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A big thank-you to 2K Games for donating art assets for the OT and to NeoGAF Member 'Steel' for the OT title!

• Release Date: May 3rd - 2016
• Platforms: PC / Playstation 4 / Xbox One
• RRP: Standard Edition: £44.99 / $59.99 Digital Deluxe Edition: £62.99 / $74.99
• Season Pass: $19.99 USD including 5 DLC Packs, each with a Story Operation, hero skins, and taunts
• Recommended PC Specs:
  

  OS: Windows 7 x64-Bit or Later
  Processor: Intel Core2 Extreme CPU Q6850/ AMD A8-3870k (Quad Core CPU’s)
  Memory: 6 GB
  Hard Disk Space: 10 GB free
  Video Memory: 2 GB
  Video Card: AMD HD 7700/ NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 or better, PhysX support
  Sound: DirectX 11 Compliant

• Release Schedule:
  

  Auckland, NZ
  PS4 and Xbox One: May 3 at 12:00AM NZST
  PC: May 3 at 5:00AM NZST
  
  Sydney, AUS
  PS4 and Xbox One: May 3 at 12:00AM AEST
  PC: May 3 at 3:00AM AEST
  
  Hong Kong
  PS4: May 2 at 11:00PM HKT
  Xbox One: May 3 at 12:00AM HKT
  PC: May 3 at 1:00AM HKT
  
  Moscow
  PS4 and Xbox One: May 3 at 12:00AM MSK
  PC: May 3 at 1:00AM MSK
  
  Paris
  All platforms: May 3 at 12:00AM CEST
  
  London
  PS4 and Xbox One: May 3 at 12:00AM BST
  PC: May 2 at 11:00PM BST
  
  New York
  All platforms: May 3 at 12:00AM EDT
  
  San Francisco
  PS4 and PC : May 2 at 9:00PM PDT
  Xbox One: May 3 at 12:00AM PDT
  
  Japan
  PS4 and Xbox One: May 19 at 12:00AM JST
  PC: May 19 at 2:00AM JST

Apparently this tweet is very popular:

What is Battleborn?

Battleborn is a first person action game. Battleborn is designed to have lots of reply value - designed to be a gamer’s hobby. Battleborn features a cooperative or solo playable campaign. Battleborn takes place at the end of space and time when there is just one star left in the universe. Battleborn heroes who once fought against each other join together to save the last star. They learn that they are better off as allies.

Battleborn blends genres, using some great design elements from FPS, RPG, MOBA and other genres in a first-of-it’s-kind game. Battleborn also features a robust competitive multiplayer mode. We hope and will help it become an e-sports platform. Battleborn play extends beyond just the scenario or match. The meta-game drives progression and growth with meaningful choices for players.

But I think the best thing about Battleborn are the characters. Epic champions are interesting, diverse, fun. I love the Battleborn heroes!

Battleborn’s launch is the vanguard of a new genre that is being dubbed now as the “Hero Shooter”. When we first announced Battleborn, competitors did not exist. Battleborn started the movement. The term “Hero Shooter” followed. When we announced Battleborn, because it was a new shooter, many people tried to classify it by stuffing it into prior categories.

Battleborn is: FPS; hobby-grade coop campaign; genre blended, multi-mode competitive e-sports; meta-growth, choice + epic Battleborn heroes!

BATTLEBORN BOOTCAMP VIDEO

STORY MODE

Play through repeatable Story Mode episodes to save the last star in the universe from Rendain and the Varelsi. Here’s a few things you can expect as part of Battleborn’s Story mode:

• Play Solo: Complete missions to unlock the next one.
• Play Co-Op: Three episodes are displayed for players to vote on regardless of whether or not they’ve unlocked that map in solo.
• Be Right Back: You can’t join a match that’s already in progress… HOWEVER, you can rejoin your team if you’ve been disconnected from the game.
• Find Friends: Jump out to the homescreen to party up with friends or search for random teammates, then get cracking on the next Story episode. When searching for random fellow co-op players, you’ll be matched with others who are similar to your own skill level.
• Hardcore Mode: When things get tough, make it tougher! If you’re up for a challenge, flip on Hardcore mode and jump into Story episodes for extra loot, all new unlockable content, and some really, REALLY tough fights.

