Borderlands 3 looks to be another Epic Games Store exclusive, could release on September...

[midian182]

In brief: Borderlands fans had reason to celebrate when, as rumored, the third game in the main franchise was unveiled at Pax East last week. Now, a couple of deleted tweets appear to have revealed Borderlands 3’s release date while confirming that it would be another timed Epic Games Store exclusive.

The official Borderlands 3 Twitter account posted a message yesterday stating that “Mayhem,” a term previously used to describe the game, is coming on September 13. While the post did arrive on April Fools’ Day, the fact it was quickly deleted and arrived via an official account suggests its legitimacy.

Additionally, Twitter user Wario64 posted another deleted tweet, this one featuring a short ad for Borderlands 3. There’s an Epic Games Store logo in the bottom left corner of the video, suggesting the shooter will be joining Metro Exodus, Phoenix Point, and several others as a timed exclusive.

Borderlands 3 releasing on Epic Games Store (from a Twitter ad video that is now deleted) pic.twitter.com/d4v17GapWZ

— Wario64 (@Wario64) April 1, 2019

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford responded to the clip, all but confirming that Borderlands 3 will only be available on the Epic Games Store for the first six months after release.

Pitchford wrote that publisher 2K Games and parent company Take-Two Interactive are responsible for "all decisions regarding price-points, territories, distribution and platform partnerships." He added that anyone with inquiries regarding those topics, which would include complaining about the exclusivity deal, should write to 2K.

The CEO then sent out another tweet that hinted at the length of time Borderlands 3 will remain exclusive to Epic. “To me, exclusives are fine when they come w/ advantages and when they are short – say, six months :),” he wrote.

As a customer, I’m happy to shop in different stores - already do! I’ve bought games from Xbox, Playstation, Switch, Steam, Origin, GOG, Humble, Uplay, Epic and other stores. To me, exclusives are fine when they come w/ advantages and when they are short – say, six months :) 2/3

— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) April 1, 2019

We don’t have long to wait to discover Borderlands 3’s official release date. Pitchford and a company rep said it would be revealed tomorrow (April 3).

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/79466-borderlands-3-looks-another-epic-games-store-exclusive.html

 

[LNCPapa]

Gah - no way I'm going to have all the rest of the Borderlands series on Steam and get this one on something else. The amount of joy I felt re-purchasing the game after the first Borderlands moved to Steam cannot be replicated by a move to another storefront. I'll be waiting for this exclusive deal to run all the way out.

 

[kira setsu]

I called it.

If steam just swallowed some pride and lowered its cut, then spun it as "trying to keep pc gaming open" they'd be lauded as heroes, sadly they seem to be to dense and/or greedy to make or even realize that move.

what makes it even worse is that epic is such a blatant villain in this in an odd way, yet also a hero, it's terrible they use cash to buy exclusives and fracture pc gaming yet they give more money to those poor developers, I'm gonna sit back and watch how this plays out.

 

[UnicornDiarrhea]

yet they give more money to those poor developers

I would hardly call 2k "poor developers" 2k has some of the worst microtransaction tactics in the gaming industry. Their CEO is on record saying that he "believes that aggressive microtransactions in modern video games are a necessity."

This move to be an Epic store exclusive didn't shock me at all. During the pax presentation, the one dev that works on their 2k family of games mentioned with some detail about how BL runs on Epic's Unreal Engine. So I figured between that & how much 2k loves microtransaction & squeezing every little bit of money they can from consumers, it was a sure thing they would be exclusive to Epic's game store.

Yes there are poor developers that do benefit from Epic's 12% cut on games..... 2k does not fall into that category. 2k is just greedy.(not as greedy as EA though)

 

[IAMTHESTIG]

Every publisher is greedy, that's what they are in the business for. No different that the RIAA/MPAA really. They are all crooks who only care about themselves, screwing the developers and the customers in the end all the while pretending that customers are that bad people.

 

[Vrmithrax]

As a die-hard Borderlands fan, this is seriously disappointing (if the Epic store reports are true). Pretty much guarantees that this will go from a pre-order to a "wait until it's on sale on Steam in the future" for me - I'm not going to reward exclusives in any way, no matter how much I might want to grab them and play the second they launch.

And I'm certainly not going to buy a new Borderlands title on a different platform than ALL of the other Borderlands titles I have.

