Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick said in an investor call that the company now plans to double down on Borderlands. Recently Take-Two was presented with the opportunity to purchase Gearbox Software and they were in a position to get a deal they were comfortable with. The studio is currently integrating into the 2K Games label and that they already have identified “many potential growth opportunities” for the series.
Borderlands 3 outpaced our forecasts and we are thrilled that Randy Pitchford and Gearbox Entertainment are slated to join officially 2K’s renowned internal studios in the coming weeks.
We have already identified many potential growth opportunities for the Borderlands series and Gearbox’s catalog, which we plan to pursue once the studio is integrated into our organization.
We are also excited to see growing buzz for the star-studded Borderlands feature film which is planned for release by Lionsgate this summer.
We have all the respect in the world for Randy Pitchford and his team. He has the ability to bring AAA products to market, responsibly and on a very reliable and rather rapid cadence. And he is a hit maker. And it’s very hard to make a new hit, and [Tiny Tina] was a new hit. And of course, Borderlands just goes from strength to strength. So we’re thrilled to have Gearbox in the family.
Strauss Zelnick
My Perspective
It’s good to hear that Take-Two is invested in the Borderlands franchise. Previously they didn’t own the studio or the IP, only the publishing rights. While they had some say in the game, it was Gearbox that ultimately controlled the IP.
I would love to see them do more with the franchise like the Debt or Alive and Land of the Giants novels. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands was a success and TTWL2 is more than welcome. While I like what the Tales From The Borderlands games do but the New Tales didn’t sell that well.
I’m seeing some fellow creators calling for a Live Service model for Borderlands 4. Borderlands 3 already kinda did that with their “Better with Live” model and I think Gearbox will continue that approach. If 2K wants a Live Service Game, like other publishers, they can relaunch Battleborn or let GBX develop a sequel.
Onur C. Yildirim
I would love to think that Borderlands 4 will be mostly in Gearbox’s control. Since Take Two is not interfering with the already successful developers’ on how they do things. Just like how they behave Rockstar. Zelnick is a clever guy. If something goes nicely no need to change it much.