COMPETITIVE MULTIPLAYER

Before the Battleborn joined forces to save the universe, they fought amongst themselves for the few resources that were left. Team up with other players to battle on three Competitive Multiplayer modes, Incursion, Capture, and Meltdown.

• Incursion: Take out the enemy’s two Spider Sentry Drones before they get to yours.
• Capture: It’s a classic capture-and-control showdown between two teams of heroes… but more badass!
• Meltdown: Each team marches waves of minions to their death, and scores points for every minion who throws themselves into the incinerator. The team with the most scrap metal, wins.
• Skill-Based Matchmaking: Queue up in regular Competitive Multiplayer matches to be matched with and against similarly skilled players.
• Map Counts: Each mode has 2 maps with many more coming after launch.
• Private Matches: Get some practice in with private competitive matches. Customize team sizes from 1v1 through 5v5 or toggle the unique character requirement off for a team full of Oscar Mike clones! Private matches also allow you to play against AI bots, but to keep it fair, nobody is cheesing XP from bot matches.

PROGRESSION SYSTEM

Battleborn includes multiple progressions systems. Playing either Story Mode or Competitive Multiplayer Modes will earn you XP towards temporary Helix augmentations as well as persistent Command Rank and Character Rank levels.

• Helix: During a single Competitive match or Story episode, each level you gain activates a new Helix augmentation opportunity - all the way to level 10. Each level has two augmentation choices and a character’s Helix resets at the beginning of a new match or episode, meaning you can tailor your character’s abilities to the situation at hand.
• Character Rank: Each character ranks up the more you play them, up to rank 15. The Character Rank levels persist across all modes, and unlike Helix augmentations, this experience never resets. Increasing the Character Rank unlocks Mutations which are extra Augments that become available on the Helix Menu. The higher the Character’s Rank, the more Helix augmentations, taunts, titles, and skins you unlock for that character.
• Command Rank: Command Rank persists across all modes and all characters played. Every Competitive match (excluding bots) and Story episode grants XP towards your player Command Rank. Rising through the ranks will unlock characters, new Gear options, titles, and more – all the way to Command Rank 100.

SHARDS & BUILDABLES

• Shards come in several sizes – Run over smaller ones to pick them up, while larger ones or Shards in containers must be attacked and shattered into pieces before picking up.
  
• So what do I do with all these Shards? Well… spend them! Shards are a form of in-game currency that can be used to build and upgrade buildables as well as activate Gear. Shards are only available for the duration of an individual Story episode or Competitive Multiplayer match and do not carry over to other matches.
  
• Buildables are tactical structures located in various areas around Story Mode and Competitive Multiplayer maps. Use Shards to purchase buildables or upgrade existing ones to make them more efficient and more resistant to enemy attacks.
  
• Automatic Turrets - Turrets have different types of offensive armaments and will attack any foe in sight, enemy minions and Battleborn alike.
• Healing Station - The Healing station will regenerate health over time in an area around the station for the team who purchases it.
• Accelerators - Accelerators give a speed boost to friendly Battleborn and minions when passing next to them.
• Super Minions - Super Minions can be purchased in the team’s base and are well worth the Shards. Their ability to sustain and deal more damage than other minions adds additional firepower to your team.

GEAR

To activate Gear during a match or episode, collect the necessary amount of Shards then open the Gear menu to select the piece you want to activate. Gear has no effect until you activate it during the match.

Gear packs are dropped by bosses and can be found by opening chests in Story Mode. They can also be purchased in the in-game Marketplace using earned Credits. When one team member picks up a Gear pack, everyone on the team gets the pack. At the start screen, select “Command” and then select the “Gear” tab to open Gear packs and explore your Gear.

