Borderlands 3 Makes Surprise Appearance At GDC 2017

The Game Developers Conference is chock-full of interesting presentations and exciting debuts on its standard yearly basis, but the 2017 GDC gathering saw something extra special: a tease for the next Borderlands game.

During Epic Games's press conference at GDC 2017 earlier this week, Randy Pitchford, president and CEO of Gearbox Software, presented demo tech footage to show off the Unreal Engine that will power the upcoming Borderlands installment.

The presentation centers around how the signature art style of the action-RPG series fits into the technology of the Unreal Engine, particularly its capabilities, and how it relates to Borderlands 3. Additionally, Pitchford showed a character model, which he clarified was a "production asset," but the face was hidden (likely intentionally) from view while he gave the presentation. Many fans have questioned if this character could be a protagonist in Borderlands 3.

Pitchford also discussed how Gearbox Software is approaching the game's aesthetics on the new engine, using both small shapes and full scenes from Borderlands assets to demonstrate light morphs and design effects. As Pitchford reiterated, the presentation was simply a "tech demonstration" rather than a video game announcement, but mentioned that "some or all of the technologies" shown off may be utilized in upcoming Gearbox games.

Check out the full presentation in the video above.

At PAX East in 2016, Pitchford himself confirmed that the next Gearbox project, following Battleborn and its DLC, is Borderlands 3. Fans have made the link between the GDC 2017 presentation and the next addition to the Borderlands franchise, and are highly anticipating getting their hands on Borderlands 3, which will see Scott Kester as art director and Gearbox creative chief Mikey Neumann as writer.

No additional information was given on Borderlands 3, but it will likely be quite the game, as it follows behind some pretty incredible Borderlands installments from years past. Pitchford even left fans with a hopeful promise for the forthcoming game: "We're working on it, we'll get you soon."

While you wait for more details, relive the time Borderlands 2 broke our hearts.