Kurakasis claims to know the game that 2K Games will reveal at Summer Games Fest.
Two days ago, we covered a rumor from redditor Turbostrider27. They claimed that 2K has a big announcement coming at the event, and ruled out that it would be the next Bioshock title. Turbostrider27 speculated that it would either be a new Mafia title or a new Borderlands title.
Today, Kurakasis posted this on the eXputer forums:
“It has been discovered via eXputer’s contacts that 2K will offer Borderlands 4’s first-ever reveal at the upcoming Summer Game Fest on June 7.
There is also a chance that the game gets formally announced before the event, followed by a better show of it during the showcase, but I cannot confirm that at this point.”
Does it feel too soon to get a new Borderlands? That may be a matter of perception. Borderlands 3 actually released all the way back in 2019. It may not seem that it has been that long, since Borderlands 3 also received an unexpected Nintendo Switch port just last year. It may also feel like it hasn’t been that long since Gearbox also just released New Tales from the Borderlands in 2022.
But clearly, Gearbox has had sufficient time to finish a Borderlands 4. At the very least, they could announce the game now, in preparation for its official release in the next two years. Kurakasis didn’t say that Borderlands 4 was actually ready to release yet. It is possible that it is, but if we stick to Kurakasis’ statement, what we will get now is the official reveal.
They have good reason to prepare a release for Borderlands 4 as soon as they can too. Lionsgate’s Borderlands movie, directed by Eli Roth and starring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Arianna Greenblatt, has a set theatrical release date of August 9, 2024.
Whether it turns out to be good or not, Gearbox and 2K will want to synergize and release the game at the same time as the film, or at least as close as possible. Gearbox and 2K were also directly involved as producers of the Borderlands movie, so they were in the position to set that up perfectly.
But with this hype we have to acknowledge the cloud of uncertainty that surrounds this game. Borderlands 3 had the highest sales that the franchise has ever seen. However, many fans and critics feel that it doesn’t live up to the reputation of the prior two main games. Now, the spinoffs (including Borderlands The Pre-Sequel)also aren’t considered as good as those games either, but there’s credible questions as to whether Gearbox can relive their old glories.
Will Borderlands just coast on their prior reputation moving forward? Or has Gearbox come up with a new direction that will bring the franchise forward to everyone’s satisfaction? We may find out the answers to these questions very, very soon.