 

[hahahanoobs]

If everyone was on Steam their would be no competition. You demand it when it comes to silicon, but not software? LMAO. Get out of here. No really, get out of here.

What do you think the console market would look like if everyone had the exact same games? How competitive would that be? Look at the hardware inside. AMD. Now look how the two major consoles can struggle with 60 and even 30fps on those consoles, yet no one is asking for another player. It's sad really.

Microtransactions. Publishers know their games can't be pay to win, so they give us cosmetics etc. They are also OPTIONAL. Look at Fortnite and Apex Legends. Both free to play and are two of the biggest titles in gaming today. Now imagine if that lead to GTA 6 or Battlefield 6 or Skyrim being free to play.

That would be amazing, but y'all acting like old heads, on a tech site, and complaining because you have to download a ~100MB launcher to your 256GB+ SSD to play a game not available on Steam?

Get out of here!

 

[Panda218]

If everyone was on Steam their would be no competition. You demand it when it comes to silicon, but not software? LMAO. Get out of here. No really, get out of here.

What do you think the console market would look like if everyone had the exact same games? How competitive would that be? Look at the hardware inside. AMD. Now look how the two major consoles can struggle with 60 and even 30fps on those consoles, yet no one is asking for another player. It's sad really.

Microtransactions. Publishers know their games can't be pay to win, so they give us cosmetics etc. They are also OPTIONAL. Look at Fortnite and Apex Legends. Both free to play and are two of the biggest titles in gaming today. Now imagine if that lead to GTA 6 or Battlefield 6 or Skyrim being free to play.

That would be amazing, but y'all acting like old heads, on a tech site, and complaining because you have to download a ~100MB launcher to your 256GB+ SSD to play a game not available on Steam?

Get out of here!

I'm fine right where I am... You can enjoy the Epic store all you want, but I'll continue to boycott the shitty storefront. I own nearly 600 games on steam and prefer that be where I house all "my" content. I have no problem being an "old head".

Just sell it on steam and force launch the epic launcher like Ubisoft does when you launch their games.

 

[kira setsu]

If everyone was on Steam their would be no competition. You demand it when it comes to silicon, but not software? LMAO. Get out of here. No really, get out of here.

What do you think the console market would look like if everyone had the exact same games? How competitive would that be? Look at the hardware inside. AMD. Now look how the two major consoles can struggle with 60 and even 30fps on those consoles, yet no one is asking for another player. It's sad really.

Microtransactions. Publishers know their games can't be pay to win, so they give us cosmetics etc. They are also OPTIONAL. Look at Fortnite and Apex Legends. Both free to play and are two of the biggest titles in gaming today. Now imagine if that lead to GTA 6 or Battlefield 6 or Skyrim being free to play.

That would be amazing, but y'all acting like old heads, on a tech site, and complaining because you have to download a ~100MB launcher to your 256GB+ SSD to play a game not available on Steam?

Get out of here!

you honestly think free to play is an amazing idea? are you bonkers? if anything the devs need to grow a pair and admit that 60 dollars no longer covers the cost for what we beg for and need to raise the price of entry. if an 80 or 90 dollar flat price tag for current or next gen games is whats needed to stop the bleeding of content then I'm all for it, but I will always go against microtransactions because they never know when to stop with them.

look at gtaV, they've done nothing with it, just keep on releasing random overpriced doodads that force the weak into buying sharkcards, if thats the future you want then you're dead wrong.

and as far as consoles go PC is the extra player, if you dont wanna deal with them and their caps then drop the cash on a top tier rig or shutup, money is what rules gaming now and gamers need to either put the clamps on the industry and make them act straight or pipe down and take what they give without all the whimpering.

 

[LNCPapa]

I'm definitely an oldhead - I've been gaming non-stop since the late 70's. I own or have owned almost every console and more PCs than I can count. I don't have an issue with another storefront being out there but being forced onto an inferior platform just to create "competition" is not my jam either. If you want to win me over then come with something I might consider - like a library matchup system or something like that. I have a healthy Steam collection that I've built up over the years and I've even re-purchased games simply because they showed up on a distribution platform that I approve of (Steam). So far Epic hasn't motivated me in the same way. Don't get me wrong, Steam started out rough but I wasn't such a strong proponent when it launched.

