by Henry Jan 18,2026
Since its launch, Borderlands has quickly become one of gaming's most iconic franchises, defining the looter-shooter genre. Its distinctive cel-shaded visuals, along with the unforgettable maniacal mascot and its irreverent, satirical sci-fi world, have cemented its place in modern gaming culture. The series is expanding beyond games, evolving into a multimedia phenomenon with comics, novels, and even a tabletop adaptation.
This month marks a major milestone: the Borderlands universe makes its highly anticipated leap to the big screen, directed by Eli Roth (Hostel, Thanksgiving). This film reintroduces Pandora and its vault-obsessed inhabitants to a new audience. While critical reception has been mixed, the movie represents a significant step for the franchise.
With Borderlands 4 confirmed for a late-year release, many new and returning players will be diving back into the games. To help you catch up, here's a concise timeline of how the entire series fits together.
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How to play in chronological orderHow to play by release date
Currently, there are seven canonical Borderlands games and spin-offs, plus two smaller, non-canon titles: Borderlands: Vault Hunter Pinball and Borderlands Legends.
The simplest and often best starting point is the original Borderlands. However, if story is less of a priority, any of the three mainline games provides a solid introduction.
All three core titles share a similar style, scope, and gameplay loop, and they're all readily available on modern platforms. That said, a compelling overarching narrative weaves through the entire saga. If the movie has piqued your interest and you want to experience the story as intended, starting from the beginning is highly recommended.
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The following summaries contain mild spoilers for each title, including characters, settings, and key story moments.
The game that started it all. The original Borderlands introduced players to four Vault Hunters—Lilith, Brick, Roland, and Mordecai—embarking on the ultimate treasure hunt. They arrive on the hostile planet Pandora in search of a legendary bunker known as The Vault, rumored to hold unimaginable riches.
Their expedition swiftly descends into chaos, pitting them against the Crimson Lance militia, Pandora's savage wildlife, and hordes of psychotic bandits. An instant hit, Borderlands popularized the looter-shooter genre with its addictive core loop: defeating waves of enemies, discovering a nearly endless variety of weapons, and building up your chosen character. The game received robust post-launch support, including four expansions that ranged from zombie-infested islands to a Mad Max-inspired arena.
Developed by 2K Australia with Gearbox Software, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (released after Borderlands 2) bridges the story between the first two games. It follows new Vault Hunters Athena, Wilhelm, Nisha, and Claptrap on a mission to locate a Vault on Pandora's moon, Elpis.
The game delivered more of the signature Borderlands mayhem fans loved, set in a new low-gravity environment with fresh character classes, weapons, and bosses. Its primary narrative contribution was fleshing out the backstory of Borderlands 2's iconic villain, Handsome Jack, showing his descent into madness. Post-launch expansions included new maps like Holodome Onslaught and Claptastic Voyage, plus two additional playable characters.
The direct sequel, Borderlands 2, returns players to Pandora with a new crew of Vault Hunters: Maya, Axton, Salvador, and Zer0. Their quest for another Vault is immediately thwarted by the planet's tyrannical ruler, the sadistic Handsome Jack, who strands them in a frozen wasteland after a failed assassination attempt.
Left for dead, the team must unravel Jack's schemes, stop his plans, and find the Vault. Lauded as a bigger and more refined experience, Borderlands 2 is still considered by many to be the series' peak, featuring a compelling story, memorable combat, and the franchise's trademark humor. Extensive post-launch content added four campaign expansions, two extra characters, and several Headhunter missions.
Developed by Telltale Games, this episodic, story-driven spin-off offers a different perspective on the Borderlands universe. Set after the events of Borderlands 2, it follows Rhys, a Hyperion employee, and Fiona, a con artist, who are thrown together by a botched deal involving a vault key.
Their misadventure leads them on a quest for a new Vault. Focusing on narrative choice and consequence rather than traditional shooter gameplay, the game has become a key part of the series' canon, with its characters appearing in later mainline titles.
Gearbox's most recent major release, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, transplants the Borderlands formula into a high-fantasy setting. A full-fledged expansion of the beloved Borderlands 2 DLC "Assault on Dragon Keep," it immerses players in the tabletop RPG "Bunkers and Badasses," with Tiny Tina as your chaotic Dungeon Master.
While featuring dragons, spells, and an overworld map, the core experience remains quintessentially Borderlands: countless guns, deep character classes, and hordes of enemies to defeat. It launched with additional post-game dungeons and DLC packs.
Arriving seven years after its predecessor, Borderlands 3 features a new roster of Vault Hunters—Amara, FL4K, Zane, and Moze—tasked with stopping the villainous Siren twins, Troy and Tyreen, who are harvesting Vault power across the galaxy.
For the first time, the adventure spans multiple planets, featuring numerous returning characters. The game refined the looter-shooter gameplay with more weapons, expansive skill trees, and substantial post-launch content, including four story campaigns and additional endgame missions.
Gearbox's narrative-driven follow-up to Telltale's original. This title, the latest in the chronological timeline, follows three new protagonists—Anu, Octavio, and Fran—who find a powerful relic that puts them in the crosshairs of the ruthless Tediore corporation.
The game continues Telltale's signature style, focusing on a branching story shaped by player decisions, dialogue choices, and quick-time events.
Borderlands (2009)Borderlands Legends (2012)Borderlands 2 (2012)Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (2014)Tales From The Borderlands (2014 - 2015)Borderlands 3 (2019)Tiny Tina's Wonderland (2022)New Tales From The Borderlands (2022)Borderlands: Vault Hunter Pinball (2023)Borderlands 4 (2025)
The next major installment is Borderlands 4, slated for release on September 23, 2025. Gearbox Software announced the sequel following its acquisition by Take-Two, with studio head Randy Pitchford declaring it "the greatest thing [the studio has] ever done."
While details are scarce, future Borderlands projects are expected to increase in frequency. Take-Two's leadership has indicated the IP presents significant "potential growth opportunities," suggesting we can anticipate more adventures on Pandora and beyond in the years to come.
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