So will Borderlands 3 be at E3 2018 or not? Gearbox’s answer isn’t so simple

Rage 2 was announced earlier this week and, with its happy-go-lucky approach to an open-world post-apocalypse game, the comparisons to Gearbox's Borderlands series were inevitable. 

Some commentators even worried whether Bethesda's unexpected sequel would be completely overshadowed by the long awaited Borderlands 3, should that be one of the officially revealed E3 2018 games later next month. 

But will Borderlands 3 be showing up at the entertainment expo at all? While it's true that last week's Walmart Canada leak (which accurately revealed the existence of Rage 2) showed a listing for the title, and we do know that the game is actively in development at the studio, a story from Shacknews reports that Gearbox recently told a group of journalists that there will be no new Borderlands announcements this year.

Then there's Randy Pitchford, Gearbox's CEO, who injected himself into yesterday's conversation with a weirdly convoluted update that sorta, kinda, maybe closed the lid on all of these Borderlands E3 murmurings. 

He addressed fans in the form of a Twitter thread, which began with a short history of the magician Todd Robbins before side-tracking into ruminations on the nature of belief and finally ended with a message that somehow both confirmed and denied that Borderlands 3 will be at E3 2018. 

You can read the whole thread if you want, but here's the important tweet that actually relates to what you ought to know. 

So... yeah. Pitchford writes that Borderlands 3 will not be at E3, but he also makes the statement hypothetically, arguing that to actually come out and say it would only add further fuel to the hype fire. 

Interestingly enough, Pitchford did just that a few weeks ago by tweeting out a link to the Schoolhouse Rock song "3 is a magic number", though this may have just been a tribute to the recent passing of composer Bob Dorough.

If I had to make a prediction, it very much sounds like Borderlands 3 won't be appearing at E3 this year, though Pitchford's weirdly muddled answer does lead room for scepticism about what Gearbox has up its sleeve for next month.

In better news, Pitchford ended his thread by stating that the studio is "working harder than we have ever worked in order to create new and exciting things in hopes of entertaining you." New and exciting, aye? Battleborn 2 anyone? 

As the wait continues for Borderlands 3, you can at least bide your time with our extensive list of the best co-op games that you can play right now. 

Alex Avard

I'm GamesRadar's Features Writer, which makes me responsible for gracing the internet with as many of my words as possible, including reviews, previews, interviews, and more. Lucky internet! 

Latest in Borderlands
One of the new Vault Hunters in Borderlands 4
Borderlands 4 release date set for September, and Gearbox has a dedicated reveal show coming this spring
Borderlands 4 Vault Hunters
Gearbox didn't set out to create an open-world game with Borderlands 4, but the FPS does have "open-world-like features, such as seamless travel between zones"
A mask in front of flames during the upcoming PS5 game, Borderlands 4.
In addition to "billions" of weapons, Borderlands 4 has "the deepest and most diverse skill trees" of any game in the series
A screenshot of the upcoming PC game, Borderlands 4.
Borderlands 4's tone sits somewhere between the first two games, which probably means less Skibidi Toilet and more Handsome Jack-style antics
One of the new Vault Hunters in Borderlands 4
Borderlands 4 moves beyond Borderlands 3 and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands as Gearbox promises "billions of weapons and accessories"
Borderlands 4 Vault Hunters
Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford is "testing Borderlands 4 on Steam," and just wanted to check and see if you can tell
Latest in News
Giancarlo Esposito in The Electric State
The Electric State star Giancarlo Esposito explains why adapting the bleak novel into a family friendly adventure was the right decision: "I'm going to bring my children with me"
soldiers dropping in from the sky and looking over verdansk
Warzone's original map is returning next month, but it's still not enough: "We don't just want Verdansk back. We want everything back"
Death Stranding 2
Death Stranding 2 packs on a third obvious Metal Gear Solid reference with cover art throwing back to MGS2's bizarre box art featuring Japanese pop superstar Gackt
Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn in Joker 2
Wednesday star Jenna Ortega teases Lady Gaga's appearance in season 2 of the Netflix show: "It was just a really, really special environment"
People playing Finspan, the new game in the Wingspan series
The must-have fishy successor to Wingspan and Wyrmspan is discounted for the first time
Lego Mario & Standard Kart being held by a person sat at a table
The new Lego Mario Kart set is so much better than I was expecting it to be