Summary
- Borderlands 4 is nearly upon us, and while the game is bound to have billions of weapons, it was unclear what direction the tone would take.
- Now, via a new interview, it’s been revealed that Borderlands 4 will “evolve” in its humor, offering players a game that is tonally closer to Borderlands 2 than it is to Borderlands 3.
- That won’t preclude some over-the-top writing, but just don’t expect Skibidi Toilet-themed weapons or streamers as villains.
Video games are inherently a product of their time, and few are more emblematic of the time period they were released in than the Borderlands series. The first title relied heavily on toilet humor, while Borderlands 2 leaned into the memes of its time. When Borderlands 3 dropped, its main protagonists were a pair of streamers.
Last year’s film adaptation of the game can’t be categorized as anything but a box office bomb, with the movie reportedly only making $30 million back on a $150 million budget.
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With Borderlands 4 on the horizon and set to launch at some point in 2025, fans have been eager to find out more about the game’s tone. Now, via a new interview, it appears that Borderlands 4 won’t be too embarrassing.
The Franchise Will Seemingly Evolve In Borderlands 4
Speaking to GamesRadar+, senior project producer Anthony Nicholson made it clear that Gearbox isn’t ashamed of the work its done so far when it comes to the franchise. Specifically, they are “proud of the worlds we’ve created and stories told in previous Borderlands titles.”
That said, “the art of making games evolves over time, and audience expectations for both stories and the way we tell them change as well.” As a result, “the tone of Borderlands 4 will evolve too,” according to Nicholson.
What that evolution looks like remains to be seen, but Nicholson noted in the interview that the game’s tone will fall “closer to between what players felt tonally in the first Borderlands and the humor and comedic opportunities we explored in Borderlands 2.” That particular sentiment echoes what narrative director Sam Winkler said last year about dialing down the toilet humor.
Still, that evolution won’t preclude Gearbox from tapping into some of the central elements that makes Borderlands what it is. “We’ll retain the fun and sometimes over-the-top writing players expect from us that makes us so unique,” he noted. In other words, expect zaniness and, of course, millions of weapons, but don’t bet the farm on a Hawk Tuah reference.
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