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Borderlands 3 developers are "working on the big one" Gearbox CEO says

The new one is always the big one, isn't it?

A Borderlands bandit in a mask points fingerguns at his own head.
Image credit: Take-Two Interactive

In case there was any doubt, the studio that makes Borderlands games is working on another Borderlands game. Gearbox Entertainment CEO Randy Pitchford shot down some rumors about the studio co-developing a new vault hunter game by saying "Gearbox is lead dev of any future games in the Borderlands franchise". He followed up to add that the Borderlands 3 developers are "working on the big one". The next one is pretty much always "the big one" when it comes to game developers, but perhaps Gearbox are considering teasing their plans this summer.

"I am told of rumors that Gearbox is 'assisting' or 'co-developing' another Borderlands game (or a new spin-off game)," Pitchford said on Twitter. "These rumors are NOT accurate. Gearbox is lead dev of any future games in the Borderlands franchise (or any Borderlands adjacent games) with no co-development."

Cover image for YouTube videoBorderlands 3 Review | Just More Borderlands? Not A Problem

In a follow-up, Pitchford added "We are definitely working on some amazing stuff that, I hope, will surprise and delight you. Plug: if anyone out there has Skills-To-Pay-Bills and wants to get in on some Borderlands action, we're working on the big one".

You'd think "the big one" means another main Borderlands game, perhaps with the number "4" attached. Or maybe Borderlands: The Pre-Threequel. That said, Borderlands 3 launched not quite two years ago, back in 2019. Since then Gearbox have released several DLC expansions including the recent Director's Cut DLC.

With all of those out the door, it's certainly possible that Gearbox are looking to prioritize the next big looter shooter in the series. It feels a bit early for the studio to come out with a big announcement to that effect, especially given that they announced Borderlands 3 in the same year it launched. More likely, I think, that the "surprise and delight" bit is what we'll hear about in the near term while Gearbox quietly plug away on "the big one" for a while longer.

More Borderlands though? As Matthew says up there in his video side of RPS's Borderlands 3 review, "it’s just more Borderlands, but sometimes more is enough."

Gearbox are confirmed to be presenting at E3 now that it's back on this summer. I suppose they aren't showing up for nothing, are they?

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Borderlands 3

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Lauren Morton

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