The last Borderlands game barely got any buzz, and now Gearbox Studios is setting up the release of the next mainline entry with Borderlands 4.
Though the games have been known to make topical references and include meme-based Easter Eggs, narrative director Sam Winkler says they will tone down the memes with this next title.
Less Memes in Borderlands 4
In a recent post on Twitter, Winkler talked about Borderlands 3 and his opinion about how much toilet humor was in the game. When asked by a fan what kind of jokes to expect with the sequel, Winkler replied:
Though Borderlands is set in a post-apocalyptic world, the game is very light when it comes to humor, and there have been several easter eggs and references to topical memes—whether it be in the form of an item’s name or an actual mission that directly references something else outside of the franchise.
One weapon in the series was called the ‘Veruca Assault Rifle’ which is a nod to the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory character Veruca Salt. There is even a mission in Borderlands 2 which outright copies the climax of Lord of the Rings and has a player trek up a volcano, interact with an NPC Geary (Gollum), who then jumps into the lava.
The references aren’t just relegated to mainstream movies either. Borderlands 2 even had an Easter Egg for the Double Rainbow meme which came out two years before the game’s release.
Humor in Borderlands 4
Though fans should expect less memes to feature in the next Borderlands game, it’s possible the game will still contain some Easter Eggs.
Many fans think that the references are what adds to the charm of Borderlands, and there always seems to be satisfaction whenever someone understands a reference in whatever kind of material they’re consuming.
'Hawk Tuah' and 'Skibidi Toilet' may not be on Winkler’s list of top 2024 memes, but there’s probably room in there for a Moo Deng reference or brat summer. How about an NPC that says nothing but, “Very demure, very mindful.”?
Gearbox Needs a W
click to enlargeFor now, the Borderlands franchise is definitely not at its peak. After the underwhelming reception of Borderlands 3 and the spinoff Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, the studio is in need of a big hit.
Not to mention the movie adaptation just fizzled out in the box office. Despite getting A-listers like Kevin Hart, Cate Blanchett, and Jack Black, a lot of people thought that the movie should have released 10 years earlier; either that, or maybe they should have cast some younger actors.
It’s not clear if Borderlands 4 will get the franchise out of its funk, but Gearbox is very welcome to try. With the recent reveal at the Game Awards, it's possible that the next big trailer could drop sometime around March; fingers crossed that Gearbox also confirms a release date this time.
Borderlands 4 has no release date yet, but the game is expected to release sometime next year for new-gen consoles Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Borderlands 4 page.