Sign Points to Potential Borderlands 3 Announcement

By Colin Stevens

Update: Gearbox has teased its upcoming PAX East 2019 main theater show with a new image that undoubtedly points to something Borderlands-related appearing at the show, which would line up with heavy speculation of a proper Borderlands 3 announcement.

Gearbox’s teaser image teases the March 28 show in Boston, Massachusetts, with a stylized, cel-shaded highway sign set in a desert area. The sign also bears the marker “Exit 3.”

via Gearbox’s Twitter

The style of the image is certainly based in the Borderlands’ franchise’s art style. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily confirm Borderlands 3, but, given the high fan anticipation for the long-discussed sequel, the “Exit 3” tease, and Gearbox’s marquee presence at PAX East, the timing would make sense for a proper unveiling.

Of course, be sure to read our original story below for a full breakdown of all the many other, less literal signs, pointing to an upcoming Borderlands 3 announcement.

Gearbox is holding a main theater show at PAX East 2019, teasing “never-before-seen reveals” at the event. Is it possible Borderlands 3 could be one of these reveals?

Per the official PAX East 2019 schedule, Gearbox’s main theater show will happen on March 28, the first day of the event. In the show’s description, it says “This is your opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at Gearbox Software and Gearbox Publishing, along with the latest news and updates from the makers of Borderlands, Battleborn, Brothers in Arms, and more!  We will have never-before-seen reveals, exclusives, and surprises, so don’t miss out!”

While it’s possible the never-before-seen reveals and surprises could have nothing at all to do with Borderlands 3, there are several reasons to suspect it might be involved. Last year, Borderlands publisher 2K Games delayed a “highly-anticipated” entry in a major franchise that was supposed to come out in 2018 back to 2020. Many speculated this title was Borderlands 3.

Furthermore, an infamous Walmart game leak that occurred before E3 2018 included Borderlands 3. Most of the games it leaked have subsequently been revealed including Gears 5, Rage 2 and Just Cause 4.

It was revealed back in 2016 that work on a new Borderlands had begun. During GDC 2017, Gearbox showed off a Borderlands 3 tech demo running on Unreal Engine 4, though CEO Randy Pitchford stressed that footage shown was a technological demonstration rather than a running video game.

Pitchford announced during a PAX West 2017 panel that 90% of Gearbox’s development team was “working on the thing I think most of you guys want us to be working on” – this thing almost certainly being Borderlands 3. Later, in a 2017 episode of IGN Unfiltered, Pitchford explained why the wait for Borderlands 3 has been so long.

While it’s possible the “never-before-seen reveals, exclusives, and surprises” mentioned in the PAX East 2019 description could have absolutely nothing to do with Borderlands 3, this evidence suggests that it’s certainly not out of the question. We’ll just have to wait until March 28 to find out.

Colin Stevens is a news writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.