Speaking recently with GamesRadar on the topic of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, though Pitchford obviously didn’t explicitly confirm that a sequel was in the works, given the success of the first game and the studio’s fondness of the fantasy aesthetic, he thinks fans’ expectations of a sequel to the fantasy spinoff are “reasonable”.

“We had a bigger result with the first Wonderlands game than we did with the first Borderlands game, so that’s something we can build on,” he said. “I love fantasy. That’s why we did the original Dragon Keep DLC for Borderlands 2, because I love fantasy so much. So many of us at Gearbox love fantasy, and it gives us that kind of place to to mess around with that in the context of the Borderlands themes and universe. I think it’s reasonable for our fans to expect more there.”

It was first confirmed in 2022 that “new experiences” in the Wonderlands franchise were in the works at Gearbox, while earlier this year, reports claimed that the project had gone through a soft reboot. Read more on that through here.

Several titles fit that description, including Borderlands 4 and the rumored Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands 2. The former is confirmed to be in “active development”, though it reportedly saw a leadership reshuffle, while the latter allegedly had a soft reboot. Not much information indicates either title is out this year, but Gearbox could surprise.

The other possibility is Mafia 4, rumored since 2022 to be set in Sicily and focusing on Don Salieri (the main antagonist of the first game). Leaker Kurakasis, who accurately leaked Metro Awakening and Sonic X Shadow Generations, reported that 2K was preparing for an announcement. He estimated that it would go live in “about 3-4 weeks,” but it may have been planned for the event after all.

The Summer Game Fest showcase takes place on June 7th. As always, stay tuned for more details and updates.

2K plans to reveal the next iteration in one of 2K’s biggest and most beloved franchises at @SummerGameFest on Friday, June 7. pic.twitter.com/1vyFXE2N4z

— Summer Game Fest (@summergamefest) May 16, 2024

According to two sources who spoke to Kotaku, it saw a creative shakeup. It shelved work on “exciting new projects and IPs” to focus on Borderlands and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. The sequel to Borderlands 3 saw its leadership team reshuffled with the current goal of getting it “across the finish line.”

As for Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands 2, mentioned in the LinkedIn profile of former technical director Randel R., it saw a soft reboot. While both titles are making good progress, layoffs at Gearbox, alongside hiring and pay raise freezes, have led to uncertainty. One anonymous developer said, “We’ve lost senior people because of this.”

Neither title is officially announced, though Pitchford did mention in September 2022 that “future experiences” in the Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands franchise were in development. He later spoke about Borderlands last month and said the team was working on “the greatest thing we’ve ever done” regarding the same. As always, stay tuned for updates and future announcements.

What new projects will be announced? Which big-name title will appear and possibly provide an update on their progress? Will there or will there not be a Bloodborne remaster announcement? Well, most likely not, but there are ten other big announcements that we can probably expect at the show.

Wonder Woman – Gameplay Reveal

Warner Bros. Games has had a busy year, what with showing (and delaying) Suicide Squad: Kills the Justice League and releasing Mortal Kombat 1. Granted, Suicide Squad launches next February, but if there’s any time to start talking about the future, it has to be The Game Awards. And what better game to discuss than Wonder Woman?

Announced nearly two years ago, the open-world action-adventure game, which features Monolith Productions’ Nemesis System, hasn’t received any new details. One job listing hinted at live service elements, but Warner Bros. quickly denied the same. Either way, the show would be the right time to remind everyone of the game’s existence and maybe reveal some gameplay.

God of War Ragnarok DLC/Standalone Expansion Announcement

In August, Sony Santa Monica announced it was hiring for a new project, requiring those with “knowledge of God of War (2018) and God of War Ragnarok.” While one could infer a new game is in the works, it could be Ragnarok-related content. Leaker The Snitch claims this project is 60 percent complete and won’t launch this year, though they’re unsure if it’s DLC for the base game or a standalone title on the scale of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

The latter wouldn’t be all that far-fetched – look no further than Uncharted: The Lost Legacy and inFamous: First Light as other smaller standalone projects that Sony has published. If an announcement is due, there’s no bigger stage than The Game Awards.

Rise of the Ronin – New Gameplay and Release Date

While somewhat out of left field, especially since Team Ninja has never really had a major presence at The Game Awards, there’s a possibility that Rise of the Ronin could appear. It was announced in September 2022 but has been in development since 2015, with Sony dating it for 2024. The Snitch claims it’s launching in Q1 2024, and since it recently became available to wishlist on the PlayStation Store, some gameplay and a release window would be perfect for the show.

Star Wars Outlaws – Trailer and Release Window

Star Wars Outlaws is due for another appearance, especially given the positive reception to its first showcase. However, the publisher could have another reason for debuting another trailer. Though announced for 2024, the publisher said in its report for the first half of fiscal year 2023/24, which ends March 31st, 2024, that it had to delay a “large game” to the next fiscal year.

