Rapidly incomes a repute because the face of the looter shooter style within the years since its launch, Borderlands actually has develop into certainly one of gaming’s most recognisable franchises. From its cel-shaded artwork model to its masked psycho poster youngster, the foul-mouthed, tongue-in-cheek sci-fi universe is now a staple of contemporary online game tradition. It is not stopping there although, with the sequence shortly morphing right into a multimedia sensation in its personal proper, spinning off into comics, novels and even a tabletop sport.
This month, that journey reaches its greatest milestone but, with Borderlands lastly making its long-awaited bounce to the large display courtesy of Hostel and Thanksgiving director, Eli Roth. Reimagining Pandora and its vault-obsessed locals for a model new viewers. And whereas the movie didn’t evaluation significantly nicely, it is nonetheless a significant step for any franchise.
With Borderlands 4 arriving on September 12, there’s prone to be lots of new and returning followers seeking to dive again into the video games and reacquaint themselves with the place it began. So, we determined to place collectively a fast timeline of the sequence to get you caught up on the way it all suits collectively.
Bounce to:
- How one can play in chronological order
- How one can play by launch date
How Many Borderlands Video games Are There?
In whole, there are presently seven Borderlands video games and spin-offs which might be canon to the sequence, and two smaller, non-canon titles: Borderlands: Vault Hunter Pinball and Borderlands Legends. For those who’re seeking to get them suddenly, there’s presently a Humble Bundle sale on the entire Borderlands video games for PC we suggest you take a look at.
The place’s The Greatest Place to Begin?
Whereas it is the best reply, one of the best place to start out is arguably Borderlands 1, though should you do not care concerning the story, any of the three mainline video games are a superb introduction.
All three entries within the trilogy are comparatively related in model, scope and gameplay, and higher but, they’re all out there on trendy consoles and PC. That being mentioned, there’s a nice overarching story that runs by means of the Borderlands saga, and should you’ve simply come off the film and need to observe it as supposed, ranging from the start is one of the simplest ways to play.
Each Canon Borderlands Sport in Chronological Order
These blurbs comprise gentle spoilers for every sport, together with characters, settings, and story beats.
1. Borderlands (2009)
The sport that kickstarted all of it. The very first Borderlands launched in 2009, telling the story of Lilith, Brick, Roland and Mordecai: a bunch of 4 “Vault Hunters” that enterprise out on the treasure hunt of a lifetime. Arriving on the unstable planet of Pandora, they search out a legendary bunker generally known as The Vault, which is claimed to deal with unimaginable treasures.
As anticipated, their expedition shortly turns right into a chaotic maelstrom of carnage, with the group dealing with off in opposition to a militia generally known as the Crimson Lance, contending with the planet’s savage wildlife and taking down hordes of bloodthirsty bandits. From the second Borderlands hit cabinets, it was an enormous hit, launching the looter shooter style into the stratosphere by means of its compelling gameplay loop of killing lots of enemies, discovering a near-limitless provide of weapons and constructing your chosen character.
The sport was additionally supported closely after launch, getting an additional 4 expansions that took the sport from zombie-themed islands to a tongue-in-cheek riff on Mad Max’s Thunderdome.
2. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (2014)
Developed by 2K Australia with the help of Gearbox Software program, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel could have launched after Borderlands 2, however it fills within the hole between the primary two Borderlands video games. The story follows a bunch of recent Vault Hunters, Athena, Wilhelm, Nisha and Claptrap, as they head out on a mission to discover a Vault on the moon of Elpis.
The Pre-Sequel was, in lots of methods, a bunch extra of the Borderlands followers knew and beloved. Set in a brand new locale with contemporary courses to grasp and be taught, it supplied extra weapons, boss fights, quests and enemy encounters to plough by means of whereas the world waited for an inevitable Borderlands 3. Nonetheless, its predominant promoting level was additional fleshing out the story of Borderlands 2, with the sport that includes the second sport’s predominant antagonist, Good-looking Jack, in a number one function.
