Borderlands 3

Borderlands 3 is a 2019 action role-playing first-person shooter from Gearbox Software and 2K. It follows 2012's Borderlands 2 and is the fourth main series installment. It launched on September 13, 2019 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, with a macOS version arriving on October 30, 2019. A Stadia port came on December 17, 2019. Free upgrades for Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 owners of the prior console versions were released on November 10 and 12, 2020, respectively. A Nintendo Switch version dropped on October 6, 2023. The game received generally favorable reviews, with critics praising its gameplay but noting a lack of innovation, technical problems, and weak writing. It sold over five million copies in its first five days, the fastest start in the series. A sequel, Borderlands 4, came out on September 12, 2025.

Players take on quests and side missions alone or with up to three others, choosing from four character classes. Defeated enemies can drop weapons and gear to equip. New abilities unlock as players gain experience. The story follows four new Vault Hunters hired by Pandora's Crimson Raiders to stop twins Troy and Tyreen Calypso and their cult from seizing the power of alien Vaults scattered across the galaxy.

Gameplay is built around first-person loot shooting. Players can play solo or in parties of up to four, picking one of four classes to complete missions from NPCs or bounty boards for experience, money, and items. Enemies also drop loot. Leveling up grants skill points to spend on a skill tree. The four new characters are Amara, a Siren who summons ethereal fists; Moze, a Gunner who pilots the mecha Iron Bear; Zane, an Operative with various gadgets; and FL4K, a robot Beastmaster who summons creatures. Unlike earlier games where each character had one unique skill on cooldown, here each can unlock three unique skills, though only one (or two for Zane) can be equipped at a time, allowing more build variety.

The core loop remains familiar: take missions, defeat enemies, collect loot from foes or chests. Weapons are procedurally generated, varying in damage, range, ammo capacity, and perks, giving the game "over one billion guns." Perks include elemental effects like fire, ice, or electricity, or alternative firing modes and visual differences.