It looks like Zynga, along with Gearbox, has been working on a new Borderlands mobile project. Zynga has confirmed that its NaturalMotion studio has been looking into ways to bring the looter shooter franchise to new audiences, which currently involves a limited-time test for Borderlands on smartphones. In a statement to GamesRadar, the company has confirmed that, while it handled the main development work, Gearbox provided creative guidance on aspects like the design, history, and lore of Borderlands.
“We are always exploring ways to introduce Borderlands to new audiences,” said Zynga in its statement. “Zynga’s NaturalMotion studio is currently conducting a limited-time test for an untitled Borderlands mobile project, with Gearbox providing creative guidance on the franchise’s design, history, and lore. We hope that players enjoy this new Borderlands experience and look forward to their feedback.”
Speculation on a mobile version of Borderlands first started popping up thanks to an App Store listing for Borderlands Mobile. Available only on iPhone, the free-to-play shooter’s listing confirms that it is being developed by Zynga. Its description also noted that it features “devastating action gameplay that’s been fully optimized for mobile,” as well as a similar gameplay loop to the console and PC Borderlands games, where players take on missions to fight enemies in the hopes of getting brand new loot.
The lack of any fanfare in the release of Borderlands Mobile has also indicated that Zynga opted for a soft launch of the title, releasing it in limited territories on specific platforms to ensure early adopters could get plenty of time to test the game and offer feedback. Through this, the company can then make changes to the game before it is launched to a wider global audience.
This has also led to gameplay videos popping up on YouTube, showcasing just how Borderlands Mobile plays. As can be seen below in Techzamazing’s video, an introductory cutscene provides some quick context for players that might be new to the Borderlands franchise. It doesn’t take long for gameplay to begin, however, and Borderlands Mobile retains the franchise’s fast-paced FPS action.
Zynga working with Gearbox Entertainment to bring Borderlands to mobile platforms shouldn’t come as a big surprise, since the CEO of parent company Take-Two Interactive, Strauss Zelnick, had spoken about using Zynga’s expertise to bring “core” IPs to mobile platforms back in 2022.
Following an acquisition valued at $12.7 billion, Zelnick noted that Zynga would work with other studios under the Take-Two banner to bring franchises like Red Dead, GTA, Borderlands, and NBA 2K, among others, to mobile platforms. This, he noted, would help with bringing the franchises to wider audiences that don’t otherwise exist on PC and consoles.
“We believe we have the best collection of console and PC intellectual property in the interactive entertainment business and it’s basically nearly entirely un-exploited from mobile and free-to-play around the world. Zynga’s best-in-class studios can help us develop that property,” he said.
“Their best-in-class free-to-play mobile publishing operations can bring that to consumers, delight those consumers and create recurrent consumer spending along the way. The list is endless and it’s early days. We’re just thrilled to have this opportunity to be able to work together and create what we’re certain will be of extraordinary value going forward.”