains to be seen if there could be a Switch version, it’s definitely not out of the question. 

What Gun Manufacturers will be in Borderlands 3?

Weapons, both wacky and normal, play a huge role in the Borderlands franchise – and it seems as if Borderlands 3 will be no exception. 

Gearbox has now announced that nine different manufacturers will be appearing in the new title, with eight returning from previous games – with manufacturers also getting own branded loot-boxes to search through in-game. The full list includes:

  • Atlas – Returning
  • COV- New
  • Dahl – Returning
  • Hyperion – Returning
  • Jakobs – Returning
  • Maliwan – Returning
  • Tediore – Returning
  • Torgue – Returning
  • Vladof – Returning

It remains to be seen if Gearbox will add any other new manufacturers or if they’ll stick to their current planned line-up of nine. 

Twitch integration

Borderlands 3 will also have Twitch integration in the form of ‘Echocast.’ A video released prior to Gearbox’s gameplay showcase on May 1 gave a fans little insight about what it entails – including a voiceover from Claptrap.

It appears as if players will be able to watch playthroughs of Borderlands 3 on Twitch without the need to spam streamers about their load-outs because they’ll be able to see what equipment a streamer is rocking with Echocast.

There is also the chance for viewers to win some loot of their own in the form of drops – similar to other games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Overwatch. 

This article was last updated on Monday May 13 2019 at 10:06 am Eastern Time.

This post will be updated with rumors, news and more as and when it becomes available. To keep up with all of the latest Borderlands 3 news and so much more, follow @Dexerto on Twitter

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