When jokes become too much of a good thing
TheBorderlands series has always been known for its offbeat humor, absurd characters, and exaggerated dialogue. But with Borderlands 3, this tone went too far for many fans – and even the developers at Gearbox criticized the over-the-top comedy. “At its worst, it felt like a parody of ourselves,” the studio said self-critically in an interview with IGN.
Even during development, there were internal doubts. Writer Taylor Clark recalls: “From the beginning, a grounded tone was important to me. Sam Winkler made it clear to me right away that he would visit me with a baseball bat if I tried to put a meme in the game.” What sounds like a joke was meant seriously: jokes should not exist for their own sake, but should always work in the context of the Borderlands universe.
This now heralds a turnaround.
Where Borderlands 3 often felt like a marathon of slapstick, the fourth installment aims to strike a better balance between humor and storytelling – with characters who remain believable despite all the absurdity.
“We take our characters seriously.”
After Borderlands 3’s joke-fueled story and reliance on toilet humor, Gearbox said they&#’ve created a more grounded story for Borderlands 4, which launches September 12. https://t.co/tIzjdzLJkv pic.twitter.com/oCucDuj4tB
— IGN (@IGN) August 25, 2025
One reason for the new approach is the game world. Borderlands 4 takes players to Kairos, a planet ruled by a brutal dictator – significantly darker than the chaotic Pandora. An overly silly tone would simply not fit here.
The writers found inspiration in an unusual place: Star Trek: Lower Decks. Sam Winkler explains: “It’s a crazy, comedic series, but it works because it takes its characters seriously.
That’s exactly what we want to achieve.” So the humor remains, but it’s grounded – characters shouldn’t be reduced to laughing stocks, but should come across as authentic, even if the surroundings remain chaotic. The goal: a world that feels coherent despite the gags and weird moments, and whose story doesn’t suffer from the comedy.
Winkler sums it up: “With Borderlands 3, we sometimes crossed the line. This time, we want to show that you can combine lightheartedness, humor, and strong characters.”
We’ll soon see whether the new course is successful: On September 12, 2025,
Borderlands 4 will be released for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, followed by the Switch 2 version on October 3, 2025.