I also think Free to Play works in some instances but is a terrible goal to get every game to reach. The devs have to make their money somehow and I'm not a fan of micro-transactions or tiny DLC. There have been many times that I've really wanted a game only to find out it has day 1 DLC which immediately moves it to a "do-not-buy" list for me. Those games get purchased when a GOTY edition is on a crazy sale for $10 or less... if I still want it by then.

 

[Evernessince]

I called it.

If steam just swallowed some pride and lowered its cut, then spun it as "trying to keep pc gaming open" they'd be lauded as heroes, sadly they seem to be to dense and/or greedy to make or even realize that move.

what makes it even worse is that epic is such a blatant villain in this in an odd way, yet also a hero, it's terrible they use cash to buy exclusives and fracture pc gaming yet they give more money to those poor developers, I'm gonna sit back and watch how this plays out.

Steam kind of is though and EPIC is proving it. EPIC is turning PC into an exclusive shitfest. Call steam greedy but they provide far more features on their store. EPIC doesn't even scratch the service.

If everyone was on Steam their would be no competition. You demand it when it comes to silicon, but not software? LMAO. Get out of here. No really, get out of here.

What do you think the console market would look like if everyone had the exact same games? How competitive would that be? Look at the hardware inside. AMD. Now look how the two major consoles can struggle with 60 and even 30fps on those consoles, yet no one is asking for another player. It's sad really.

Microtransactions. Publishers know their games can't be pay to win, so they give us cosmetics etc. They are also OPTIONAL. Look at Fortnite and Apex Legends. Both free to play and are two of the biggest titles in gaming today. Now imagine if that lead to GTA 6 or Battlefield 6 or Skyrim being free to play.

That would be amazing, but y'all acting like old heads, on a tech site, and complaining because you have to download a ~100MB launcher to your 256GB+ SSD to play a game not available on Steam?

Get out of here!

You miss the point of why people are mad. The launcher isn't the deal breaker, turning the PC platform into an exclusive shitfest is.

I for one will not be purchasing this game if it is exclusive. I will not support that BS and I don't believe a word EPIC says when they stated they will stop doing exclusives. No, they will clearly do whatever makes them money even if it screws over their target audience.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Given the diarrhea Esq DLC nature of Borderlands games, by the time the GOTY edition with all the DLC is available for $40 itll be on steam.

 

[Bp968]

If everyone was on Steam their would be no competition. You demand it when it comes to silicon, but not software? LMAO. Get out of here. No really, get out of here.

What do you think the console market would look like if everyone had the exact same games? How competitive would that be? Look at the hardware inside. AMD. Now look how the two major consoles can struggle with 60 and even 30fps on those consoles, yet no one is asking for another player. It's sad really.

Microtransactions. Publishers know their games can't be pay to win, so they give us cosmetics etc. They are also OPTIONAL. Look at Fortnite and Apex Legends. Both free to play and are two of the biggest titles in gaming today. Now imagine if that lead to GTA 6 or Battlefield 6 or Skyrim being free to play.

That would be amazing, but y'all acting like old heads, on a tech site, and complaining because you have to download a ~100MB launcher to your 256GB+ SSD to play a game not available on Steam?

Get out of here!

you honestly think free to play is an amazing idea? are you bonkers? if anything the devs need to grow a pair and admit that 60 dollars no longer covers the cost for what we beg for and need to raise the price of entry. if an 80 or 90 dollar flat price tag for current or next gen games is whats needed to stop the bleeding of content then I'm all for it, but I will always go against microtransactions because they never know when to stop with them.

look at gtaV, they've done nothing with it, just keep on releasing random overpriced doodads that force the weak into buying sharkcards, if thats the future you want then you're dead wrong.

and as far as consoles go PC is the extra player, if you dont wanna deal with them and their caps then drop the cash on a top tier rig or shutup, money is what rules gaming now and gamers need to either put the clamps on the industry and make them act straight or pipe down and take what they give without all the whimpering.

Publishers/devs dont need to charge more for games. Gaming is already the most profitable entertainment sector on the planet. We have more gaming choice now then we ever have in the past. A nintendo NES cartridge cost 50-60$ back 30 years ago. Sure it cost less to make a game back then but it also didn't sell millions of units on the first day, and if you think 30% is an expensive cost for distribution then you've apparently never messed with retail or warehousing.

