For those who probably don’t have a few grey hairs yet, the original Borderlands started life looking eerily similar to every other aesthetically muted mid-2000s shooter. When it was initially revealed in 2007, it was more Mad Max than Mad Moxxi, following the vogue set by the likes of Gears of War and Halo. However, the devs at Gearbox Software knew this wouldn’t be enough to set it apart. In a fresh interview with podcaster David Senra, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick regales the eleventh-hour pitch that changed the series’ trajectory, and the call he had to make knowing how much time and money – a whopping $50 million – it would take.
Take-Two CEO says “Borderlands wouldn’t have been a hit” without $50 million art style change gamble
18 May 20260

Related Articles
13 December 20250
Path of Exile 2’s Druid can tear up the ARPG’s endgame, but be careful about your hitbox
The new Path of Exile 2 league has arrived, and with it the hottest-topic class in town. The PoE 2 Druid has long been the most highly anticipated addition to the ARPG, and I can already feel my finge
Read More
24 October 20250
World of Warcraft Midnight just removed a huge part of the healer kit as Blizzard tries to make combat less “stressful”
Blizzard’s latest round of changes in the World of Warcraft Midnight alpha will have some huge ramifications for healer specs. The new expansion is finally tearing off the combat add-on band-aid, and
Read More
8 November 20250
Frostpunk 2 just hit its cheapest price ever, ahead of the city-building game’s first DLC
Whenever winter approaches, I always feel the need to dive into Frostpunk 2. Something about the world being blanketed by a permanent frost is both terrifying and enticing, plus it helps me feel warm
Read More

Comment here