Alongside that includes most of the second sport’s predominant bosses and characters years earlier than their roles within the sequel’s story, it additionally supplied a full view of Jack’s descent into insanity, establishing the enduring foe’s origins. Very like the opposite video games, 2K Australia added a number of expansions after the sport launched, together with the Holodome Onslaught and Claptastic Voyage maps, in addition to two playable characters: the Doppelganger and the Baroness.
3. Borderlands 2 (2012)
The official sequel to Borderlands, Borderlands 2 launched in 2012, bringing gamers again to Pandora with a brand new squad of bold Vault Hunters in tow. The story begins with our heroes, Maya, Axton, Salvador and Zer0, heading to Pandora to seek for a brand new Vault. Nonetheless, it shortly turns into obvious that the planet’s overlord, the sadistic Good-looking Jack, would not take kindly to courageous adventurers in search of fame and fortune by uncovering the newest fabled Vault on Pandora. Whereas driving a prepare throughout the untamed planet, Jack makes an attempt to have them killed, leaving them stranded in an icy wasteland.
Left for useless, the workforce set out on an journey to find the reality behind Good-looking Jack’s schemes, making an attempt to cease to him and discover the Vault within the course of. Borderlands 2 was primarily a much bigger, extra expansive tackle the unique sport, providing loads of quests, new courses to grasp, a charismatic predominant villain to take down and, one way or the other, much more weapons to search out and acquire.
It is nonetheless regarded by many as one of the best Borderlands so far, providing a enjoyable story, memorable fight encounters and a wholesome dose of the sequence’ trademark sense of humour. Very like the primary sport, it additionally got here with a bunch of post-release assist, together with 4 further campaigns, two bonus playable characters, and several other Headhunter missions.
4. Tales From The Borderlands (2014 – 2015)
The primary full spin-off of the sequence, Tales From The Borderlands was Strolling Lifeless developer Telltale’s tackle the Borderlands universe, providing an episodic, story-focused journey set on the floor of Pandora. Not like the mainline entries, Tales would not centre on a workforce of super-powered, gun-obsessed Vault Hunters. As a substitute, it follows a criminal and a company lackey who unwittingly stumble right into a grand journey.
Set after the occasions of Borderlands 2, we observe Rhys, a Hyperion worker lobbying for the next place within the firm, and Fiona, a con artist working along with her sister, Sasha. After Rhys makes an attempt to one-up a colleague by intercepting a deal to amass a vault key, he learns the important thing was a pretend in a con set-up by Fiona, entangling the 2 collectively and setting off a sequence response of occasions that put them on the path of a model new Vault.
As with all of Telltale’s video games, Tales From The Borderlands focuses totally on a branching, cinematic story with ethical decisions that may change the route of the narrative. Within the years following its launch, Tales From The Borderlands has been acknowledged as a key piece of the Borderlands canon, with authentic characters from the sport even popping up in Borderlands 3.
5. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands (2022)
Gearbox Software program’s most up-to-date entry within the Borderlands franchise, from the skin, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands would not seem like a Borderlands sport. Subbing out futuristic desert wastelands for a sprawling fantasy kingdom, whereas Wonderlands could have loads of dragons, goblins and unicorns, it is very a lot nonetheless a Borderlands sport in every thing however the setting.
Performing as a fully-fledged model of the beloved Borderlands 2 DLC, Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Preserve, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands as soon as once more has you getting into the world of Bunkers and Badasses; the Borderlands equal of Dungeons and Dragons. With Tina as your very enthusiastic dungeon grasp, you will battle in opposition to a spread of fantasy monsters, embark on some heroic quests and battle your technique to the monstrous Dragon Lord.
As with all Borderlands video games, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands boasts a metric ton of weapons to search out, courses to grasp and enemies to kill, whereas additionally incorporating new concepts to enhance the shift in setting, corresponding to an overworld space you traverse between missions and the flexibility to make use of spells. It additionally has its personal serving to of expansions to dig into, with 4 separate DLCs that includes new dungeons, bosses and equipment.
