Highlights
- Embracer Group is considering selling Gearbox, the company behind the Borderlands games, raising concerns about the future of the franchise.
- Potential buyers for Gearbox could include Microsoft and Sony, both of whom have a vested interest in expanding their gaming catalogs.
- Depending on who acquires Gearbox, the future of the Borderlands series could change significantly, with possibilities including an MMO-style game under Sony or the franchise becoming a PC and Xbox exclusive under Microsoft.
Borderlands games have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry at large for a long time, with the main series not only being a smashing hit in terms of sales, but also branching off in different directions with the Tales spin-offs or Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. Despite not all of Gearbox's entries in the franchise being substantial hits, either in terms of revenue or fan reception, Borderlands 3's story and gameplay were major steps forward in making the series' universe much larger than the first two games ever did. As such, it comes as a surprise that Embracer Group AB, which purchased Gearbox just over two years ago, is now willing to sell the company. This bears the question as to what will happen to Borderlands, now.
While it seems that the company is still looking into its options for the time being, one of the most immediate questions is what will happen to Borderlands games in the future, especially considering there were hints from Randy Pitchford in the past months about a new entry in the series. There are many possible routes for Gearbox right now, but if the studio does end up being purchased by other companies, the most obvious names that come to mind are two: Microsoft and Sony.
What Could Happen to Borderlands With Microsoft or Sony Acquiring Gearbox
After Microsoft and Sony's legal battle about the Activision-Blizzard acquisition from the former, the gaming giants came to an agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for a long time, which made both parties seemingly happy with the outcome. Although the Embracer and Gearbox rumors came out today and there have been no further comments from other companies about their potential interests, it would be easy to see either Microsoft or Sony make offers for Gearbox - particularly if one considers the funds the former is willing to spend on acquisition and the latter's attempts to expand further and further.
With Sony and PlayStation having multiple live-service games in the works and Xbox trying to increase its first-party offering, both companies could walk out with massive gains from purchasing Gearbox. However, if either of the two does, Borderlands' future could change dramatically, and do so according to who the buyer is. For example, Sony's acquisition of Bungie has seemingly already paid off to a degree, as the studio has provided other PlayStation companies with targeted feedback about live-service titles, which allegedly pushed Naughty Dog's multiplayer game back a bit.
Since Gearbox was attempting to make the in-game universe bigger for its flagship series, Borderlands 4 could easily end up being an MMO or some other kind of live-service title under Sony, possibly drawing inspiration from Bungie's Destiny 2. This could even have in-game explanations, such as the long-lost war mentioned by Borderlands' The Watcher, which seemingly involved all Vault Hunters one could imagine - the scope and purpose of which was never disclosed. If that were the case, Borderlands could maybe stay multi-platform and follow in the footsteps of Destiny 2, also featuring microtransactions or seasons.
On the other hand, if Microsoft purchased Gearbox, Borderlands could likely become a PC and Xbox exclusive to help increase the number of first-party titles available on Xbox Game Pass on day one. Considering that Borderlands games have never had microtransactions or further live-service elements, with the most similar thing for the franchise being Borderlands 2's cosmetic packs, Microsoft's acquisition could easily leave the series in its current state, the only difference being its platform. Of course, there are other options, such as Gearbox going independent or maybe being acquired by other companies, such as Amazon Games, but with Microsoft and Sony trying to expand their catalogs it would make sense for either of them to grab a piece of the Borderlands cake.