The steam platform handles marketing, distribution, updating (ever tried to patch and update a game in the 90s?), cloud saves, security, etc etc etc.

There is plenty of money available in games without raising their price or trotting out an endless stream of DLC. The difference is now there is also significant competition. Just making a game no longer is enough to guarantee sales. When gamers have near unlimited choice you better make a product that's worthwhile, well supported and price fairly. Anything else and the failure is your fault, not steams and not the customers.

 

[Axiarus]

I called it.

If steam just swallowed some pride and lowered its cut, then spun it as "trying to keep pc gaming open" they'd be lauded as heroes, sadly they seem to be to dense and/or greedy to make or even realize that move.

what makes it even worse is that epic is such a blatant villain in this in an odd way, yet also a hero, it's terrible they use cash to buy exclusives and fracture pc gaming yet they give more money to those poor developers, I'm gonna sit back and watch how this plays out.

Steam gives massive marketing benefits for the cut they take. On top of that they offer streamlined update and game servers. This **** takes money. Why do you think Exodus was marketed on Steam then switched to Epic?

 

[hahahanoobs]

I'm definitely an oldhead - I've been gaming non-stop since the late 70's. I own or have owned almost every console and more PCs than I can count. I don't have an issue with another storefront being out there but being forced onto an inferior platform just to create "competition" is not my jam either. If you want to win me over then come with something I might consider - like a library matchup system or something like that. I have a healthy Steam collection that I've built up over the years and I've even re-purchased games simply because they showed up on a distribution platform that I approve of (Steam). So far Epic hasn't motivated me in the same way. Don't get me wrong, Steam started out rough but I wasn't such a strong proponent when it launched.

I also think Free to Play works in some instances but is a terrible goal to get every game to reach. The devs have to make their money somehow and I'm not a fan of micro-transactions or tiny DLC. There have been many times that I've really wanted a game only to find out it has day 1 DLC which immediately moves it to a "do-not-buy" list for me. Those games get purchased when a GOTY edition is on a crazy sale for $10 or less... if I still want it by then.

Steam AND Epic can co-exist. Arguing against it is silly at best.

 

[hahahanoobs]

you honestly think free to play is an amazing idea? are you bonkers? if anything the devs need to grow a pair and admit that 60 dollars no longer covers the cost for what we beg for and need to raise the price of entry. if an 80 or 90 dollar flat price tag for current or next gen games is whats needed to stop the bleeding of content then I'm all for it, but I will always go against microtransactions because they never know when to stop with them.

look at gtaV, they've done nothing with it, just keep on releasing random overpriced doodads that force the weak into buying sharkcards, if thats the future you want then you're dead wrong.

and as far as consoles go PC is the extra player, if you dont wanna deal with them and their caps then drop the cash on a top tier rig or shutup, money is what rules gaming now and gamers need to either put the clamps on the industry and make them act straight or pipe down and take what they give without all the whimpering.

Microtransactions will never go away. It's way too profitable. I'd love to see devs go back to releasing finished games like they did back when games were sold on cartridges or CD's pre-internet, but that will NEVER happen.

 

[LNCPapa]

Steam AND Epic can co-exist. Arguing against it is silly at best.

If they can coexist so well why not release the game on both platforms simultaneously AND let the buyer choose the platform?

 

[Vrmithrax]

If they can coexist so well why not release the game on both platforms simultaneously AND let the buyer choose the platform?

That is precisely my argument. There must be some heavy incentives or kickbacks behind the scenes that are at play to get these exclusive launches of AAA titles.

It doesn't say a lot for 2K's consideration of the gaming marketplace as a whole, and their loyal existing player base, if they are letting greed steer their release strategies. Creating or feeding into an exclusivity situation is just going to create an ecosystem analogous to the console "exclusives" wars. I game on PC to AVOID those types of "pick one platform or the other" types of scenarios. Now big players like 2K are actually encouraging it.

 

[Toju Mikie]

Not that big of a deal for me... I mean the game is using Unreal so by releasing it in the Epic Store, that 5% fee is also waived. It also won't be a deal for many gamers that already have the launcher or really want to play on release date. There is a vocal minority here that don't like something like this but it was bound to happen some day.

Some also argue about exposure... It may actually be getting more exposure by going to the Epic Store. Look at all the news coverage this game is getting by going to the Epic Store. It is strategy