Borderlands 3 Proves the Most Powerful Weapon Is FOMO
Gamers and reviewers alike are gushing over Borderlands 3. | Source: 2K Games
Fresh off a promotional run peppered with successive controversies, Borderlands 3 is finally out, and players love it. Critics seem to agree, with the game racking up a more than respectable 85 rating over on review aggregator Metacritic.
Borderlands 3 Earns Praise From Critics and Players Alike
Borderlands 3 has also garnered some pretty noteworthy words of praise from the gaming press’ highest authorities:
https://twitter.com/Borderlands/status/1172547989996544000
Players mirror that sentiment.
https://twitter.com/Mercenary4Pizza/status/1172550333891010567
Borderlands 3 and Epic Games Store Exclusivity
Much of the Borderlands 3 hype was overshadow by well-publicized opposition to 2K opting to sell the PC version of the game on the Epic Games Store rather than Steam as the publisher has done for previous entries in the franchise.
A perceived lack of features and the questionable merits of siding with Epic’s store for a hefty down payment left many players enraged. The lack of a pre-loading feature resulted in frustration coursing through the Borderlands 3 community.
A last-minute dash to implement pre-loading into the Epic client reversed the trend somewhat, but how both Epic and Borderlands 3 congratulated each other for a feature that’s been commonplace for the better half of a decade only bolstered opposition to exclusivity.
Furthermore, many fans felt that a crossover event with Fortnite detracted from the Borderlands franchise’s roots as a mature, irreverent title, acting as a haven from the pop-cultural offerings of Epic’s flagship battle royale.
The Power of FOMO
There’s a sense that those who staunchly refuse to buy the game on the Epic Game Store are missing out on what initial predictions qualify as among the best Borderlands titles to date – if not the best.
That FOMO may have helped and will continue to bolster the Epic Games Store’s fortunes. Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford revealed on Twitter that PC player numbers had blown those of Borderlands 2 out of the water.
It goes without saying that Epic Games has pulled off quite the coup by securing Borderlands 3 exclusivity, and it is already cashing in the dividends.
