Since the Borderlands 3 gameplay reveal on May 1, Twitter and other social media channels have been abuzz about the next installment of the popular franchise. However, most of that buzz has centered around the game’s “use” of microtransactions.
The ongoing debate stems from a segment of the gameplay livestream where Gearbox CEO and President Randy Pitchford said that Gearbox is:
We’ve provided Pitchford’s comments below. We’ve started the video a bit before the comments so that they can be heard in their full context.
While the debate rages on online about the definition of microtransaction, it’s clear that Borderlands 3 will have pieces of extra content that players will be able to purchase. However, there has not been any firm indication where these purchases will take place.
For example, Borderlands 2 allowed players to buy additional cosmetics outside of premium DLC packs. These purchases were not made in-game with premium currencies but through digital storefronts such as Steam and the PlayStation Store with traditional currencies.
To further clarify things, Borderlands 3’s Creative Director Paul Sage said that the game will not have premium currencies, a statement that aligns with how previous games in the franchise were handled.
Regardless of what microtransactions in Borderlands 3 ultimately look like, it’s clear that the game is going to be huge. Sage recently told PC Gamer that Borderlands 3’s campaign will be roughly 30 hours long. He couched the statement by saying that’s “If you beeline it through… the main story.”