It was before Outlaws’ official reveal, and if it arrives sometime in 2024, it would still fit the publisher’s plans. Long story short, if it does appear at The Game Awards, it could be to confirm a release window and assure fans that it’s not anytime in Q1 2024. And maybe show off some new gameplay. Either works, honestly.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree – Gameplay Reveal

Of all the games on this list, FromSoftware’s first expansion for Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree, has perhaps had the most recent announcement (February 2023). Granted, it hasn’t received any other details since then, aside from parent company Kadokawa Corporation saying development is proceeding smoothly.

It’s reportedly been in the works since April 2022, shortly after the game’s release. If it’s launching after the current fiscal year (since Kadokawa didn’t list it for the same), a new trailer at The Game Awards wouldn’t be too far-fetched. We may even get a release window. One can dream.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 – Gameplay Trailer and Release Window

With Starfield and Forza Motorsport out, Microsoft is doubtless looking forward to its next big release. While Towerborne, Fable and Perfect Dark will arrive sooner or later, odds are that Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 could appear at The Game Awards with some new gameplay.

The highly-anticipated action-adventure title was announced in 2019 and is set to release in 2024. Ninja Theory hinted that the game was fully playable in September, but hasn’t confirmed a launch date. Maybe that will be included with some new footage if it ends up appearing.

Death Stranding 2 Trailer

Last year saw the surprising debut of Death Stranding 2’s trailer, even if there were plenty of signs (and outright admissions by Norman Reedus) of the sequel’s existence.

Another trailer this year would have been unlikely if Hideo Kojima hadn’t teased potentially making one, followed by The Game Awards Twitter giving the googly eyes (and promptly deleted the reply). Maybe we’re reading too much into it, but when it’s Kojima, anything is possible.

Borderlands 4 or Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands 2 Announcement(s)

Weirdly enough, both sequels were recently spotted in a LinkedIn profile for a former technical director at Gearbox. They’ve apparently been in the works since at least May 2022. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford said that future experiences for Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands were in the works in September of that year, so a sequel for 2024 seems likely.

As for Borderlands 4, it’s not outside the realm of possibility since Borderlands 3 launched in 2019. Pitchford said the team was working on “the big one” regarding Borderlands in May 2021 – he may have been referring to Wonderlands, announced a month later. Time will tell, but one of these looks to be a lock.

Grand Theft Auto 6

After a massive leak and months of rumors, Rockstar Games confirmed it’s debuting the first trailer for the eagerly-awaited Grand Theft Auto 6 in early December. However, it didn’t mention that it was for The Game Awards. While it’s most likely going live before, appearing at the awards feels more fitting, especially with how many will be watching and the scale of the event. Even if it goes live before, we wouldn’t put it past the title to make some appearance. In what shape or form is anyone’s guess.

The Alters – Gameplay Trailer and Release Window

Between all the blockbusters and sequels, there’s a possibility that 11-bit Studios’ The Alters could appear at the show. We could see more of how the game works and some consequences resulting from protagonist Jan’s many decisions with his alters. Since it’s launching in 2024, it wouldn’t be too out of left field to receive a release window, if not a launch date. It may be unlikely, but as one of the more interesting premises for a survival title, we’re hoping to see more.

Borderlands 4 and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands 2 – neither of which have been officially announced by 2K or Gearbox – have been mentioned in the LinkedIn profile of Randel R., who was technical director at Gearbox on a short-term contract between May and July in 2022. You can view a screencap below.

Given the critical and commercial success that Borderlands and the original Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands have enjoyed in the past, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see sequels for either, of course. In fact, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford called it a “new franchise” in September of 2022, and said that “future experiences” in the series were already under development.

Interestingly, the aforementioned LinkedIn profile also mentions a Brothers in Arms game. Whether that turns into anything material remains to be seen, especially given the fact that a new game in the series is something we’ve been hearing about for years and years (and years). As per the LinkedIn profile, all three of these games are being built on Unreal Engine 4.

It should be interesting to see whether any of these projects get officially announced at some point in the near future, especially given the fact that it’s been over four years now since the last mainline Borderlands title came out. Stay tuned for more updates.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ first DLC, Coiled Captors, is launching on April 21, and Gearbox has released a new trailer in anticipation of its imminent release. Coiled Captors will bring plenty of new content to the table, including new loot and cosmetics, new Chaos Chamber content, and a new boss that’ll change form every week. Check out the trailer below.

In our review of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, we awarded it a score of 8/10, saying, “Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands doesn’t stray too far from the Borderlands series, but it doesn’t need to when the consistently funny characters and familiar yet satisfying gameplay are this enjoyable from front to back.” You can read our full review through here.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands

This Borderlands spin-off sees players taking on increasingly tough enemies and bosses in groups of three as they complete levels to get access to better loot. Set against the backdrop of a table-top roleplaying game with Tiny Tina returning as the dungeon master, Tiny Tina Wonderlands features the same number-crunching first-person-shooter action that has come to define the Borderlands franchise.