Borderlands 3 doesn't feature pay-to-win microtransactions says Gearbox's Randy Pitchford

By Asher Madan
last updated

Good news, everyone!

Vault Hunters

Vault Hunters (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Borderlands 3 doesn't feature pay-to-win microtransactions or loot boxes.
  • Cosmetic packs will eventually be added to the game.
  • The packs will be similar to what was offered in Borderlands 2.
  • Borderlands 3 is available for $60 through the Microsoft Store (opens in new tab).

Borderlands 3 is an upcoming first-person shooter from the acclaimed team at Gearbox Software. Borderlands and Borderlands 2 are regarded as cult classics, and the titles have seen somewhat of a resurgence on Xbox One due to the recent Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition rerelease and Xbox One X enhancements for Borderlands: The Handsome Collection. While it's great that the past games are so popular, what does the future hold for the franchise?

As with any shooter nowadays, fans were worried that it would be riddled with microtransactions. Luckily, Gearbox head Randy Pitchford said that the game wouldn't have any "microtransaction b*******." This was discussed during the Borderlands 3 Gameplay Reveal we attended in California this week. You can read the full statement from our reporter below who got a chance to go hands-on with the title.

And you don't need to worry about Borderlands 3 becoming something similar to games that are free-to-play and pay-to-win. Gearbox's Randy Pitchford reiterated that it wouldn't have any 'microtransaction b*******. The studio knows exactly the type of Borderlands game that fans want, and is aiming to hit those expectations. When I spoke with Brock, he also said that they weren't planning on any player-versus-player modes other than duels returning. I prompted whether this meant we wouldn't see a battle royale mode any time soon, and he replied that they are not thinking of a battle royale mode at this time. It's not impossible, it's just not what they're doing with the game.

This is great news, and somewhat surprising given the recent trend of pay-to-win microtransactions. However, keep in mind that Gearbox will eventually sell skin packs as downloadable content like Just Cause 4.

Are you interested in Borderlands 3? Let us know. At the event, the company also confirmed that the game would run at 4K resolution on Xbox One X, but players would be given a 60 frames per second option.

Loot 'n shoot
Borderlands 3

Pandora and beyond

Borderlands 3 is an absurdly fun loot 'n shooter, filled with raunchy comedy and plenty of action. It features over-the-top weapons and a story which takes you to various planets.

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Asher Madan
Asher Madan

Asher Madan handles gaming news for Windows Central. Before joining Windows Central in 2017, Asher worked for a number of different gaming outlets. He has a background in medical science and is passionate about all forms of entertainment, cooking, and antiquing.

6 Comments
  • It is really a shame that we have to have a news story that states a game DOESN'T have this crap in it. It really shows where we are on this issue in the industry as a whole.
  • Not even that a game doesn't. It's that we feel the need to say that a SINGLE PLAYER (sure there's co-op but whatever) story driven game doesn't have micro-transactions. Single player games should cheat codes. Those were a wonderful things that cost nothing (besides maybe the cheat code book because you were a kid who didn't know how the internet worked😂)
  • is there PvP now? if not, why would pay-to-win matter?
    maybe someone wants to pay to open the whole skill tree
  • It still waters down the 'value' of the achievements, especially hard achievements, of the game for everyone if someone can just pay for a one shot kill weapon. I remember when those types of things started happening. It's really annoying that someone can just pay to beat a game, it doesn't matter if it is SP or MP.
  • Like that we know that the game isn't designed to tempt gamers into spending more money. The focus isn't on microtransctions and the priority of the game maker is just to make a great game nothing else.
  • Why isn't this article updated?
    The game will actually have microtransactions. :)