2K Games Planning Borderlands Spin-Off And Avengers Game
2K Games promised players that it was working on something big, and by the sounds of it, this year's Electronic Entertainment Experience could be one to watch. After the big and the beautiful of the gaming world missed out on last year's E3 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, it's full steam ahead with 2021's bumper showcase. As arguably the biggest gaming event of the year, anyone who is anyone (well, not Sony) will be in attendance.
According to sources close to 2K, the acclaimed publisher is apparently working on a Borderlands spin-off AND a game based on Marvel's Avengers. With the Borderlands franchise already established as one of the best in the business - and the Avengers as popular as ever thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe - these could be two heavy hitters for 2K.
What are the Borderlands spin-off and Avengers games?
More than just being some wild speculation that should be taken with a grain of salt, the latest leaks come after weeks of speculation about what Borderlands overseer Gearbox Software is working on. Posting on Reddit, u/swine_flu_greg outlined 2K's plans for E3. In the post, they claimed the publisher is working on Wonderlands, which is "a Borderlands spin-off title featuring Tiny Tina". The fan-favourite explosives expert is a popular NPC in the Borderlands games and is set to join the cast of Eli Roth's upcoming live-action movie.
Interestingly, the post points out that the name "Tiny Tina's Wonderlands" has already been trademarked by 2K - suggesting this could be the final name. There's not much else to go on, other than the fact Wonderlands will feature the classic Borderlands mechanics of "Multiclass-Heroes", as well as a reminder the spin-off has been rumoured since last year. They told everyone to look to E3 for an official announcement.
Elsewhere, the other big takeaway is the mention of a new Firaxis game using the codename "CODA". This mysterious title will apparently be a turn-based Marvel game that once again shines the spotlight on the Avengers. While the team has been a staple of Marvel Comics for decades, they've boomed in popularity since the formation of the MCU with 2008's Iron Man and birth of the Avengers in live-action for 2012's The Avengers.
Of course, this isn't the first turn-based Marvel game we've seen, with the likes of Marvel Strike Force being a popular mobile game. Excitingly, the game is billed as "XCOM with Marvel heroes" and could boast "some famous actors are voicing the characters". Let's get Robert Downey Jr. on the phone. Finally, there's a mention of NBA 2K22 and something codenamed "Volt". This could be from Hangar 13 and is described as "Cthulhu meets Saints Row", with a Fallout-inspired logo.
When could we see the Borderlands spin-off and Marvel game?
More than just searching for accurate information in a haystack, the Reddit post even got the nod from Bloomberg's Jason Schreier. Schreier has become something of a go-to for leaks, so if he says it's the real deal, then it's almost good enough for us. In particular, he backed up the idea of the codename Daffodil being used for a Tiny Tina Borderlands spin-off. Before you get your hopes up though, this year's E3 might not deliver all your Christmases at once. In a follow-up Tweet, Schreier said that although all the games in the Reddit post are legitimate, they might not be announced at E3.
Only recently, Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford teased that the company was working on "the big one". Some were over the moon that this was a potential Borderlands 4, but it now looks like that isn't the case. Still, Tiny Tina has proved to be a standout addition to the ever-expanding Borderlands lore and is more than due a spin-off. Away from the main series of games, we famously had Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and spin-off games like the mobile Borderlands Legends or Telltale's narrative, Tales From the Borderlands.
2K has already announced that there are 21 games coming between now and March 2022, with four "immersive core releases" and two from new franchises. At least one of the new franchises is coming from Gearbox, suggesting the Borderlands creator is also working on something away from Tiny Tina and the already established series. Whatever is going on, we hope the Tiny Tina game is more like a full entry. For the time being, we're left looting in the dark.
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