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Best Order to Play The Borderlands Series

Borderlands Collage showcasing every Borderlands Box Art in the Series
In what order should you play the Borderlands Series?

If you are new to the Borderlands franchise and just purchased one of those awesome Borderlands bundles that contain every game in the series. You are probably wondering; “In which order should I play Borderlands?”.

In this guide, I’m going to tell you what’s the best order to have an enjoyable experience. You could play the games in order of the timeline or in the order they were released.

Technically, each game has a self-contained story, and therefore you don’t need to have played any of the other games in the franchise but below you will find my recommendation.

1. Borderlands (Enhanced Edition)

Borderlands is the game that started it all, not just the looter-shooter genre but also the overall story. This game will introduce you to a cast of characters that will follow you throughout the series.

The gameplay and introduction are a bit slower compared to some modern games. Some of the game mechanics weren’t that common back in the day when the first Borderlands game was released.

2. Borderlands 2

Theoretically, you could play Borderlands the Pre-Sequel as your second game but it’s technically the third main Borderlands game to come out. Borderlands The Pre-Sequel takes place between Borderlands 1 and 2, however, when you beat the game, you get shown a cinematic that takes place after the ending of Borderlands 2, so that can be confusing. Therefore, I think you should play Borderlands 2 first and then experience Borderlands the Pre-Sequel

Borderlands 2 has some DLCs that take place after the main story campaign while they have mild spoilers for that game, you should definitely save the Commander Lilith DLC for last as this one directly leads into Borderlands 3.

3. Borderlands The Pre-Sequel

Borderlands the Pre-Sequel is actually Borderlands 2.5 from a technical standpoint, however, you go back in time a bit and play as all the baddies from Borderlands 2.

You also start unlocking things quicker now in the game as the RPG elements were more common in shooters when this game originally was released.

4. Tales From The Borderlands

Tales From The Borderlands isn’t a shooter but an interactive story. This spin-off game takes place after the events of Borderlands 2. You will see some familiar faces but also introduces some new ones that will appear in future games.

5. Commander Lilth and the Fight for Sanctuary

Borderlands 2 received a DLC 7 years after its release just ahead of the release of Borderlands 3. The “Commander Lilth and the Fight for Sanctuary” DLC sets up the events of Borderlands 3.

6. Borderlands 3

BL3 Launch Screenshots VaultHunters

Borderlands 3 is the latest game in the main series. I would end your Borderlands marathon with this game as it’s the most modern version in the series. If you start with this one and then play the previous installments the controls will feel a bit sluggish.

7. New Tales From The Borderlands

Octavio, Fran, Anu, and Loo18 do a group chant

New Tales From The Borderlands is a spin-off game again. It takes place after the events of Borderlands 3.

What about Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands?

Dragon Lord

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands has its roots in the Borderlands franchise but actually does its own thing.

From a story standpoint, the game is set after the events of the Borderlands 2 DLC; Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep. However, the story isn’t connected to the main Borderlands series.

From a technical standpoint, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is made after Borderlands 3 and while it shares established features from that game, it also shakes up the Borderlands formula by introducing new ways to play.

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I'm a Content Creator by day and a BattleBread Baker at night. I'll provide you with your recommended slice of entertainment! I'm a Gearbox Community Badass and a proud member of the official Borderlands & Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Creator Team (2K Games / NextMakers).

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