6. Borderlands 3 (2019)
Seven years after the discharge of Borderlands 2, Gearbox Software program returned for an official third entry, launching Borderlands 3 in 2019. As all the time, the threequel brings a contemporary new solid of Vault Hunters into the fray, introducing gamers to Amara, FL4K, Zane and Moze, and sending them out on a chaotic new journey.
This time round, gamers are tasked with stopping a pair of murderous siren twins named Troy and Tyreen, who’re venturing throughout the galaxy and harnessing the facility contained in the vaults for a mysterious trigger. In a franchise first, gamers are tasked with travelling to a number of planets to take them down, teaming with an array of acquainted faces corresponding to Lilith, Rhys, Maya, Brick, Zer0 and, after all, Claptrap.
As all the time, you’ll be able to count on loads of looter shooter chaos to ensue, with a heap of weapons to search out, enemies to eviscerate and new character courses to grasp. There’s additionally loads of DLC content material to leap into whenever you’re finished, with Borderlands 3’s further content material providing 4 new campaigns, takedown missions and even designer and director cuts that resurrect a bunch of content material left on the slicing room ground.
7. New Tales From The Borderlands (2022)
Gearbox Software program’s official follow-up to Tales From The Borderlands, New Tales From The Borderlands is presently the final sport on the chronological timeline. Bringing in a slate of contemporary characters as an alternative of choosing a continuation of the unique Tales sport, New Tales has three protagonists: Anu, Octavio and Fran.
The story follows the group’s adventures after stumbling right into a vault and discovering a treasured artefact, which inadvertently places them within the line of fireside of the Tediore company and its ruthless CEO, Susan Coldwell. With the relic now of their possession, the trio begins to uncover its true powers, all of the whereas making an attempt to evade Coldwell as she hunts them down.
Very like the earlier sport, New Tales From The Borderlands is concentrated virtually totally on weaving a branching story that adapts and warps primarily based in your decisions. You’ll be able to count on loads of dialogue choices, QTE struggle sequences and difficult choices that can influence the result of the journey.
8. Borderlands 4
Borderlands 4 would not launch till September 12, so we do not have the entire story particulars simply but. That being mentioned, we do know that it doubtless takes place instantly after the occasions of Borderlands 3. The sport takes place on a brand new planet referred to as Kairos.
To keep away from spoiling something, we can’t go into element about how this sport connects to Borderlands 3 till folks have had a while to play. You’ll be able to preorder Borderlands 4 now forward of its launch this Friday.
Each Borderlands Sport in Launch Order
- Borderlands (2009)
- Borderlands Legends (2012)
- Borderlands 2 (2012)
- Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (2014)
- Tales From The Borderlands (2014 – 2015)
- Borderlands 3 (2019)
- Tiny Tina’s Wonderland (2022)
- New Tales From The Borderlands (2022)
- Borderlands: Vault Hunter Pinball (2023)
- Borderlands 4 (2025)
What’s Subsequent For Borderlands?
Borderlands 4 is the following entry within the looter-shooter sequence. The fourth mainline Borderlands sport might be launched September 12 on PS5, Xbox Sequence X|S. There’s additionally a Change 2 model, however it will not be out there till October
IGN had the prospect to go hands-on with Borderlands 4 earlier this yr and got here away impressed, noting its “enormously improved capturing mechanics, an fascinating revamp to RPG mechanics, a wholly contemporary setting, a slew of recent characters, [and] a extra grounded tone in its story.”
Though that is all we’ve to go on for now, we realized just lately the franchise might be a giant focus for Take-Two following its acquisition of developer Gearbox: Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick famous in an investor’s name that the corporate sees lots of “potential development alternatives” for the IP.
Callum Williams is an IGN freelancer protecting options and guides. When he is away from his desk, you’ll be able to often discover him obsessing over the lore of the newest obscure indie horror sport or bashing his head in opposition to a boss within the latest soulslike. You’ll be able to catch him over on Twitter at @CaIIumWilliams.