Borderlands 3 cross-play update out now alongside new event
Revengeance of Revenge of the Cartels offers new limited-time loot
The Borderlands 3 cross-play update is live for all platforms, except for PS4 and PS5.
Yesterday on June 24, a new blog post over on the official Borderlands 3 website revealed that the cross-play update was finally live for all platforms. The obvious exception here is both the PS4 and PS5, which Borderlands developer Gearbox previously revealed would be excluded from the cross-play update due to certification reasons.
Right now though, the cross-play update is live for Borderlands 3 players on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Google Stadia. When you next boot up the game, you'll be prompted to opt-in to the cross-play initiative, and set up a brand new name that isn't already taken by another player on any other platform. Once you're through this, you're all set to go through the new "SHiFT matchmaking" feature.
Alongside the new cross-play update, there's the reveal of a brand new event for all Borderlands 3 players. The Revengeance of Revenge of the Cartel event is now live, having kicked off just yesterday on June 24, and offers players a limited-time event in which they can hunt down the ruthless cartels and claim some pretty snazzy-looking rewards for all the playable Vault Hunters.
As for the cross-play update though, we're not really sure what's going on with regard to PlayStation platforms being excluded from the new feature. If it truly is a certification issue on PS4 and PS5, which Gearbox previously stated, then it's entirely possible that cross-play could come to PlayStation platforms in the future once any issues are ironed out. We'll have to wait and see for more details about cross-play potentially expanding in the future.
Just earlier this week, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan asserted that Sony wants to "support and encourage cross-play across its ecosystem." Ryan pointed to a list of games including Fortnite, Call of Duty, Minecraft, and Rocket League to highlight PlayStation's commitment to cross-play, but it's worth remembering that Sony has been notoriously slow at adopting the cross-play initiative, especially when compared to its competitors like Xbox. With the news of Borderlands 3 skipping out cross-play on PlayStation platforms, Ryan's comments are a little puzzling.
For a complete look at all the games PlayStation has planned for launch on its next-gen console, head over to our upcoming PS5 games guide for more.
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Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.