Borderlands 3 Will Have Cosmetic Microtransactions, Not Pay-to-Win

Speaking with Eurogamer, Borderlands 3 publisher 2K confirmed that the upcoming looter-shooter will have microtransactions. However, they will only be for cosmetics. Confirming messaging from the game’s developers, Borderlands 3 will not have any pay-to-win microtransactions. 

Players will have the option to purchase certain cosmetic items like character, vehicle, and weapon skins, but none of these purchases would be considered pay-to-win or impacting on the gameplay, like weapons or actual gear.

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:

… going to do some kickass campaign DLC, and I’m sure we’re going to do all kinds of fun customizations like heads and skins, but we’re not doing any of that free-to-play junk. There’s not going to be any microtransactions. There’s not going to be any of that nonsense.

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.”