If you own a PlayStation 5 and a copy of Borderlands 3 for PS4, you can download the next-gen upgrade for free, enabling frame rates of up to 60 frames per second in 4K resolution during single-player and online co-op.
Maybe our biggest free addition, though, was the PlayStation 5 upgrade that launched last November, right alongside the console itself. We even gave players a way to contribute to real-world scientific research with Borderlands Science, a game within the game that helps map the human gut biome (we were all pretty proud of that one). We overhauled the end game loop with Mayhem Mode 2.0 we challenged high-level players with the intense and original Takedowns and we gave the entire community new reasons to play together with rewarding seasonal events like Revenge of the Cartels and Bloody Harvest. In addition, we released a huge number of free additions, again leaning into the variety that a game like Borderlands 3 makes possible.
After that, we released the Designer’s Cut add-on, which added entirely new spin of the Borderlands formula with Arms Race, plus a new skill tree for each of our four Vault Hunters.Īnd that was just the paid content. In the first year after launch, we released four story-driven campaign add-ons that ranged from a cosmic horror rom-com to a gritty western tale to a space casino super heist to a journey into the broken psyche of a psycho. And when I say variety, I really, really mean it. Those weekly adjustments keep us plenty busy, but the real work – and the real joy of Borderlands 3 – comes from that third goal: releasing a variety of new content. Have you ever wondered, “Do developers actually read their games’ subreddits?” Well, the answer is: yes, of course! We read all those critiques, as we know those comments come from the most passionate members of our community. While these weekly updates often stem from our own internal play-testing and the direction of our live team, they just as often result from fan feedback. From the beginning, this has been our guiding light when approaching the adjustments we’ve made to the balance of the game. We always want that experience to feel both challenging and rewarding. We made all of these changes with the goal of improving the long-term health of the Borderlands 3 experience. Yes, a few updates saw us remove power from over-performing gear or skills, but far more often, we buffed gear and characters.
In effort to be transparent, update notes are always available on. We’ve also added numerous quality of life improvements, such as more backpack and bank space, expanded ammo storage, and performance and UI improvements. Nearly every single week since launch (up to and including this week), we’ve released a hotfix to adjust the content that’s already available. That first goal is the most straightforward of the three. And finally, to deliver a variety of new content, whether free or as part of a paid campaign DLC, at a consistent cadence.
Second, to strive to maintain a balanced experience so that build diversity could flourish at the end-game. First, to continue to polish and improve the game by addressing reported performance issues. To mark the occasion, we wanted to look back at everything we’ve released since launch and pull back the curtain on what it takes to keep a triple-A game feeling fresh.īroadly speaking, we’ve been guided by three major goals since launch.
Later this week, more than 18 months since the base game launched on PlayStation 4, we plan to release the Director’s Cut add-on for Borderlands 3 on April 8, introducing a brand new raid boss, a series of murder mystery missions, new daily and weekly challenges via Vault Cards, and a cache of never-before-seen, behind the scenes content, not to mention new Legendary gear and cosmetic items. To keep this looter shooter alive and thriving, we have relied on the passion and determination of our incredible development teams, who’ve kept development happening against the backdrop of a pandemic that fundamentally changed the way we needed to work. While Borderlands 3 is not technically a “live service” game, we have treated it as such to make sure that each week it’s a better game than it was the week before. Increasingly, though, launch is not the end – it’s only the beginning. For massive triple-A titles like Borderlands 3, releasing a final product requires years of dedication and perseverance.
So many variables have to fall perfectly into place. You’ve heard this before, but it bears repeating: every single video game launch is a minor miracle.