The Pivotal Art Style Shift That Defined Borderlands' Success
As the gaming world eagerly anticipates the release of Borderlands 4, a game promising more of the series' signature wild characters, memorable villains, and countless weapons, the developers behind the original Borderlands recently shared a fascinating behind-the-scenes story with Game Informer. They detailed how the distinctive visual style that fans know and love was born, and how it ultimately saved the game from being lost in a crowded market.
Back in 2007, Gearbox Software was developing a new shooter called Borderlands. Pitched as a blend of Diablo and Mad Max, it promised an explosion of gunplay and weapon variety. However, the studio faced a significant challenge: the game's visuals were generic. It looked like just another post-apocalyptic shooter with a 'muddy brown' color palette. This was a serious problem, as major titles like Fallout 3 and Rage, featuring similar aesthetics, were also on the horizon. Borderlands risked fading into obscurity against such formidable competition.
At the time, Gearbox was known for successful ports and expansions for popular series like Halo and Half-Life, as well as their own shooter, Brothers in Arms. In contrast, Borderlands was a risky venture – a new universe, a bold genre mix, and fierce competition from bigger studios working on similar concepts.
Development for Borderlands began in 2005, and the team explored six different visual styles, ranging from cautious to wildly experimental. Initially, they settled on a realistic approach, with artists collaborating with Ron Cobb, renowned for his work on Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Yet, a fundamental mismatch emerged: the realistic visuals clashed with the game's over-the-top gameplay, where characters leaped dozens of meters and enemies exploded dramatically. The industry was already oversaturated with games featuring similar brown palettes and grim post-apocalyptic realism.
“If we were just making a game for ourselves, not financially dependent on it, and not thinking about the fate of the people around us, we could afford to experiment. If it worked out, great; if not, no big deal, because the goal would simply be to express what we feel, not to sell something. But at some point, we decided: 'Damn, without realism, there's no chance in the market.' We went down that path, even though we knew it wasn't quite right. That style reflected neither the atmosphere nor the feel of Borderlands and completely mismatched the gameplay itself.” — Randy Pitchford, Head of Gearbox Software
Adam May, then a character modeler, admitted he was drawn to the dark, realistic atmosphere of early Borderlands, having never seen a shooter in such a post-apocalyptic setting. However, the announcement of Fallout 3 made it clear: Borderlands looked too much like its rival. One day, May sat beside concept artist Scott Kester, who was sketching in an 'illustrated graffiti' style in his free time. One drawing particularly captivated May; it later became the basis for Captain Flint and, more importantly, the genesis of a new visual approach. Together with Kester and executive producer Brian Martel, May translated the sketch style into 3D, instantly realizing this was how Borderlands should look.
Despite tight deadlines and the impending alpha build, the artists decided to approach Randy Pitchford with a proposal to abandon the realistic visuals in favor of a comic-book style. Pitchford agreed to give them a chance to experiment, though he immediately regretted the decision.
“They said, 'Why don't we just step aside for a minute and experiment with this?' I said, 'Alright, I'll give you two weeks.' Five guys got two weeks to play with the visual style, and I immediately realized I'd made a mistake. I thought, 'Damn, we have to go to alpha, this is business, I'm responsible for other people's money. I'm allowing these guys to experiment for two weeks, they'll get even more invested, and then I'll have to look at their work and kill it. That's what's going to happen. Damn it, I'm an idiot. Why did I do this?' But deep down, I knew we had to at least try and explore it. I knew the current approach was wrong.” — Randy Pitchford
Adam May was part of that small group. The artists debated how much detail to add, how to exaggerate forms, and which silhouettes to choose for the new, more cartoonish character models. When the deadline arrived, Pitchford went into the meeting expecting to reject their work. But upon seeing the results, he realized the opposite: the style was a perfect fit for Borderlands. Everything that hadn't clicked before now made sense – the game finally looked 'right.'
