E3 2021 is right around the corner, and it could prove fruitful for fans of the Borderlands and XCOM series.
As always, rumors are abuzz online about what comes next for the gaming industry, and publisher 2K Games is no exception. A leaked upcoming games list is gaining traction on Reddit, and makes some interesting claims that could come to light during E3, which takes place June 12 to June 15.
A user by the name of Swine_flu_greg posted the list to r/GamingLeaksAndRumours, claiming that a “trusted source” had shared the information more or less directly from the publisher. Apparently, 2K Games will be announcing a Borderlands spin-off, as well as a new turn-based action game from Firaxis, which the source described as “XCOM with Marvel heroes.”
The user, operating under a brand new account, does encourage readers to take the rumor with a grain of salt, with only their word to show for it at the time of publishing. That was, of course, until Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier verified the claims in a series of tweets.
Yes this 2K leak is real but I’m not sure all of it is going to be at E3. Can’t wait for Marvel XCOM though https://t.co/6TxZSk8hDaJune 3, 2021
The Borderlands spin-off, referred to as ‘Wonderlands’ in the post, will allegedly feature Tiny Tina and isn’t necessarily a huge surprise. Rumors began circulating last year when Gearbox applied for the trademark “Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands”.
Plus, with intrigue around the upcoming Borderlands movie mounting, it makes sense to release another entry in the Borderlands universe to keep the hype train moving.
On the other hand, Marvel XCOM is more of a surprise. The news has been met with mixed responses from commenters, who are unsure whether the Marvel brand’s typically light-hearted approach will be compatible with the unforgiving, tactical-based gameplay of XCOM.. However, it’s unclear from the leak if the game will be a true entry in the XCOM franchise, or if it will instead just take inspiration from it.
While some commenters just wanted an update on XCOM 3, Schreier, at least, seems enthusiastic about the pending title, but cast doubt on its announcement at E3.
In addition to the big news of a Borderlands spin-off and Marvel XCOM game, Swine_flu_greg also hinted towards the release of NBA 2K22 and Codename Volt, a new action game which the source somewhat puzzlingly described as “Cthulhu meats Saints Row”, whatever that means.
Codename Volt, the user speculates, could be a Hangar 13 production, following the leak of a contract last year that discussed a new project described as an “open-world sci-fi title with supernatural elements”. Hangar 13 were responsible for Mafia 3 and more recently, Mafia: Definitive Edition.
While the rumors have more credit thanks to Schreier’s backing, it does seem we’ll need to wait and see if all – or any – of these games are in production, let alone ready to be announced for E3 2021 next week.
Via VG247