Borderlands Achieves Important Milestone, but Gearbox Wants More

If there is one thing the Borderlands universe has never lacked, it is loot. Apparently, it has never lacked players either. Gearbox Software has announced that its iconic looter-shooter franchise has officially surpassed 100 million copies sold worldwide, an extraordinary milestone that puts the series in some pretty exclusive company. The celebration comes with a promise of more Borderlands 4 content, even as the latest installment struggles to match the commercial firepower of its predecessors.

The first game in the franchise was released in 2009. Since then, Borderlands has spent nearly two decades building an identity of its own: cel-shaded graphics, outrageous characters, questionable humour, chaotic cooperative shootouts and, naturally, enough weapons to make most other video games in the genre blush. What started as a relatively unconventional shooter has evolved into one of 2K's most recognizable gaming properties.

In a message published on November 2, Gearbox thanked its community for helping the franchise reach the landmark, acknowledging that the achievement would not have been possible without the millions of Vault Hunters who have travelled across Pandora and beyond. And while 100 million sales are certainly worth celebrating, there is an interesting twist to this particular birthday party: the franchise's latest installment hasn't quite enjoyed the same commercial success as some of its predecessors, at least, at first glance.

100 million copies: That's a lot of Vault Hunters

Reaching nine figures in sales is no small achievement, particularly in an industry where even major releases can struggle to establish a lasting audience. Borderlands, however, has managed to turn its peculiar blend of RPG progression, chaotic FPS experience, and comic-book-inspired graphics into a remarkably durable formula. Its success has been driven by several major releases, with Borderlands 2 remaining one of its biggest triumphs and Borderlands 3 further expanding its global audience. Spin-offs such as Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Tales from the Borderlands and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands have also helped to expand the universe and keep it alive between main entries.

Surprisingly, the latest installment in the series seems to be the most problematic so far. Borderlands 4 was released in September 2025, and it arrived with considerable expectations but encountered a bumpier commercial journey than Gearbox and publisher Take-Two Interactive had hoped for. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick previously acknowledged that the game's initial sales were somewhat softer than expected, pointing in particular to technical challenges surrounding its PC release. Despite a strong launch on Steam in terms of concurrent players, performance issues and a mixed reception among parts of the community complicated its commercial momentum.

Importantly, neither Gearbox nor Take-Two has publicly disclosed an individual sales figure for Borderlands 4, so its precise contribution to the franchise's 100-million total remains unknown. Still, the bigger picture is difficult to ignore: even if the latest installment hasn't quite hit the jackpot, the franchise as a whole remains a heavyweight.

Borderlands 4's first year: Two Vault Hunters, seven DLC packs and plenty of mayhem

Gearbox's announcement wasn't just about celebrating the past. The studio also took the opportunity to look back at the first year of post-launch support for Borderlands 4, and there is quite a bit to unpack.

The game's first content roadmap has now been completed, delivering a substantial collection of additions for players willing to return to the planet Kairos. The post-launch content released during the game's first year includes:

• Two Story Packs: Expansive narrative DLC releases introducing new adventures, locations, missions and rewards.

• Five Bounty Packs: Smaller content drops bringing additional missions, equipment, cosmetics and challenges.

• Two new Vault Hunters: Fresh playable characters offering different abilities and approaches to combat.

• Two free Raid Boss encounters: New challenges designed to test even the most heavily armed players.

• A Takedown endgame raid: Additional high-level content for those who believe ordinary enemies simply aren't dangerous enough.

• Gameplay improvements: New features, activities, optimizations and quality-of-life updates designed to improve the overall experience.

In other words, Gearbox hasn't exactly been sitting idle. The first year has delivered a mix of paid expansions, free activities and gameplay improvements that have given the fans of the franchise more than enough reasons to continue playing.

What's coming in 2027? Gearbox is cooking something up

With the first-year roadmap now complete, the obvious question is what comes next. Fortunately for fans, Gearbox has made it clear that Borderlands 4 isn't being left behind. In its community announcement, the studio confirmed that the development team is already working hard on more content for 2027. However, the developer has not revealed a detailed Year Two roadmap or confirmed specific DLC releases, characters or locations. That said, its message offers a few interesting clues about the direction it is considering.

For starters, regular Weekly Activity refreshes and Community Challenges will continue, ensuring that there will still be reasons to jump back into the game while larger projects are being developed. More intriguingly, Gearbox says it is taking a broader look at the franchise's future, asking players which characters they would like to spend more time with and which stories deserve a proper payoff.

That specific wording leaves plenty of room for speculation. Could some familiar faces receive expanded storylines? Might certain characters finally get the narrative attention fans have been requesting? And could the next wave of content introduce entirely new adventures across Kairos? For now, these remain possibilities rather than confirmed features. Gearbox has stressed that ambitious plans take time and that it will share further information when the moment is right. The studio has also encouraged players to continue providing feedback through social media and its Gearbox Devcast, suggesting that community input will play an important role in shaping the franchise's next chapter.

The Borderlands story is far from over

Borderlands 4 may not have replicated the commercial impact of its predecessors, but the franchise's overall success demonstrates that its appeal goes well beyond the fortunes of a single release. After 17 years, the formula of shooting, looting and laughing at increasingly absurd situations remains remarkably effective. And with Gearbox preparing another year of content, the studio clearly has no intention of holstering its weapons just yet. After all, 100 million copies is an impressive number. But in Borderlands, there's always room for one more legendary drop.

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