Borderlands 3 Confirmed For Friday 9/13 Launch As Initial Epic Games Store Exclusive
Mayhem is headed to PCs and game consoles in the form of Borderlands 3, the fourth installment in the popular shooter-looter series developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K. It lands on September 13, which also happens to be a Friday (yes, Friday the 13th!), and will initially be offered exclusively in the Epic Games store.
The exclusive availability is sure to disappoint some gamers, though on the bright side, Borderlands 3 will be more broadly available the following April. That essentially means Epic Games is getting a six-month window as the sole distributor of Borderlands 3, before the game is made available on "additional PC digital storefronts." We presume that means Steam and GOG.
"The PC gaming community has been an important part of the success of the Borderlands series, and we are excited to be partnering with Epic who recognize its worldwide popularity and share in our commitment to bring Borderlands 3 to this rapidly expanding audience," 2K President David Ismailer said. "Our mission, in addition to delivering the most engaging and captivating entertainment experiences, is to embrace new distribution platforms that will contribute to our effort to grow the audience for Borderlands 3."
2K/Take Two has exclusive publishing rights for Borderlands 3 and makes all decisions regarding price-points, territories, distribution and platform partnerships. Please direct all inquiries regarding any of those topics to 2K. We are *just* the talent. 1/3
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) April 1, 2019
As expected, there is some blow back from the PC community regarding the exclusive arrangement. Gearbox Software President and CEO Randy Pitchford was quick to point out that the decision is out of the developer's hands, however, and that gamers should direct their feedback (ire, really) to 2K and its parent company, Take-Two Interactive.
It's a shame that the exclusivity agreement is distracting from what is otherwise a highly anticipated addition to the Borderlands franchise. As with previous iterations, Borderlands 3 delivers cel-shaded visuals and plenty of weapons—over 1 billion guns this time around. There will also be multiple planets and worlds to explore, and a bunch of vehicles and powers to keep the action fresh and interesting.
Borderlands 3 is available to preorder now. There are four versions:
- Borderlands 3 Standard Edition—$59.99
- Borderlands 3 Deluxe Edition—$79.99
- Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe Edition—$99.99
- Borderlands 3 Diamond Loot Chest Collector's Edition—$249.99
Yes, one of the versions costs two and a half Benjamins (available only at GameStop), for which you get the full game, season pass, all bonus digital content, a preorder bonus, character art lithography, a bunch of character figurines, and a few other collectable items.
