Updated March 28, 2019: Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition is going to launch with enhanced features on April 3 for Xbox One and other platforms.
Gearbox Software is no stranger to re-releases of Borderlands games, having brought Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 as part of Borderlands: The Handsome Collection in 2015. Now, all signs point to the original Borderlands getting the same treatment soon.
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), the group that is responsible for rating games in the U.S., recently posted a new rating for "Borderlands Game of the Year. Under platforms, the ESRB mentions Windows PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. As with the other Borderlands games, this version received a mature rating, with the ESRB giving the following rating summary:
This is a first-person shooter in which players assume the role of a Vault Hunter (i.e., treasure hunter) on a quest to uncover an alien vault on the planet of Pandora. Players explore an open-world environment and interact with characters, while completing mission objectives. Combat missions require players to use futuristic firearms (e.g., acid pistols, electrical shotguns, grenade launchers) to kill human bandits, alien creatures, and robotic sentries. Battles are frenetic and accompanied by screams of pain, gunfire, and large explosions. Human enemies emit large splashes of blood when shot and killed; some attacks may result in dismemberment and/or decapitation. The game contains frequent instances of mature humor, sometimes suggestive/sexual in nature: radio advertisements for male-enhancement products (e.g., "Do you ever feel like you are firing blanks?"); dialogue and text about body parts and other innuendo (e.g., "Really 'preciate you takin' a poke at that…uh, the system, not my mom"; "And pop! Went the weasel. I like it when things pop."). The words "sht" and "ashole" are heard in the game.
Borderlands is one of the more popular franchises to come out of the last console generation, so it's unsurprising to see that the original may be getting a re-release for modern consoles. Like Borderlands: The Handsome Collection, it's likely we could see enhancements to the game to take advantage of more powerful hardware as well, including 60 FPS gameplay, improved textures, and more. That's only speculation, however, until and if Gearbox makes things official.
As for an announcement, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility to expect Gearbox to give the game a release date at PAX East next week. The company has already started teasing something is in the works for its PAX East panel on Twitter, largely expected to be the reveal of the next entry in the Borderlands franchise, Borderlands 3.
Return to Pandora
Borderlands is an absurdly fun loot 'n' shooter, filled with raunchy comedy and plenty of action. The Handsome Collection brings together two of the best entries in the franchise, Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, for modern consoles.