Pitchford understood that a complete overhaul would require colossal effort from both a business and development standpoint, but he trusted his and the team's intuition. They were already taking risks on all fronts: design, universe, story – a new IP, facing every possible risk. He decided to follow his gut.
Fully convinced of the need for a style change, Pitchford wanted the team to start immediately. But first, he needed publisher approval. He flew from Texas to California to present his proposal to 2K's leadership and marketing team. Despite concerns about deadlines and prolonged development, Pitchford secured full support from 2K.
“I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't confident that the marketing team, the publishers, and even the then-president of 2K, Christoph Hartmann, truly supported us. If I had doubted it, everything would have turned out differently. We did it together, but I really had to take a personal risk. It was very exciting.” — Randy Pitchford
Convincing 2K to allow a complete game re-do, almost at the alpha stage, was difficult enough, but the real test was putting it into practice. While many considered the style change the right move, not everyone embraced the idea. According to Adam May, some employees left because they preferred working in a more realistic and grounded style, and he himself doubted whether the new aesthetic would be taken seriously.
Furthermore, the sheer magnitude of the impending work caused concern. Graham Timmins, Creative Director for Borderlands 4 and Lead Level Designer for the original game, called the transition 'utter madness.' By that point, the team had already worked on Borderlands for several years, and now they had to not only change the style but almost completely rework all locations – only 'Trash Coast' and possibly one other level were salvaged. For nearly a year, all level designers practically rebuilt the game from scratch, adapting it to the new style. It was an incredibly intense period, with the team sometimes wondering, 'What are we even doing?'
Gearbox not only revamped the world and characters to fit the new style but also created new heroes. This led to the creation of the fourth Vault Hunter, Brick, the only original character conceived entirely within the new visual concept. The new style also brought about arguably Borderlands' most iconic mascot: Claptrap. Brian Martel wanted a friendly character to soften the world's seriousness and grimness.
“With the visual style change, the game's identity also shifted. We started to realize: 'This is what Borderlands is. Finally, I see it. We have a great art style that conveys the right mood. Everything started to click. It was a very intense time. It was wild to watch an entire game take shape in just a few months and then get released. It was a truly special time.” — Graham Timmins
One of the most noticeable changes was the appearance of the iconic Psycho enemies. Initially, they wore respirators and goggles, but the team later redesigned them, creating the recognizable masks that persist throughout the universe to this day. According to May, the inspiration for these masks came from an unexpected and amusing source: former art director Jen Wildes suggested a style reminiscent of ball gags. The team decided to soften the idea, creating a large respirator that retained a strange, crazy spirit without being too explicit. These masks also adorned the covers of all main Borderlands installments, cementing the Psychos' status as a franchise mascot. May noted that collaboration with 2K helped make Psychos constant cover stars, their punk-rock style reflecting Borderlands' new atmosphere after the visual shift.
When the game launched in 2009, it sold over 4.5 million copies in its first years, kicking off numerous sequels that further developed and refined the original's visual style. Even with technological advancements, this style continues to define the franchise's direction, becoming an integral part of its identity alongside Claptrap, the Psychos, and the loot system. Borderlands 4, despite featuring brighter and more diverse locations, retains clear elements and an evolution of the first game's artistic style.
For Adam May, the change in visual style was a crucial factor in the game's success. He emphasizes that it was absolutely necessary: at the time, many projects were being released, and Borderlands, as a smaller game from a less-known studio, could have easily been lost among the competition. The new style made Borderlands stand out, attracting public attention early on. Although working days were long and stressful, and the sudden overhaul created additional pressure, none of the developers now doubt that the decision was correct.
“It was crazy that we did it, but it was absolutely the right move. I'm very proud of the franchise and the path it has taken: from a predominantly brown desert planet to this huge universe with multiple media that we can explore. It all started in those few months in 2009.” — Graham Timmins
Players will be able to experience the latest evolution of the series' visual style in Borderlands 4 on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), Xbox Series, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2.
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