2K just launched a new Borderlands game. But before you get too excited, this isn’t Borderlands 5 or a Wonderlands sequel. Nope, instead it’s Borderlands Mobile, a mission-based looter shooter developed exclusively for phones that is free and out now on iOS.
As spotted by deals guru Wario64, Borderlands Mobile is out now and available to download for free on the App Store. It is currently only available on iOS devices, and it seems to be built primarily for the iPhone. I played Borderlands Mobile on my iPad and had to use the “full screen” button to fill the screen, indicating that this isn’t really built for bigger screens. Bummer. Here’s some gameplay of Borderlands Mobile:
And uh, yeah, this is just out. As far as I can tell, there wasn’t any teasing for this game from 2K or Gearbox. I couldn’t even find a trailer. The official Borderlands account on Twitter, as of April 9 at around 11 a.m. EST, has yet to post about it either. Borderlands Mobile also seems unfinished. At the moment, I could only pick the Siren character and couldn’t customize her at all. The opening intro video seems to imply this is set after the events of Borderlands 3, but likely before Borderlands 4.
It’s very odd for a massive franchise like Borderlands to drop a new game like this, even a mobile spin-off, without any fanfare or trailers. Perhaps they want to test it out and see how people react, and if it does well, expand on it and do a bigger marketing push later. But that’s just a guess. Anyway, I’m playing a new Borderlands game today, which I didn’t expect when I woke up this morning.
Update: 4/9/26, 12:45 p.m. ET: 2K sent over a statement to Forbes providing a bit more info about this new Borderlands game. Apparently, Borderlands Mobile is just a placeholder name, and this is a “limited-time” test. Here’s the full statement:
“We are always exploring ways to introduce Borderlands to new audiences. Zynga’s NaturalMotion studio is currently conducting a limited-time test for an untitled Borderlands mobile project, with Gearbox providing creative guidance on the franchise’s design, history, and lore. We hope that players enjoy this new Borderlands experience and look forward to their feedback.”