It’s been over six months now since the launch of Borderlands 3, Gearbox Software’s fifth title in its looter-shooter series. Just like its predecessors, Borderlands 3 mixes RPG systems with frenetic shooting, an emphasis on loot, and an irreverent sense of humor.
While the game received generally favorable reviews on launch, one of the biggest criticisms leveled against it was the lack of innovation. Many critics and fans made it clear that they were hoping for Gearbox to mix things up with the third title, and perhaps bring in some new ideas. And while the game’s first two major DLCs have been well received among fans, neither has really changed up the game-play cycle. Fortunately, the third DLC is likely to be announced any day now, giving Gearbox another chance to deliver a truly innovative Borderlands 3 Add-On.
Borderlands 3 DLC: What’s been released so far
If there is one area that Gearbox have been focusing Borderlands 3 on more than its predecessors, then that’s post-release content. In the age of “live service” games, the time when a title like Borderlands 3 could have a simple launch and a few DLCs is long gone. Instead, the game has not only received two large DLCs, but also a number of limited-time events like Revenge of the Cartels, as well as a tile-matching minigame.
The pair of large BL3 campaign-DLCs are the key elements, thugh, as they’ll shed the most light on when DLC 3 is likely to arrive, and what it’s likely to contain. The first of these was Moxxi’s Heist of the Handsome Jackpot, which launched on December 19th 2019. The Heist had players making a high-stakes raid on Handsome Jack’s casino space station, while introducing new enemies, locations, and a huge array of unique weaponry.
Borderlands 3’s second DLC was Guns, Love, and Tentacles: The Marriage of Wainright and Hammerlock, which launched on March 26. Guns, Love and Tentacles also introduced new BL3 weaponry to the player’s arsenal, while taking them on a quest to oversee the marriage of Wainwright Jakobs and Sir Alistair Hammerlock on the remote ice-planet of Xylourgos. Unfortunately, it turns out that Xylourgos is home to a fanatical cult of Lovecraftian worshipers, intent on stealing away one of the grooms for their own nefarious purposes.
Borderlands 3: What’s Coming Next and When
It’s been two months since the release of Guns, Love and Tentacles, and a new DLC announcement is mostly likely just around the corner. This is further backed up by the game’s Spring 2020 Roadmap, which was released back in February.
The Roadmap covered the full DLC launch in March, a pair of free game events in April, and a new Takedown event in May. Given that the Eridian Takedown is coming soon, the the end of the current Roadmap is near, which should mean that it’s time for a new one.
Just like the Borderlands 3 Spring Roadmap, the Summer Roadmap is almost certain to headline a campaign DLC as its main attraction. This also fits Gearbox’s preferred release schedule for major Add-On content, which is once every three months or so, allowing it to get out four DLCs within a year of release. It’s likely to appear as the first bit of content as well, as while the first DLC came at the end of its roadmap, the aforementioned roadmap puts the DLC first.
While there’s no definitive answer here, a DLC dropping in June or July makes sense. January was skipped over with the Spring roadmap, but this was likely due to the holiday season. Coronavirus could play a role here, but barring any major delay, a reveal should come soon and the DLC not too long after that.
There are dozens of directions Gearbox could go in for its third Borderlands 3 DLC. There have been rumors that the content pack will have some kind of western theme, backed up by the Season Pass tagline “Outlaws and Dinosaurs.” This might be an attempt to rekindle some Borderlands 1 and 2 nostalgia by evoking its space-cowboy Pandora aesthetic. The pairing is also one of the few genres that the series hasn’t already parodied in DLC form, with previous Add-Ons themed around everything from pirates and heist movies to Cthulu and D&D.
Borderlands 3 is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
