Borderlands hits 100 million sales as Gearbox eyes future

Published on November 03, 2026 11:10 UTC · Updated on November 03, 2026 11:15 UTC

Gearbox and 2K confirm the Borderlands franchise has sold over 100 million units and now invite fans to weigh in on where the series should go next.

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Borderlands 4 Vault Hunters assembled in official key art — Borderlands 4 (2025) · Photo: Courtesy of 2K Games

In an official post published on Monday, November 2, 2026, Gearbox Entertainment and publisher 2K Games confirmed that the Borderlands franchise has surpassed 100 million units sold worldwide. The milestone arrives a little over a year after Borderlands 4 launched in September 2025 and roughly 17 years after the original game debuted in 2009. In the same message to the community, the studio said it is taking “a bigger look at the franchise as a whole” and invited players to suggest which characters and stories they want to see next — without announcing a new title.

The figure places the series born on Pandora in a small group of video game franchises that have crossed nine digits in sales. More than a vanity number, the result signals that Borderlands 4 managed to reactivate the fan base even after a launch cycle marked by technical complaints.

A milestone 17 years in the making

The first Borderlands arrived in 2009 with an unusual pitch: first-person gunplay fused with action-RPG progression and a hand-drawn look built on thick black outlines and saturated color. The formula, soon labeled a looter-shooter, became an industry reference and helped define a whole generation of cooperative games.

Since then, the franchise has expanded at a steady pace:

Borderlands (2009) — the game that introduced Pandora and the Vault Hunter;
Borderlands 2 (2012) — the most acclaimed chapter and the one that cemented the community;
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (2014) — co-developed with 2K Australia and set on Elpis;
Tales from the Borderlands (2014–2015) — Telltale’s episodic narrative spin-off;
Borderlands 3 (2019) — the main-series return of the previous generation;
New Tales from the Borderlands (2022) and Borderlands 4 (2025) — the current era.

The road to 100 million was far from smooth. The 2024 feature film adaptation was met with negative reviews and failed to replicate the games’ commercial success. Borderlands 4 launched to strong reviews but drew complaints about performance and stability in its early months. The recovery came through patches and a steady cadence of paid and free content that Gearbox sustained throughout the first year.

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford had already said publicly that Borderlands 4 would push the franchise “easily” past 100 million units. The prediction proved right, though at a slower pace than the executive suggested at the time — a contrast highlighted by specialist outlets this week.

Borderlands 4’s first year in numbers

Alongside the milestone, Gearbox offered a recap of Borderlands 4’s first year of post-launch support. According to the post, the period closed with two major narrative expansions, five smaller packs, two new Vault Hunters and a set of fresh endgame activities.

Content delivered in Year 1	Volume and highlights
Story Packs (narrative expansions)	2 — the latest was “FL4K and the Last Resort”
Bounty Packs (missions and bosses)	5 — the latest was “Amara and the Vile Shadows”
New playable Vault Hunters	2 — including Loveless the Hacker
Free raid bosses	2 encounters released at no extra cost
Endgame activity	1 full Takedown
Quality-of-life updates	Gameplay tuning, balance changes and fixes

The studio also said the team is “cooking hard” on more Borderlands 4 content for next year. Weekly activity refreshes and community challenges will continue until the new slate arrives, suggesting Gearbox intends to keep players engaged between seasons.

Official Borderlands 4 key art featuring Claptrap holding a chest — Borderlands 4 was the franchise’s main engine on the road to 100 million units. (Image: Courtesy of 2K Games)

Gearbox wants fans to shape what comes next

The most open-ended part of the message is also the least typical for a publisher of 2K’s size. Instead of revealing its next project, Gearbox turned the announcement into a public consultation, acknowledging that the franchise’s direction is still under internal discussion.

“We’re taking a bigger look at the franchise as a whole. Where can we take it next? What characters do you want to spend more time with? What stories deserve a payoff? A huge part of that is listening to you. Keep the conversation going — we’re listening. Tell us what you think!”
— Gearbox and 2K community message

The studio pointed to two channels for feedback: official social media and the Gearbox Devcast, the show where the team regularly answers community questions. The nod to the program is no accident — it has become the main direct line between the developers and the series’ players.

Right after that, however, Gearbox moved to temper expectations. The post stresses that decisions of this scale involve production, budget and time, and that no announcement should be expected before the studio is ready.

“Big plans take time, and we need some room to work. You can trust that we’ll talk more when the time is right. Now is your chance to influence what we’ll say.”
— Gearbox and 2K community message

For fans, the message cuts two ways. The positive reading is that the franchise will not end with Borderlands 4 and that long-term planning is already underway. The cautious one is that nothing guarantees the next project will be a numbered main entry, since the company speaks of the “franchise as a whole” — wording that leaves room for spin-offs, series, comics or smaller experiences.

The Hunt and doubled donations to St. Jude

The post also detailed the new edition of The Hunt, a community fundraising event starting November 6. Last year’s edition raised a record $118,995.80 in support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which treats and studies childhood diseases.

This time, 2K Foundations, the publisher’s social impact arm, and Gearbox have pledged to match every dollar donated up to last year’s record total. In practice, that means the campaign could raise more than $230,000, with the matched amount going directly to the hospital.

Four Borderlands 4 bosses: Core Observer, Divisioner, Fractis and Directive-0 — Bosses added in the October 2026 update, part of Borderlands 4’s ongoing content flow. (Image: Courtesy of 2K Games)

Switch 2 still has no release window

One topic missing from the post — and noted by the press — is the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Borderlands 4. Development of the port has been suspended, and Take-Two Interactive has confirmed the project is on hold with no release window and no guarantee it will resume.

The stated reason was technical: the game would need “additional development and polish” to meet the expected standard on the hybrid console. With Gearbox now focused on Year 2 content, the subject is unlikely to return before 2027.

Borderlands 4 launch trailer: watch the official trailer on the franchise channel. Official Borderlands 4 launch trailer, published on the franchise's official channel. (Video: Courtesy of Borderlands on YouTube)

What to expect in 2027

With Year 1 wrapped and Year 2 in production, the most likely roadmap for 2027 includes new content seasons for Borderlands 4, continued weekly updates and a clearer statement about the franchise’s future — possibly during a Gearbox Devcast or a 2K event.

What is already clear is that 100 million units raises the bar. The series is no longer just a niche success inside Take-Two’s catalog; it now belongs to the list of mass-appeal franchises, a status that historically brings bigger investment and more conservative editorial choices. For a series built on sharp humor and cooperative chaos, the challenge will be growing without diluting what made it recognizable.

Players who want a say in the next chapter can follow the latest coverage in our Games section and check the full Borderlands 4 page in our catalog. It is also worth revisiting what the community has built: a modder brought The Pre-Sequel characters into Borderlands 2, proof that the fan base remains active nearly two decades later.

The full message is available on the official Borderlands 4 website. The milestone was also covered by GamingBolt and KitGuru.