Borderlands Free New Game Launches Out of Nowhere, We're So Back

It’s a prosperous week, Borderlands fans. The franchise has just spawned a free new game, albeit one that 2K or Gearbox is yet to advertise.

Borderlands Mobile has, unsurprisingly, landed on the App Store in what appears to be somewhat of a quiet soft launch.

It’s a free-to-play game set within the Borderlands 3 era and plays from a first-person perspective.

It’s been developed by Zynga and if you know your mobile developers, you’ll know that Zynga is among the most prolific, having produced hits like FarmVille, Star Wars: Hunters, and many more.

“Create mayhem YOUR way,” the synopsis begins. “Loot wild weapons and blast enemies in this mobile Borderlands experience.”

It continues, “Join other Vault Hunters in an ever-evolving universe to fight greedy corporations and open legendary Vaults.

This action-packed looter shooter brings the signature chaos, art style, and gun-slinging adventure to mobile for the first time.”

Zynga

As you can perhaps tell, Borderlands Mobile very much follows the normal formula so there’s nothing wildly new here.

Players will hunt down loot drops, powering up their abilities as they make use of a wide variety of weapons.

Whether you prefer the understated simplicity of a pistol or the chaos of a rocket launcher, there’s a little bit of something for all combat styles.

The combat describes itself as being “fully optimised for mobile”.

“Fight skags, bandits, and bosses as you battle through a variety of exciting mission types, including Campaign Missions, Tower of Terror, and Circle of Slaughter,” the middle of which isn’t to be confused with the Disney ride.

Borderlands Mobile’s Bizarre ‘Launch’ Is Actually A Testing Phase

As for why this game has launched so subtly, well, Forbes was able to find answers.

Borderlands Mobile is reportedly a regional test build.

“We are always exploring ways to introduce Borderlands to new audiences,” a 2K spokesperson told Forbes.

“Zynga’s NaturalMotion studio is currently conducting a limited-time test for an untitled Borderlands mobile project, with Gearbox providing creative guidance on the franchise’s design, history, and lore.

“We hope that players enjoy this new Borderlands experience and look forward to their feedback.”

READ MORE: Steam Surprise 100% Rated Free Game Is A Cozy Stardew Valley Alternative

You read that correctly, “limited-time test”. If you want to try Borderlands Mobile, head on over to the App Store ASAP as once testing is complete, there’s no saying for how long the game might disappear for as it continues development.

Testing, of course, isn’t a new phenomenom, but this is one of the strangest game rollouts I’ve seen.