Borderlands 3is currently having its life cycle extended viaa second season pass, offering new content via the Designer’s Cut expansion and the upcoming Director’s Cut DLC. While it is great to know that the latestBorderlandswill be continuing to see new additions for the rest of 2021 at the very least, it will be interesting to see what Gearbox does with the game beyond that.
After all, withBorderlands 3being given more expansions and a brand-new season pass, it does not seem out of the realm of possibility that a third season of content could happen. While this would obviously be further down the road and may not even be under consideration by Gearbox at the moment, there is potential for more content to come. However, even with the potential in place for more content,Borderlands 3will likely not be getting another season pass.
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The Content Released Thus Far
One major point againstBorderlands 3seeing more premium content drops is the fact that the game has already seen plenty of post-launch support. WithBorderlands 3releasing back in 2019, the second season pass will likely carry it through 2021, marking two years of fresh content for the title — a similar length of support time to whatBorderlands 2had. From four full expansions to somefresh skill treesand a new game mode, Gearbox has been building off the base game for quite some time now, doing its best to introduce diverse content types to keep people playing.
With in-gameevents like Revenge of the Cartelsand Bloody Harvest spread throughout the year as well as the games raid-like takedowns, there is a good bit of content inBorderlands 3already. While a third season pass would certainly be appealing to many, as those who have sunk time into gathering all of the game’s Legendary weapons and leveling up all their characters would certainly like some fresh content, the reality is that Gearbox has covered nearly every area that Borderlands expansions can touch on.
While a third Season Pass could see the heavily requested addition of DLC Vault Hunters, Gearbox has said multiple times that expanding on characters was more appealing — and the studio did just that withthe Designer’s Cut expansion. Apart from the possibility of new characters, though, everything else would be more of the same, something that goes against what Gearbox seems to be doing with their post-launch content plans. While four more full expansions and more game modes would certainly be great to see, their development would require plenty of time and resources — which could be better spent on the next game in the series.
Moving On To Borderlands 4
WithBorderlands 3only confirmed to be supported for the rest of the year, Gearbox continuing to make content for the game after 2021 seems unlikely. WhileBorderlands 4is not yet confirmed, it seems all but guaranteed, and Gearbox may have already started to plan out the sequel’s mechanics, itsnew playable characters, and the stories that will be told throughout its narrative. As such, it makes little sense to split development between moreBorderlands 3DLC andBorderlands 4, as doing so will only make the wait for a newBorderlandstitle feel longer. With the wait betweenBorderlands 2andBorderlands 3having been excruciating for many, Gearbox being free to focus on the next entry in the series as soon as possible could prevent something similar from happening again.
On top of that, it makes little sense to create content for a third season pass when it can be saved for a brand-newBorderlandsgame. Creating new Vault Hunters forBorderlands 3would remove those ideas and playstyles from the next game in the series, making the much-requested character packs unlikely. Likewise, the content seen in four newBorderlands 3expansions could simply be held onto untilBorderlands 4, allowing Gearbox to hold off on storiesstarring Tiny Tina, Mordecai, and anyone else from the franchise’s growing universe. Ensuring more content at launch while allowing said content to play and look better in a sequel,Borderlands 3’s DLC coming to an end could be for the best, as the studio could be allowed to go all-in on making the nextBorderlandsexperience all that it can be.
The final thing that makes a third season pass unlikely is Gearbox’s track record. While a second season pass may be unprecedented, it is not too different from what was done withBorderlands 2’s extra DLC.Borderlands 3’s second season pass is filled with smaller bits of content that add longevity to the game but lack the scale of proper expansions like Mad Moxxi’s Heist of The Handsome Jackpot and Bounty of Blood. Much likeBorderlands 2, there were four major DLC packs included in the first season pass, and every content drop afterwards has taken on a different form. With the newBorderlands 3skill trees mimicking the extra Vault Hunters ofBorderlands 2, andthe Arms Race modebeing a unique, fun diversion like the Headhunter packs, there are some noticeable parallels between the games and their DLC setups.
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A Proper Sendoff
However, ifBorderlands 3is set to follow a similar path toBorderlands 2in terms of its support, there is potential for the looter shooter to have one last hoorah after 2021. WhileBorderlands 2’s support fizzled out after the Headhunter packs and DLC Vault Hunters arrived, Gearbox shocked gamers with the release of Commander Lilith and the Fight for Sanctuary. Anexpansion forBorderlands 2that arrived seven years after the game’s initial release, this surprise DLC served as a great sendoff toBorderlands 2and a brilliant way to hype upBorderlands 3.
Regardless of whetherBorderlands 4coversThe Watcher’s Waror a completely fresh storyline, Gearbox may lay the groundwork with a finalBorderlands 3DLC release. Regardless of whether the expansion gets a free period like Commander Lilith and the Fight for Sanctuary, it could be the perfect way to give players one final batch of quests and laughs before sending them off onto a new journey. While Borderlands 4 will surely evolve the series in a similar way toBorderlands 3, the lead-up to its release could give Gearbox an opportunity to tie up loose ends in the third game.
While something like 2019’s surpriseBorderlands 2expansion would be great to see, a full-on third season pass seems unlikely. Though it may be possible for Gearbox to continue providing DLC forBorderlands 3, doing so diverts attention away fromBorderlands 4and uses ideas and content that can be held onto for the sequel. As such, fans of the current game may see a new Takedown or seasonal event added, but they should not set their expectations too high for more premium content once theBorderlands 3Director’s Cutarrives.
Borderlands 3is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
