In the interview, Pitchford spoke about the history of the spin-off series, which started all the way back with Borderlands 2 DLC Assault on Dragon Keep, which featured Tiny Tina as a tabletop RPG-styled dungeon master pitting players against fantasy creatures. This DLC would eventually also be released as a standalone title.

“Oh, I feel like we’re just getting started there,” said Pitchford. “I love fantasy and we have a whole team of people that love fantasy. It first started as Assault on Dragon Keep as an expansion to Borderlands 2, where Tiny Tina’s the dungeon master – we called her the bunker master of this in-universe role-playing game we call Bunkers and Badasses. And obviously we love it.”

Pitchford also spoke about Bunkers and Badasses – the Borderlands universe’s equivalent to tabletop RPG Dungeons & Dragons – and how it served as an excellent framework for more potential fantasy-themed adventures that still made use of Borderlands gameplay and mechanics.

“We got to use [the Bunkers and Badasses] foothold as a way to spin off the amazing, fun gameplay that we pioneered with the looter shooter of Borderlands and put that in a fantasy game for the first time, bringing guns to a sword fight,” continued Pitchford. “Like, what a joy. Like holy s***. We just went bats*** crazy and had so much fun. And it worked.”

While Assault on Dragon Keep turned out to be quite successful, Pitchford did acknowledge that follow-up title Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands was a risk for the studio. However, with the newer game also seeing success, he believes that, rather than being a risk, it is now a beachhead. “I would bet that we are going to spend more time on that,” he said.

Back in July 2024, Pitchford had spoken about Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, and how he sees fan response to the game and a potential sequel for it as being “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.”

Pitchford had also confirmed that more Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands follow-ups were in the works all the way back in 2022. However, rumours from 2024 had indicated that a sequel to the follow-up had seen something of a “soft reboot” in its development.

In the meantime, Borderlands 4 is coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on September 12. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is also in the works, set for release on October 3.

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.

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.

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.

Please note that we will only be including single-player games on this list.

With that out of the way, let’s begin.

Hitman 2

IO Interactive has done a fabulous job with its new brand of Hitman games, which features some of the best maps the series has seen to date. Not only are these maps large in size, but also dense with opportunities to murder your targets in some of the most creative ways possible. Beating a level for the first time is just the start in Hitman, and the fun comes from knowing the ins and outs of the level to a point where you can essentially become a ghost within these labyrinthian environments. Completing the many Mission Stories and additional challenges of each level nets you rewards in the form of new costumes and alternate starting locations for future playthroughs, which also makes replaying these levels a much more convenient task. We picked Hitman 2 for this list simply because maps like Florida, Mumbai, and Ark Society are some of the most replayable ones in the entire trilogy.

Subject Alpha – The Callisto Protocol

There’s only one real “boss” in The Callisto Protocol, and it’s the mutated Captain Leon Ferris, aka Subject Alpha. In the first phase, he swings here and there, sometimes grabbing you, and you just hit/shoot back. His second phase sees him mutating further, but don’t worry. Just shoot and dodge, take down the smaller Biophages, and repeat till he keels over. Mechanically boring, and one-note, but it sucks more when the game ends abruptly several minutes later.

Gotham Knights

Gotham Knights may not rank among the worst DC superhero storylines out there (that honor still goes to Countdown, personally), but its ending is pretty terrible. Remember the Court of Owls? Irrelevant to the actual villains, aka the League of Shadows/Assassins/Idiots. The final boss? Talia al Ghul, because Ra’s is on extended leave in the afterlife, and no other major villains are available.

But the absolute worst is all those months of the developer convincing us that Bruce Wayne is dead and gone. And he is, but then they bring him back to life with a Lazarus Pit in some brainwashed state, after which he’s beaten back to his senses, and then dies again in a heroic sacrifice. It was absurd to the point of comedy.

