The critical response hasn’t been any better. Out of 99 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, nine percent – yes, nine – are positive. On Metacritic, Borderlands has an average Metascore of 27 from 31 critical reviews. There have been criticisms over its pacing, dialogue, and horrendous humor, but others point out how predictable it is.

Some have noted that the film doesn’t lean enough into the insanity or gore of the games, which is funny considering Mad Max is an inspiration for Borderlands. My favorite is probably from PC Gamer, who cited that even if this was to be some grand “righting of the scale” for movie adaptations, Borderlands isn’t even as interesting as the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie.

What happened? Honestly, it’s easier to say what didn’t. Announced in 2015, the Borderlands movie has seen numerous changes and production delays. Shifting screenwriters, script rewrites, reshoots – even the composer was replaced. Though it’s not unheard of for such things to happen in Hollywood, it’s still a coinflip as to whether the project is worth watching, if released at all (see Warner Bros. and Coyote vs. Acme or Batgirl).

In the case of long production cycles, it’s not uncommon for studios to release a long-delayed film to see some returns, quality be damned (which didn’t work out for Borderlands). Some may not even know it’s been in the works for so long. After all, the franchise was arguably at its peak with Borderlands 2 in 2012. Borderlands 3 did well enough financially but earned significant ire from fans and critics for its terrible dialogue, story-telling, plotholes and stilted characterization when it launched in 2019.

If you watch the film, much less its trailers, or know anything about its plot, it’s clear that those in charge aren’t necessarily trying to adapt any single story from the games. It instead takes the characters, setting, identifiable weapons and vehicles, and tosses them into this mess of a storyline that only vaguely follows the first game. And that’s only the beginning of all the problems.

To start with, the cast comprises Roland, Tiny Tina, Krieg and Lilith. Now stop there for a second and ask when this could be set. Then consider that Lilith is a bounty hunter hired by the Atlas corporation to rescue Tina. Why? Because she’s the daughter of Atlas. Also, Lilith is native to Pandora and hasn’t been to the planet since childhood. No, you’re not misremembering the original game’s events – the film is just that bad.

Things only worsen when it’s revealed that Tina is supposedly created from the Eridians’ genetic material. The only reason Atlas wants her is to open the Vault on Pandora. There’s some hint of the Destroyer inside by the end, and oh, Tannis is Lilith’s foster mother. I won’t spoil the grand “twist” but suffice it to say that the handling of the Eridians and the Sirens is bizarre.

Besides the horrendous story and how it leverages concepts and plotlines from the series willy-nilly without any regard, the casting is simply not it. Cate Blanchett is talented, and somehow manages to lend a bit of class to what’s essentially a rundown production, but only highlights just how horrendous everything else is in comparison.

I can appreciate Kevin Hart for taking Roland’s role seriously, but once again, he’s far from the first choice when you consider Roland’s character. Jamie Lee Curtis is wasted in such a restricted role and not even Jack Black as Claptrap feels right. These are all big names on paper, but as films like Dolittle and The Suicide Squad have showcased over the years, they won’t guarantee success, especially when misused like in Borderlands.

Then there’s the humor. Maybe it’s because I’ve become desensitized to the series, but even going by the trailers thus far, I’m indifferent to the comedy. It should come off as insane and off the wall, like a crude, discount Suicide Squad or Guardians of the Galaxy. Instead, it feels sterilized, dull, and insignificant. At the end of it all, I can’t help but ask, “Why?” Then again, given some of the slop Hollywood has released throughout the decades, it’s not unexpected.

When you look back on the original Borderlands, it doesn’t necessarily strike you with its incredible story-telling or characterization. Besides the Vault Hunters, noteworthy characters include gun vendor Marcus, Dr. Zed and the Psychos roaming Pandora. The dialogue and delivery are nowhere near the caliber of the second game, though they’re plenty serviceable.

Yet there was an atmosphere to it all – dark humor pervading the cartoonish facade and elements of humanity that made it feel alive. It also didn’t hurt that the looting and shooting were pretty fun, and there was genuine intrigue and mystery surrounding the Vault. Sure, the cliffhanger ending annoyed many (though it set up the sequel well enough), but Gearbox didn’t overplay its hand when unraveling the deeper lore of Pandora.

Translating all that to a movie is difficult because you’re not the Vault Hunter who’s partaking in the madness alongside Pandora’s denizens. You’re along for the ride, and that ride happens to be utterly awful when it’s not surprisingly boring. It doesn’t offer any revelations or even attempt to wrap the audience in some of the series’ more compelling elements and lore.

