Borderlands 3

Borderlands 3 is an action role-playing first-person shooter from Gearbox Software, published by 2K. As the fourth main entry in the Borderlands series and the follow-up to Borderlands 2, it launched on September 13, 2019, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows. A macOS release came that October, a Stadia version arrived in December 2019, upgraded editions reached PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S in November 2020, and a Nintendo Switch version followed on October 6, 2023.

The story picks up seven years after Borderlands 2 and Tales from the Borderlands. Twin siblings Troy and Tyreen Calypso have united Pandora’s bandit clans into a cult called the Children of the Vault, and they want the power hidden inside alien Vaults scattered across the galaxy. Lilith, the Siren who leads the Crimson Raiders, calls on four new Vault Hunters to stop them. Aboard the ship Sanctuary III, the team travels from Pandora to worlds such as the city-planet Promethea and the swamp world Eden-6, crossing paths with many familiar faces from earlier games along the way.

Players choose one of four classes: Amara the Siren, who conjures ghostly fists; Moze the Gunner, who pilots the mech Iron Bear; Zane the Operative, who relies on gadgets; and FL4K the Beastmaster, a robot that fights alongside tamed creatures. Each Vault Hunter can unlock three special abilities rather than one, which opens up far more build options. Missions come from characters and bounty boards, enemies drop procedurally generated guns with elemental effects and manufacturer quirks, and new moves such as sliding and mantling make combat more mobile. Sanctuary III acts as a hub for shopping, respeccing skills, and picking up optional jobs.

The campaign can be played alone or in co-op with up to four players, and loot can be shared or dealt out to each player separately. Later updates added local split-screen and cross-platform play. After the credits, True Vault Hunter Mode, Mayhem Mode, Guardian Ranks, Circles of Slaughter, and Proving Grounds trials extend the endgame. The first season pass delivered four story add-ons, starting with Moxxi’s Heist of the Handsome Jackpot, and a second pass brought Designer’s Cut, with new skill trees and the Arms Race mode, plus Director’s Cut. Several retail editions were sold, from the standard game up to the Diamond Loot Chest Collector’s Edition.

Gearbox’s Texas and Quebec studios built the game in Unreal Engine 4 after the team spent time on Battleborn, and it was revealed at PAX East in March 2019. On PC it was an Epic Games Store exclusive for six months before arriving on Steam in March 2020. Critics generally liked it, praising the shooting and loot while faulting the lack of fresh ideas, technical problems, and parts of the writing. It sold over five million copies in its first five days and passed 18 million by 2023, and the series continued with Borderlands 4 in September 2025.