The Callisto Protocol

After Jacob discovers the truth behind the virus, he goes up against the mutated Leon Ferris, now known as Subject Alpha, to synthesize a vaccine for an infected Dani. He does so, but because he effectively played a part in the outbreak on Europa, Jacob decides to remain in the prison while Dani escapes and Black Iron self-destructs. Of course, that’s not the end, as Dr Caitlyn Mahler suddenly intervenes, revealing that the two can escape if they work together. Ferris suddenly does a jumpscare scream, and we cut to black.

If the characters were better developed over a longer period, this ending wouldn’t have felt as abrupt or unsatisfying (especially with how many questions still lingered). But it also doesn’t help that there’s story DLC in development, making it feel like you need to pay extra for the “real” ending, if not to see what happens in the sequel.

New Tales from the Borderlands

New Tales from the Borderlands suffers from many problems, like being worse than the first game in almost every way. It also has a multitude of endings, each more underwhelming than the last. But the best ending, which sees the core cast (and LOU13) survive to form Galactic Healing Incorporated with the help of Rhys, doesn’t feel like a decent pay-off at all. Contrast this to how the first game ended and how well each character was written (including Rhys, who’s beyond ruined), and it’s just insulting.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human

The whole climax of Dying Light 2 revolves around the X13 lab and how Waltz, the main villain, will launch missiles on Villedor, The City. Aiden enters the lab to stop him and discovers that Mia is Waltz’s daughter and not his sister. X13 is keeping her alive, and stopping the missile strike means shutting down the facility, which can kill her. After Waltz is defeated, you can either save Lawan or Mia. The former results in the city being destroyed, so that’s no good.

The latter sees X13 destroyed and Mia dead, but Villedor survives, and Hakon may even save Lawan if the right choices were made. Aiden ultimately leaves, presumably to a better ending. Overall, very anti-climatic and unsatisfying, especially the final fight.

Shadow Warrior 3

I wanted to like Shadow Warrior 3, even if it failed on its one premise – Zilla and Wang teaming up – to focus more on Hoji. It all leads to Wang assaulting the dragon again in the finale. However, this time he gets inside, activating Hoji’s Chi cannon and destroying it from within. There’s a deeper message about Wang getting his mojo back, which isn’t given enough time to develop so it’s hard to care.

By the end, Wang, Hoji, Zilla and Motoko celebrate the dragon’s death by eating parts of it. What about Kamiko, implied to be the dragon when Shadow Warrior 2 ended? What about the world at large? Doesn’t matter, don’t ask.

Scorn

The “story” of Scorn involves two factions of the Homunculi waging war on an alien planet, one using biotech cyborgs and the other using exosuits. But none of that matters. Your story begins after the war is over and the planet’s ruined. First, you play as a character who tries to reach the citadel and fails, becoming a parasite. Then you play as another character, eventually infected by a parasite (which may be the first protagonist), and then undertake a big ol’ journey.

By the end, the parasite completely envelops the character, and they’re stuck in that form, seemingly for eternity. Who? Why? What was the point of any of this? Your guess is as good as ours.

ELEX 2

The plot of ELEX 2 surrounds the coming of the Skyand, responsible for the comet that struck the planet Magalan and unleashed ELEX upon the populace. Jax must gather allies to fight them, but it’s revealed that ELEX was stolen from a cosmic being called the Singularity and the Skyand fear its return. The Skyand attempt to reshape the planet and maybe stand against the Singularity, or something, it’s hard to say. When they’re defeated, Singularity is seemingly the next threat for Magalan’s people.

If this sounds like Horizon Forbidden West’s ending, then you’re more or less correct. Just imagine it with worse characters, a much worse final battle, lame choices, horrible presentation, bugs, and lots of jank, and you’ve got ELEX 2.

Salt and Sacrifice

There’s some decent lore in Salt and Sacrifice, but ultimately it boils down to the Undone Sacrifice becoming such to stop the gods’ wrath. However, this results in the prevalence of Magehood, and Mages aren’t very nice, judging by the sheer number you need to hunt. In the end, upon defeating the Undone Sacrifice, you can either take its place and perpetuate the cycle or devour the tree it hangs on, causing the world to end. All in all, it just pales in comparison to the first game’s set-up and ending.

