Borderlands is an action-shooter RPG developed by Gearbox Software that has sold millions of copies across all its installments. With 4 games in the main series and a few spin-off games, it can be hard to decide which order to play them in – or if the order you play them in even matters at all! Here is our opinion on the best order to play Borderlands.
1. Borderlands
The first game in the Borderlands series, aptly named Borderlands, is the perfect place to start. There are no games that take place before this and it really lays out the backstory for the next installments. It also introduces the player to a lot of the mechanics and classes in Borderlands. Like most games these days, Borderlands features DLC. We highly suggest you play the DLC for this game before moving on, but it’s not essential so don’t worry if you can’t.
2. Borderlands 2
This game picks up after Borderlands and after Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, but it should be played before Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel for reasons we will get into later. Borderlands 2 has characters from the previous installment which means you should play the first game to understand aspects of the second. There is also a ton of great DLC you should play before moving on to any of the other games in this list, just because they’re great not because they’re essential.
3. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
Released as a prequel to Borderlands 2, hence the title, this game should be played after you play Borderlands 2. Why? Because Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is from the point of view of flashbacks and starts after the events of Borderlands 2. This can lead to some confusion if you play them out of this order leading us to put this game at this spot in the best order to play Borderlands.
4. Tales from the Borderlands
Tales from the Borderlands takes place after the events in Borderlands 2. This makes it perfect to play after both 2 and the Pre-Sequel. Tales from the Borderlands is a Telltale game that features choices and dialogue that affect your whole gameplay. With 5 episodes to play through, you won’t regret picking this one up!
5. Borderlands 3
Borderlands 3 is the last game in the Borderlands series you should play. It is the most recent installment in the series and takes place seven years after the end of Borderlands 2. Several characters from previous Borderlands games appear and there is even a boss that was a playable character in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel making this game the absolute last game you should play in the Borderlands series.
Moreover, In June 2020 support for cross-play was added! Yes, you can now play between PS4 and PS5 consoles as well! And if that wasn’t all 2023 broke the scale by introducing New Vault Hunter heads, skins, and weapon trinkets. Codes for diamond keys through the introduction of something called SHiFT CODES!? And Loot the Universe Event where we can go all out to farm at distinctive areas for distinctive spoils. There’s just so much more to uncover, if you wish to experience the best of Borderlands do make sure you try out Borderlands 3. It lives up to the hype and so much more for us OG’s!
We hope you found this guide on the best order to play Borderlands useful when looking at your Steam library or physical library of games and trying to decide which one to start first or play next! While there were other games released on iOS and Android, they have no impact or add any value to the main installments in the series. If you’d like to play them you can, but they can wait until you’re done with your playthrough.