A new leak claims that Sony and Gearbox Software are in early talks to have Bungie develop a Borderlands 1 remake. According to the rumor, the project would reportedly reimagine the original game as an open-world live-service shooter inspired by Destiny. But is actually true?

Leak Claims Sony and Gearbox Want Bungie to Develop Borderlands 1 Remake

Update: Players have discovered that the Bungie Borderlands rumor started from a post on 4chan. While real leaks do sometimes appear on the anonymous board, we believe this rumor is likely be fake given that Destiny YouTuber who initially reported on it didn’t disclose its origins.

Original article:

If you are doing a double take at that headline, I don’t blame you. However, according to a new rumor posted by Destiny content creator Trance, Bungie could be making a Borderlands 1 remake as their next project. The YouTuber made the surprising claim in a recent post on the video platform. Trance specifically wrote that Sony and Gearbox Software are reportedly in early talks about the Bungie project.

“Bungie and Sony are currently in early discussions with 2K and Gearbox about remaking the original Borderlands as a Destiny-style looter shooter. From what I’ve been told, the project was pitched as an open-world game just like Borderlands 4 and seasonal paid content.” The leak goes on to claim that the Borderlands 1 remake would feature a customizable main character similar to the heroes featured in Destiny.

“The remake would move away from the traditional main characters in favor of semi-customizable protagonists, similar to the system used in Destiny and Borderlands 4.” Of course, it goes without saying to take this rumor with a major grain of salt. Trance is the only source for this, and the account isn’t known for leaks.

As far as his source, the content creator claims it’s from “a colleague who works in Business Development at 2K.” While it sounds unusual, Bungie is best known for building loot-driven shooters through the Destiny franchise. Assuming this rumor is real, that experience is likely why the alleged pitch would transform Borderlands into a more live-service-focused game.

Update: It now appears that the true source of this leak was a post on 4chan. Players have discovered the rumor was first discovered on the anonymous forum. So take what you will from that.

Borderlands 2 PS6 Remake Also Claimed in Leak

The rumor doesn’t stop with the first game, either. Trance also reported that Gearbox is looking at doing a Borderlands 2 remake exclusively for PlayStation 6. “If the deal goes through, Gearbox would also develop a remake of Borderlands 2 as a limited-time exclusive for the PlayStation 6.”

It’s important to note, the YouTuber does say that the deal is apparently in “early talks.” So even if this rumor has even an ounce of truth to it, it’s still not guaranteed to happen. Given how far out we are from PS6 launching, we likely wouldn’t hear about these projects in an official capacity for a while.

The timing of the rumor is particularly interesting though. Bungie recently underwent massive layoffs in June, with nearly half of its workforce reportedly affected. While Marathon remains the studio’s primary announced project, there has been ongoing speculation about what the developer will work on next.

According to previous reporting from Forbes’ Paul Tassie, Bungie had no additional projects greenlit beyond its current slate. If this latest rumor has any truth to it, a Borderlands 1 remake could potentially become the studio’s next major project.

However, until another source corroborates the claim, it’s best to treat it as speculation. As of the time of writing, neither Sony or Gearbox have confirmed the Borderlands talks with Bungie have any legitimacy.