Today’s Gearbox Software PAX Online presentation offered fans of its popular looter-shooterBorderlands 3a lot to look forward to. There is going to be a new batch ofBorderlands 3DLC in 2020 alongside new skill treesfor every character, and players will be able to upgrade the game to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X for free. Gearbox also announced a new tabletop game calledBunkers & Badassesthat can be pre-ordered now.
The game is based on a DLC expansion fromBorderlands 2called Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep, in which Tiny Tina led Vault Hunters in a game ofBunkers & Badasses, a not-so-thinly veiled reference to the popular tabletop gameDungeons & Dragons. Gearbox Co-Founder Randy Pitchford said in an introductory video that developer Nerdvana Games specifically based it on a version of the game owned by Tiny Tina.
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The game’s 200+ page Sourcebook, which includes pre-set campaigns such as Assault on Dragon Keep, costs $59.99. The Deluxe Edition, which includes custom-made dice, 70 collectible gun cards, 10 3D-printed miniatures based onBorderlandscharacters, 50 enemy standees, as well as a screen for “Bunker Masters” and battle map, costs $119.99 — but is $20 off through pre-orders until September 30.
Pitchford said this tabletop game was in development before the coronavirus pandemic affected much of the world, and has been tested through online means to ensure it can be a good way to “pass the time” before fans can play together in person. This is the secondBorderlands-themed product developed by Nerdvana, which created theTiny Tina’s Robot Tea Partycard gamethat was revealed at PAX East last year.
The idea of converting an in-game parody ofDungeons & Dragonsinto a real tabletop game seems like a smart move, especially given Tiny Tina’s status as a fan-favorite character in theBorderlandsseries. It’s also nice to see that the game will be available soon given other tabletop adaptations of video games often start on crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter, such as aMonster Hunterboard game preparing to launch a campaign in 2021.
Fans of the series who are interested in playingBunkers & Badassesshould find it a good way to bide their time beforeBorderlands 3’s next batch of DLC comes out. In the meantime, they can also playBorderlands 3’s Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck DLCthat released earlier this week.
Borderlands 3is out now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X versions are in development.
