TheBorderlandsfranchise is known for offering hours of fun grinding to find the best weapons possible to tackle content.Borderlands 4will more than likely continue this trend, introducing a plethora of interesting characters and even more interesting guns to find. In a lot of ways, the series is already similar to many modern MMOs.
Since the inception of the series,Borderlandsgames have featured co-op when it comes to multiplayer functionality. Gearbox Software has never gone all the way and created a massively multiplayer experience, butBorderlands 4could spark the beginning of that. Whenever it’s announced,Borderlands 4could gain a lot by becoming a live-service multiplayer experience where players come across others in its open world or player hubs.
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Why Borderlands 4 Should Be an MMO
Borderlands 4going the route of an MMO would mark a significant change, but it could ultimately be a good one. Many features found throughout the games already share aspects with a variety of MMOs. For example, MMOs likeFinal Fantasy 14andThe Elder Scrolls Onlinealso have a grind to get the best weapons and gear so players can compete in higher levels of content. They both approach gearing up differently, but the core philosophy behind gear progression is the same. TheBorderlandsgames are all about grinding for the best guns, which is usually accompanied by high-octane combat facilitating a variety of play styles.
But MMOs aren’t just about the grind, they also come with a variety of other rewards; a common phase heard throughout MMO communities is that “fashion is the endgame.“Borderlands 3has plenty of cosmetics, which is likely a trend that will continue intoBorderlands 4.If it were to be adopted as an MMO,Borderlands 4would satisfy cosmetic grinds that many find to be just as, if not more entertaining than getting the best gear.
There’s also the topic of exploring an open world, which would be the most notable difference fromBorderlands' single player/co-op counterparts.Borderlandsis known for its weird and hilarious side queststhat are often accompanied by various rewards, scattered all about Pandora and beyond. As an MMO, approaching these quests could become a more cooperative experience. Or if PvP content were to be enabled, they could hinder other players' progress for the fun of it. This chaotic social experience would perfect encapsulate how crazy the world ofBorderlandscan be.
One of the biggest reasonsBorderlands 4would make a good MMO is that the looter-shooter formula already exists.Destiny 2andBorderlandsare very similar in terms of grinding guns, so ifBorderlands 4were to be an MMO, it could useDestiny 2as inspiration.Final Fantasy 14’s director Naoki Yoshida has gone on record that he usedWorld of Warcraftas a reference when creating the game. By looking to other successful MMOs and recreating what they do in a developer’s personal style, great MMOs can come to fruition.
WhileBorderlands 4hasn’t even been announced, it is likely the franchise will continue due to its immense popularity.Borderlands 4should feature returning characters, wild guns, and new planets to explore, all in a classic Gearbox style. Whether it will be a single player/co-op game or an MMO is yet to be seen, but there is a good case to be made for both approaches.
