Summary
Allegedly, the owner ofBorderlandscreator Gearbox Software is in talks of selling the studio to another parent company. With such large stakes at hand,Borderlands 4needs to be a huge success for Gearbox.
Borderlands 4has some big shoes to fill following the mainline franchise games, the spin-off games, andthe upcomingBorderlandsmovie. With a staggering amount of unresolved storylines, as well as industry and fan expectations for the game’s quality to meet particularly high standards, Gearbox Software can’t pull any punches forBorderlands 4.
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Borderlands 4 Can’t Afford Failure
According toreports from Reuters, rumor has it that Embracer Group, the current parent company of Gearbox Software, is looking to sell the studio soon, with speculation pointing towards such a deal occurring after the release ofBorderlands 4. With the imminent sale of Gearbox Software supposedly on the line, the pressure forBorderlands 4to perform well is at an all-time high to establish the value of Gearbox Software and the potential for the studio to remain under its current ownership by Embracer Group.
Aside from the alleged pressure riding onBorderlands 4from inside the financial side of the gaming industry, fans of the franchise also have extremely high expectations for the game. Leading up toBorderlands 4, the latest releases from theBorderlandsfranchise are the DLCs forTiny Tina’s Wonderlands. On Steam, the currentreviews forTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsare “mostly positive” for the base game, while reviews for each of the individual DLCs are all “mostly negative.” With this in mind, forBorderlands 4to be successful, it has to win back the fans who have recently been disappointed, and to do this Gearbox ultimately needs to play all of its cards.
Not only doesBorderlands 4have to win back some fans that were lost through the spin-off games, but the game also has to handle players that are new to the franchise with just as much care. With theBorderlandsmovie coming out soon, theBorderlandsfranchise is likely going to see a rise in first-time players. With the ownership of Gearbox supposedly at stake, the timeline ofBorderlands 4releasing shortly afterwhen theBorderlandsmovie comes outmeans thatBorderlands 4can be a make-or-break moment for the franchise to hook new players.
Borderlands 4 Needs to Wrap up the Franchise’s Loose Ends
With the future of theBorderlandsfranchise in a fragile situation, it’s crucial now more than ever forBorderlands 4to finish all the franchise’s ongoing stories. Between the Watcher’s War and the fate of the existing Sirens,Borderlandshas its work cut out for it to wrap up some major storylines.
The Watcher’s War was set in motion a long time ago in theBorderlandsfranchise, but it has yet to be elaborated on since. Consequently, not much is known aboutwhat the Watcher’s War could entail, but it’s said that the war will require the effort of every known vault hunter, so it’s anticipated to be a major moment in the franchise.
Aside from finally exploring the Watcher’s War,Borderlands 4must also pick up whereBorderlands 3’s ending leaves the franchise. Specifically, there are still several questions that need to be answered concerningBorderlands' most iconic Siren, Lilith. Lilith has been a major driving character for the overarching story of theBorderlandsgames, and rightfully so as one of the most powerful characters in the universe, soBorderlands 4needs to give this character’s journey a proper conclusion by now. A few of the other known Siren characters are also due for some closure afterBorderlands 3set these characters up for new arcs.
Borderlands
Borderlands is an action RPG first-person shooter created by Gearbox Software and published by 2K Games. The series is commonly called a looter shooter set in a space Western style, where players can select from multiple classes that can level up and acquire new skills. The franchise has quickly become one of the best-selling franchises and produced spin-offs like Tales from the Borderlands as well as a film adaptation being developed by Lionsgate.
