2K has said that the next Borderlands game is in active development at Gearbox.
The news was confirmed today to coincide with the announcement that publisher Take-Two is acquiring Gearbox Entertainment from Embracer Group for $460 million.
“With nearly 20 years of history working together, Gearbox has played an integral role in our success, given their unique ability to create interactive entertainment experiences that feature beloved characters, exciting new worlds, and humorous storytelling,” said David Ismailer, president of Take-Two publishing label 2K.
“We are thrilled to welcome Randy Pitchford and his team of passionate, talented developers to 2K and we look forward to releasing numerous projects in the future as colleagues. We have loved partnering with Gearbox on every iteration of the Borderlands franchise and are excited to be in active development on the next installment in the series.”
In November, references to Borderlands 4 and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands 2 were spotted on the LinkedIn profile of a former Gearbox employee.
And last month, Gearbox co-founder and CEO Randy Pitchford teased what appeared to be an update on Borderlands 4.
In an interview with IGN, he was asked what his personal favourite game in the Borderland series was.
Rather than naming an existing game, Pitchford instead started talking about a project that was in development, without specifically saying it was a Borderlands title.
“Look, we haven’t even announced anything of it,” he replied. “Clearly, we’re working on something.
“And I know what we’re working on, and holy shit… it’s the greatest thing we’ve ever done. And I can’t wait, but it’s not time yet. It’s not time yet. There will be a time.”
Despite Gearbox being owned by Embracer, Take-Two already had a long-term publishing deal with the studio for the Borderlands franchise and other titles.
Take-Two said last month that the Borderlands franchise has sold-in over 83 million units since launching in 2009.
The most recent mainline series entry, 2019’s Borderlands 3, is 2K’s fastest-selling title and has sold over 19 million copies.
2012’s Borderlands 2 is 2K’s top-selling game since the label’s inception seven years earlier, with over 28 million copies sold.
“Joining forces with Take-Two Interactive and 2K will help Gearbox ascend to our next level,” Pitchford said in today’s announcement. “Take-Two and 2K have demonstrated repeatedly their commitment to our engine of generating creativity, happiness, and profit.
“We set the bar for interactive entertainment and achieved remarkable results with groundbreaking, record-setting games when we worked together at arm’s length as partners. I’m incredibly excited about what we can accomplish now that we’re fully aligned as one.”