Martha is Dead

Martha has died. Who killed her? Well, her twin sister Guilia did. But actually, Martha isn’t dead. Guilia is Martha. The former is her alternate personality, formed through childhood trauma. She’s taken to the asylum and eventually slits her arms, regardless of your choices. It’s revealed later that Guilia has recovered, and a message says there’s always something to live for.

It comes across as a powerful message at first but is also out of left field. So much is made irrelevant, like the photographs, the gruesome dissections, and the last hours of the story. Opinions may vary on the usage of mental illness as a major twist in a horror story, but it feels awkwardly implemented here.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands

The problems with the ending of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands are rooted in the Dragon Lord’s character. Throughout the story, it’s implied that he exists independent of the Bunker Master, aka Tina. However, this isn’t the case. As it turns out, the Dragon Lord was originally Tina’s character when she still played, who turned evil when she used the Sword of Souls to wipe out all evil in the game.

This caused Tina to rage quit and the Dragon Lord to swear vengeance on her…to no avail since she controls everything as the Bunker Master. None of this matters as the player defeats the Dragon Lord, uses the Sword of Souls to revive the Queen, and effectively spares the villain. He’s sentenced to 200 years of imprisonment for his crimes and seems mostly fine. Riveting stuff, indeed.

God of War: Ragnarok

Sony Santa Monica’s latest God of War: Ragnarok is easily a more than worthy sequel to the stellar original that was released back in 2018, and that statement alone speaks volumes about the game’s quality. The continuation of Kratos and Atreus’ tale through the Norse realms is grand and filled to the brim with a buffet of high-adrenaline moments and spectacular boss fights. The combat and exploration have been polished to an immaculate sheen, which makes God of War: Ragnarok perhaps the best game to play on your shiny new console.

In the latest Annual Group Meeting for the Embracer Group, Pitchford said, “Gearbox Software achieved a major victory this past year with the launch of a new franchise, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. Wonderlands shattered all of our target expectations, both critically and commercially, and I’m thrilled to report that in addition to great financial rewards from this victory that will be coming our way in the coming quarters, we have established a firm beachhead.

“We now clearly have a new franchise on our hands, with future experiences already under development at Gearbox.” It’s unclear whether this means a sequel is in development or more DLC will release. The first Season Pass is already complete and adds four Mirrors of Mystery along with new cosmetics, weapons, and a new class, the Blightcaller. Time will tell, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, Gearbox will release New Tales from the Borderlands on October 21st for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. It follows three new characters – Anu, Octavio, and Fran – in Promethea on Pandora, battling against corporate greed, a vault monster and an invasion. For more details and gameplay, head here.

The DLC also includes the fourth Mirror of Mystery, which sees players going into a difficult dungeon to face Redmourne the Trivern, a three-headed dragon that can use multiple elements. Like the other Mirrors of Mystery bosses, Redmourne gains more powerful forms and new attacks over the next few weeks. However, this also means new loot to earn. Check out his schedule below:

• First Form (August 11 at 9:30 AM PT) – Vengeance Legendary gun is added to the loot table. New Legendary loot is also available with the Wheel of Fate, namely the Double-Cross gun, Wicked Gossip spell, Unruly Rancor melee weapon, Mosquito’s Mantle armor, and Daemon Blight ring.
• Second Form (August 18 at 9:30 AM PT) – Brutal Stampede Legendary armor is added to the loot table.
• Third Form (August 25 at 9:30 AM PT) – The Curse of Malice Legendary spell is added to the loot table.
• Final Form (September 1 at 9:30 AM PT) – The Sly Trivern Legendary gun is added to the loot table.

Completing the Shattering Spectreglass dungeon once adds its four level layouts and Redmourne to the Chaos Chamber, providing more variety in the endgame dungeon. If that weren’t enough, the DLC also provides a new voice option “The Grim” and four new backstories for starting stats: Nerfed by the Bunkermaster, Clownblood, Apprentice Barnacle Scraper, and Street Urchin Success Story.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is available for Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Check out our official review here. Gearbox hasn’t said anything about additional DLC but stay tuned for any announcements in the future.