It also doesn’t cater to those who like the games. With everything that happened in Borderlands 3 and how disappointing the story was for many, can you imagine if Lionsgate opted to make an animated film based on the first game and leaned into the carnage? If handled well, it could have reminded fans why they loved the series in the first place. Tie it into whatever Borderlands 4 ends up being, and you have a venerable marketing tool.

Of course, the keywords are “If handled well.” Borderlands isn’t a failure only because of its production troubles, miscasting, terrible script, lack of understanding of the franchise, unclear vision, and whatnot. It’s an abject failure because it’s simply borrowing elements from the games and wrapping them in a formulaic Hollywood blockbuster that does nothing to capture that signature feel.

Maybe it’s harsh judging it by the standards of critically acclaimed video game adaptations like HBO’s The Last of Us or Amazon’s Fallout. Production kicked off in 2015 – how could Lionsgate have known that it wouldn’t have nearly as much awful company when it launched?

Nevertheless, expecting anyone to pay to watch it in any year is unreasonable. At the end of the day, it serves as a reminder that companies can take an adaptation – even one that should be as straightforward as Borderlands – and, one way or another, ruin it beyond repair.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Embracer CEO and co-founder Lars Wingefors said, “Today’s announcement marks the result of the final structured divestment process and is an important step in transforming Embracer into the future with notably lower net debt and improved free cash flow. Through the transaction, we lower business risk and improve profitability as we transition to becoming a leaner and more focused company.

“After evaluating several options for Gearbox, I am happy that we have reached a solution that is in the best interest of all stakeholders. Randy and the team have been great team members throughout the past years, and I would like to thank them all for that. As one of the world’s greatest games developers, I am confident that Gearbox will continue to innovate and thrive in their new home within Take-Two.”

Gearbox Entertainment CEO Randy Pitchford added, ”As a significant long-term Embracer Group shareholder, I believe in the strategy for the Embracer Group and am completely convinced that this transaction is the best possible scenario and an obvious net positive arrangement for Embracer Group, for Take-Two and, of course, for Gearbox Entertainment.

“My primary interest is always Gearbox, especially our talent and customers. I want to personally assure fans of our games that this arrangement will ensure that the experiences we have in development at Gearbox will be the best they can possibly be.”

Take-Two is no stranger to working with Gearbox, having published the Borderlands series, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, the underwhelming Battleborn and long-in-development Duke Nukem Forever under its 2K Games label. Gearbox’s sale follows that of Saber Interactive, recently acquired by a private investor group, and nearly a year of studio closures and layoffs at Embracer.

As for the future of Gearbox, it’s reportedly working on Borderlands 4, with leadership rumored to have faced a reshuffling, and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands 2, which allegedly saw a “soft” reboot. Stay tuned for more details and potential announcements in the coming months.

Speaking with IGN in a recent interview, when asked about his personal favourite instalment in the Borderlands series, Pitchford said that it’s actually the game that Gearbox is working on right now, and though he said it isn’t yet time for it to be formally unveiled, he did call it “the best thing we’ve ever done.”

“Look, we haven’t even announced anything of it,” Pitchford said. “Clearly, we’re working on something. And I know what we’re working on, and holy shit… It’s the greatest thing we’ve ever done. And I can’t wait, but it’s not time yet. It’s not time yet. There will be a time.”

Interestingly, in November last year, we reported that both Borderlands 4 and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands 2 – neither of which have been officially announced – were spotted on the LinkedIn profile of a former Gearbox employee. Given the widespread critical and commercial success the Borderlands series tends to enjoy with each instalment, it isn’t exactly a shock that Gearbox is working on a new mainline instalment, though it should be interesting to see when the game will be revealed, and when it will release.

However, the hybrid platform received Borderlands 3: Ultimate Edition on October 6th. It includes the base game, four story DLC packs, +30 cosmetics, the Designer’s Cut and Director’s Cut for $59.99. Pandora’s Box also throws in Borderlands 1 and 2 with their DLC, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Tales from the Borderlands and New Tales from the Borderlands.

The question is whether Borderlands 3: Ultimate Edition owners on Switch can upgrade to the Pandora’s Box version. Such an offer is already in place for Xbox owners who own any game from the latter, so we’ll need to wait and see.

