Highlights
- Borderlands: Debt or Alive, an original novel, continues the story of fan-favorite characters Sasha and Fiona from Tales from the Borderlands.
- Anthony Burch, the lead writer of Borderlands 2, returns to the franchise, signaling a potential return to the series' high-quality storytelling.
- Burch's involvement in the novel and potential future projects may have a significant impact on the future of the Borderlands series.
The Borderlands series is best known for its aggressive and bizarre characters, unique visuals, and looter-shooter gameplay. While the mainline series continues the original's multiplayer formula, the Borderlands franchise boasts a pair of spin-off titles that put character relationships and world-building front and center. The first of these, Tales from the Borderlands, introduced a host of brand-new characters. Two of the title's most memorable were Sasha and Fiona, who quickly became fan favorites. However, both were omitted from the next entry in the series, Borderlands 3, leading to some fans' disappointment. Last month, Titan Books announced that it would continue Sasha and Fiona's story in an original novel, titled Borderlands: Debt or Alive, which acts as a prequel to Tales of the Borderlands 2. However, the most exciting aspect of this announcement came when Titan revealed Debt or Alive's author.
Tales of the Borderlands is a five-part episodic adventure game by Telltale Games. Its narrative takes place directly after the climactic events of Borderlands 2, which saw Handsome Jack defeated while attempting to coerce the Vault Hunters into opening Pandora's vault and unleashing the Destroyer. The game follows Rhys, a Hyperion businessman who seeks to fill Jack's shoes, and Fiona, a con artist out to find the ultimate score. While Rhys rose to the ranks of Atlas CEO, Fiona is revealed to be the audience for Marcus' narration of New Tales of Borderlands. At New Tales' conclusion, Fiona sets out for the Gladiolus Nebula, in search of the Shard Spirit.
Borderlands' Fiona and Sasha Novel Marks the Return of Anthony Burch
Titan Books has revealed that Anthony Burch, the lead writer of Borderlands2, is returning to the franchise for Borderlands: Debt or Alive. Borderlands 2 is widely considered the best title in the series and remains one of the fastest and best-selling games of all time for publisher 2K games. While the announcement of Fiona and Sasha's return was a pleasant surprise for fans, the reveal that the story is coming from Anthony Burch is by far the novel's most exciting aspect. The Borderlands series suffered a significant decrease in quality between Borderlands 2 and Borderlands 3, and Burch's return sets the stage for that quality to come back.
Anthony Burch departed Borderlands developer Gearbox Software to write for the Hulu streaming series Rocketjump: The Show. However, he has continued to contribute to the world of gaming. While he was not the head writer, he consulted on the season-wide arc for both Tales and New Tales of the Borderlands, wrote the core narrative for Battleborn, and was a contributing writer for God of War Ragnarok. Borderlands: Debt or Alive marks his return as the lead writer of a Borderlands property. This development has led fans to speculate that Burch may play a bigger role in the series moving forward.
Burch's Return May Herald the Future of the Borderlands Series
Anthony Burch has written or consulted on some of the Borderlands' best titles. Borderlands 2, Tales of the Borderlands, and New Tales of the Borderlands have all been praised for their storytelling and overarching narrative. Borderlands 3's villains and narrative, on the other hand, remain one of its biggest weaknesses. With Borderlands: Debt or Alive functioning as the official prequel to the currently-unannounced Tales of the Borderlands 2, Burch's involvement may indicate his position as the title's head author.
Borderlands: Debt or Alive is tentatively set for a March 2024 release. Between now and then, there are likely to be additional reveals as to how the novel will impact Borderlands' future gaming titles, including the official announcement of Tales of the Borderlands 2. Anthony Burch's return as the head writer of a Borderlands property bodes well for the series' future. Until fans are given the bigger picture, many look forward to the continued adventures of Tales of the Borderlands' Fiona and Sasha in Borderlands: Debt or Alive.
Tales from the Borderlands is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.