Borderlands 2 coming in 2012 with new characters and equipment

Confirming speculation that arose in early June, Gearbox Software has officially announced the development and pending release of a sequel to 2009's popular RPG-esque first-person shooter, Borderlands. Eloquently named "Borderlands 2," the new entry will return to the rustic planet of Pandora and will have players traversing uncharted lands to discover new "mysteries."

Details are limited at the moment, but Gearbox promises to deliver an "ambitiously crafted story" that unfolds alongside new characters, skills, environments, enemies, weapons and equipment. And that's really about all we know. Assuming Borderlands 2 doesn't depart from its predecessor, you can expect the same four-player, role-playing, FPS lootfest that the original delivered with great conviction.

Although there was a ton to appreciate about Borderlands, the PC version was a little uninspired. The general interface and menu system reeked of a console port while the use of GameSpy for the multiplayer component was disappointing. The gameplay itself grew repetitive as you were forced to dispatch the same types of enemies (which quickly respawned) throughout a majority of the story.

Nonetheless, it sold an impressive two million copies in two months following its October 2009 debut and that figure mushroomed to three million by February 2010. More information on Borderlands 2 will be released in this month's issue of Game Informer magazine and the title will be shown at Gamescon in Cologne, Germany on August 17-18 and then the following week at PAX Prime on August 26-28.

GameStop is showing a launch date of September 9, but we imagine that's not exactly set in stone as the official release window is slated for Take-Two's 2013 fiscal year, which runs from April 1, 2012 through March 31, 2013. The title will arrive on all the usual platforms: PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Preorders are already open at GameStop with the PC version set for $50 and the console editions at $60.