‘Borderlands 3’ Reveal Possibly Coming From PAX East, No Switch Release Date?


A Borderlands 3 reveal, including a release date, might arrive during PAX East this year. This is one of a variety of gaming-related events every year, during which new games and trailers are often planned to drop, much like E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) and GamesCom.

It’s not official yet, but the PAX East website mentioned the franchise in its panel description. At the same event in 2016, Gearbox confirmed that they are working on a follow-up possibly called Borderlands 3, but the company didn’t reveal any further details. It might not include the number, though, which possibly indicates either a spin-off title or another “pre-sequel” like they did after the release of the 2012 mega-hit.

One of the well-hidden hints that the game is coming soon was actually in a different franchise via a possible Easter egg. YouTube channel HandsomeJackBoy (obviously a fan of the franchise, since he uses the main villain’s name) revealed some graffiti on a wall in the Battleborn: Attikus and the Thrall Rebellion DLC from Gearbox. It mentions “Promethea” and a Vault symbol used in Borderlands.

The ‘Borderlands’ Vault symbol was featured in an Easter egg in ‘Battleborn’ DLC. [Image by Gearbox Software/2K Games]

To the non-fans, the Vault symbol could have meant anything and the word could have been a reference to the Alien prequel Prometheus. However, Promethea is a planet in the Borderlands universe, which makes more sense in connection with the symbol. Some outlets, such as Digital Trends, have speculated that this means the upcoming game will be set on that planet.

The Easter egg might also only be a reference to the franchise and nothing more. Ubisoft has done similar things in their games, dropping references to their other titles, including the mind-twisting appearance of the titular blood dragon’s corpse in Far Cry Primal. If that wasn’t just a nod to another game, it may have indicated either time travel or the possibility that Primal actually took place in a distant future beyond Blood Dragon.

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford also said last year that the formerly non-canon character Scooper, son of the mechanic Scooter, will be in the upcoming title. This could mean that the game will be a sequel, but not be given the sequel number, much like other franchises have done, from Super Mario World to Assassin’s Creed: Unity. Originally intended as a joke, Scooper could simply be Gearbox’s way of keeping the humor going in a series which is known for its levity.

With a Borderlands 3 release date reveal all but confirmed, it appears that Nintendo is continuing to have third-party developer problems. One of the biggest problems the Wii U faced was a lack of support from other publishers, and the Switch could be going the same way. Gearbox had originally planned to release a Borderlands title on Nintendo’s hybrid console, but Pitchford revealed on Twitter that it isn’t working out. According to MStars News, when a fan asked about it, his reply was that production has “stopped for some reason” and that Nintendo has “other priorities.”

‘Borderlands 3’ will not be coming to Nintendo Switch. [Image by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Nintendo of America]

It’s unclear exactly what that means, unless Nintendo is planning to keep its games family-friendly and shooters are generally not a part of that aim. It is known that Nintendo is working on getting their first ever paid online subscription service going, and a lot is possible, including Virtual Console, the addition of streaming service apps, and other things Sony and Microsoft have already done.

Fans will know in the next few weeks if Gearbox is planning to reveal the Borderlands 3 release date at PAX East.


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[Featured Image by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images]

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