On May 1st, the kind developers of Gearbox Software hosted a gameplay reveal event to show off what they have in store for Borderlands 3. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford hosted the hour-long event giving an in-depth look at what we all can expect when we get our hands on the game. Below is a list of some of the new features and experiences that was shared during the Borderlands 3 Gameplay Reveal.
Improvements
Players are now able to crouch-slide and have the ability to climb up ledges, making the player movement and gun-play smoother to dodge and traverse the battlefield. There are also more boss fights than previous games in the series, and players can revive NPC’s and NPC’s can return the favor.
Loot Instancing
Drop in co-op features loot instancing with level scaling … That means the loot caters to each individual player to receive their own drops that they would receive from enemies (and no matter what level each player is). Fortunately, loot instancing can be turned off for those who prefer the classic Borderlands style and experience.
Sanctuary III
The new player “safe haven” that will contain interactions with different well-known and non-playable characters who will assign quests and missions. Sanctuary III will also act as a customization hub and homebase to travel to different planets. This will be the first time players will have access to different planets to explore and loot other than Pandora! Fast travel can be used to travel between points on the planets that players have already visited as well (this way players don’t have to return back to Sanctuary III each time).
The New Baddies
Troy and Tyreen, also known as “The Calypso Twins,” are the major enemies of Borderlands 3. These two are leaders of a cult called the “Children of the Vault.” Tyreen has the ability to siphon life and energy from her victims. By the way, this duo was inspired by really annoying streamers.
Player Customization
The “Quick Change Stations” are back … giving players the ability to customize skins, heads, colors, emotes, ECHO skins, and the character’s skill tree. Players can also capture new vehicles and add them to the “Catch-A-Ride” station.
No Major Micro-transactions
At the end of the event, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford noted that Borderlands 3 will not include micro-transactions, and producer Chris Brock stated that they will not try to nickel-and-dime people. Any micro-transaction that occurs will be purely for cosmetic items.
Streaming Capabilities
For anyone who watches someone streaming on Twitch has the ability to see player inventories, scheduled events, and can participate in loot events to gain access to what the streamer is playing.
Borderlands 3 is slated to be released on September 13th, 2019 and will be available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC (exclusive through the Epic Store until April 2020). Gearbox Software will be releasing more information during the upcoming E3 2019 event in June. Stay tuned for more coverage as details start releasing closer to and on the day of the event!
