Borderlands 4 Emerges as the Destiny 3 Successor We Never Expected, a Brilliant Move by Gearbox

I had my popcorn ready and everything. So, me and like a bazillion others—at least, that’s how it felt—tuned into the Borderlands 4 State of Play. Wow. Tons of updates, but kind of… nostalgic, in a way? Feels more like they’re echoing the original Borderlands vibe than leaning into the new flashy stuff. I don’t know why, but it sorta hit me like Destiny 3, not what I imagined a few months back. Bold move, but hey, might just be what the doc ordered for the series.

Okay, listen. Borderlands has two big things going for it. First off, the fantastic FPS chaos. I mean, the series is a riot of crazy weapons—you name it, it’s got it—and man, that “schlooter” vibe is the foundation, right? Even the first game, kinda mild by today’s standards, was all about that action.

Oh, random side note, there was this weird placeholder thing asking for cookie settings in the middle of my binge-watching session. Odd interruption, but there you go.

But yeah, then there’s this whole “modern humor” ordeal. Claptrap fans are living it up, sure, and hey, who didn’t chuckle a bit fighting those whacky offshoots like the Spongebob tribute in Borderlands 3’s DLC? But let’s be real. Some folks hit the humor jackpot, while others… not so much. Borderlands 4 got wind of that and hit reset. Bold new era? Totally seems like it.

Now, tone-wise—I counted like, zero jokes in Borderlands 4’s spotlight, by the way. Not a scientific count or anything, but it was refreshingly sparse. There was this anxiety that they’d go full “Sigma” meme, and now? No clue, but in a good way. Different beast, for sure!

Visuals? Still loud and fun, but toned down—the immersion’s more, I don’t know, grounded. The whole structure, exploring, finding vaults, it’s looking a bit Destiny-esque: big world bosses, cool new events, stuff morphing, evolving. And hello, drones and summonable vehicles? It’s like Gearbox sipping the Destiny cocktail with flair. A delightful combo.

In some alternate reality, maybe this was a risky pivot, but right now, with Bungie tangled up in Marathon and Destiny 2 going for smaller tweaks? There’s definitely room for a new giant to step in. Did you hear about the layoffs? Mass layoffs, like yikes, not ideal for keeping folks keen on Destiny 2. Big ol’ gap there now.

And Marathon, bless it, not really clicking with alpha testers. Before the State of Play, some might’ve said Borderlands timing was strategic—even if Pitchford swore it wasn’t—but honestly? Feels like mercy, not strategy. I bet Borderlands 4 would’ve skated circles around Marathon if they’d clashed on launch dates.

So, all these thoughts are twirling in my brain, bouncing around, and it makes me think this new path for Borderlands 4? Yeah, it’s sparking interest big time. Maybe the buzz will dim as time goes on, who knows? But for now, it’s got people talking, reliving the Borderlands hype. Smart move!