Borderlands Collection: Pandora’s Box could be announced at The Game Awards on December 7th along with the rumored Borderlands 4 and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands 2. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

Borderlands Collection: Pandora's Box for Nintendo Switch has been rated by Germany's software rating organization USK.#Borderlands #BorderlandsSwitch pic.twitter.com/EN2cYo47vU

— Kurakasis (@Kurakasis) November 24, 2023

Allegedly, Embracer is working with investment banking firm Goldman Sachs and Aream & Co in order to explore a sale, as per three anonymous sources familiar with the process, and has already received interest from some third parties, most of whom are described as “international gaming groups”. Marketing materials for Gearbox have reportedly already been made available to potential buyers, though the report states that a sale isn’t concretely decided yet, and may not happen in the end.

Apparently, this decision comes after a deal with an undisclosed part worth $2 billion fell through earlier in the year, following with Embracer Group has incurred significant losses. In June, the company announced it was instituting a restructuring program that would involve studios being shut down and in-development projects being cancelled.

Since the acquisition of Gearbox Entertainment, Embracer Group has moved a couple of its owned entities to the publishing label’s management, including Perfect World Entertainment and Volition. The latter, however, was recently shut down.

In addition, players get DLC for all titles, which means numerous story packs, customization packs, Class Packs and more. Perhaps the best part about all this is that the collection is available until September 15th for $59.99 (after which it will retail for $149.99).

Xbox players who own any single game can upgrade to the Pandora’s Box collection for $30, while PlayStation owners must Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition or Borderlands: The Handsome Collection on PS4 or Borderlands 3 on PS4 or PS5 to upgrade for the same price. PC players on Steam can pay for whatever content is missing.

As for Nintendo Switch players, Borderlands 3: Ultimate Edition launches on October 6th.

The collection includes Borderlands 1-3, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Tales from the Borderlands, and New Tales from the Borderlands, with all DLC included. It’s a digital-only release that retails for $149.99 but will be available at $59.99 for a limited time. Those who own any games on Xbox can purchase the bundle for $30 on the Microsoft Store to complete their collection.

PlayStation owners who own Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition or Borderlands: The Handsome Collection on PS4, or Borderlands 3 on PS4/PS5 can upgrade to Pandora’s Box for $30 from within any of these games. On Steam, players will have to pay for any content that isn’t owned, with the final cost reflected on the Steam Store page.

Caught by Gematsu, the Film and Publication Board of South Africa seems to have rated The Borderlands Compilation: Pandora’s Box back in March for both PC as well as consoles.

While not yet officially confirmed by 2K, The Borderlands Compilation: Pandora’s Box could be a collection of the three numbered titles in the franchise as well as Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. The name featuring Pandora as part of the title indicates that Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands may not be a part of the compilation, since it doesn’t take place on Pandora.

Last we heard of the Borderlands franchise, publisher Take-Two had revealed that Borderlands 3 had sold over 16 million units, making it the fastest-selling game for 2K New Tales from the Borderlands was also released back in October 2022, and you can check out our review for that for more details.

The franchise has sold-in over 77 million units, up from the previous 75 million. Despite the success of Borderlands 3, Borderlands 2 continues to be the top-selling title for 2K Games. It’s sold-in nearly 27 million units to date, up from 26 million in August.

Time will tell if Gearbox revisits the Borderlands series for its next title, especially given the success of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. Gearbox Entertainment CEO Randy Pitchford revealed that the spin-off had “shattered all of our target expectations, both critically and commercially.” Future experiences are “already under development” at Gearbox, though whether this means more DLC or a sequel is unknown. Stay tuned for more updates in the meantime.

Gearbox is aware of these issues but still reported players experiencing the same. It’s currently “hard at work” to rectify them “ASAP.” Those who continue to face issues with the updates are asked to submit a support ticket at 2K Support. One Reddit user noted that stating Borderlands 2 and The Pre-Sequel without being connected online allowed for bypassing the infinite loading issue so that may serve as a temporary workaround.

On the bright side, at least Borderlands 3 and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands are still playable. Both titles are available for Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S with the former also available on Google Stadia. Stay tuned for more updates on the issues surrounding the older titles in the meantime.

Today we released updates for BL1, BL2, & TPS. These updates made changes to the in-game news.
We are currently investigating issues that have appeared since the updates went out, including how some text is displaying and console players being stuck loading the game.

— Borderlands (@Borderlands) July 22, 2022

We're aware some users are still experiencing this issue. We are hard at work to rectify the problem ASAP. https://t.co/VRkTQcrtSo

— Borderlands (@Borderlands) July 23, 2022