Once you’ve opened some Gear packs, you’ll be able to create Loadouts that will be used during episodes and matches. Drag and drop Gear into the Loadout to set up collections, and be sure to save your Loadouts. After selecting a character to play in either Story Mode or Competitive Multiplayer Mode, you will have the option to select one Loadout from the Loadouts you created previously. Your Loadout is now equipped for that match or episode.

PLAY SPLIT-SCREEN

• Couch Co-Op: Play split-screen on PS4 and Xbox One
• Multiple Couches: You can only do two screens per console. BUT, you can connect with two other co-op playing pals on another machine.
• Split Screen on Your Team: People playing split screen can join up with any team. The max number of Battleborn per side: five players.

COLOUR-CODED TEAMS

• There isn’t an explicit color blind mode, but we do let you pick your team color and the opposing team’s color. This colorization is applied to enemy color, health bars, competitive objectives, etc., and is available on all platforms.

PLAYING ON A PC

• Gamepads: Not using a keyboard and mouse on a PC? Battleborn supports general gamepads, PS4 and Xbox One controllers, with Steam controller support coming after launch.
• 4K and Different Displays: There will not be support for either 4K or off-sized displays at launch, though we’re actively investigating both.[/B]

(CLICK ON THE IMAGES FOR A CHARACTER PROFILE!)

THE JENNERIT IMPERIUM



THE ROGUES



THE ELDRID



THE LAST LIGHT CONSORTIUM



UNITED PEACEKEEPING REPUBLICS

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR LINK

• COMING SOON

More available over at the official Battleborn website!

 

[Indignate]

Phoebe is the Dopest.

 

[Alcoholikaust]

People sure find it fashionable to hate on this game.

I loved what I played of the beta and cannot wait for full release.

edit:great job with the OT

 

[Warxard]

Orendi and Veget-- I mean Reyna it is for me.

I really want to see reception for the game before I pick it up.

 

[LiQuid!]

Looking forward to seeing how it reviews. I kinda wanna pick it up even tho I feel like it's a bit of a mess. Even with all the hero shooter [slash] MOBAs in development, nobody else is offering a middle ground marriage of MOBA and shooter like this game is. Most games are leaning harder on one genre or the other.

 

[TheApatheticOne]

I had some issues with the beta, but all in all, I had a lot of fun playing it with my friend, and missed it when it went away. Enough fun where I'll be picking it up Tuesday! Look forward to trying everyone out.

 

[Drewfonse]

Nice OT. Really looking forward to this.

 

[deoee]

People sure find it fashionable to hate on this game.

I loved what I played of the beta and cannot wait for full release.

edit:great job with the OT

Dito! I was very skeptical myself and the beta really surprised me!

Great OT and great game

Spoiler

That's nothing like Overwatch

 

[Tecnniqe]

This is that Overwatch clone right?

Spoiler

/s

Im very curious how this is going to turn out. I've heard good things about it so maybe it'll be worth picking up at some point in the close future.

 

[Turin Turambar]

My favorite characters are Caldarius, Rath, Melka, Phoebe, Benedict and Galilea.

Character wise the game is very good. Very full of personality and color.

Sometimes the game is pretty corny, but it's corny is a very consistent way, you know?
I like Isic happy-nihilistic attitude or Shayne shouting "Shayne and Aurox, teen detectives! Tell your friends." while Aurox complains.


I wonder how the second Meltdown and Incursion map will be.

 

[Special C]

Beta was a blast. Sold me and 3 friends the game. We were all Monday Night Combat enthusiasts and this is the closest thing to MNC to come out.

 

[deoee]

This is that Overwatch clone right?

Spoiler

/s

Im very curious how this is going to turn out. I've heard good things about it so maybe it'll be worth picking up at some point in the close future.

Spoiler

get it

 

[patchday]

Nice OT! Looking forward to reading more impressions from gaf

 

[razgriz417]

Gave the beta a try and really didn't like it, gonna be curious to see if this game will have legs

 

[LiQuid!]

I know Overwatch and Battleborn aren't actually alike but it was still pretty savage of Blizzard to schedule their open beta the exact same day this game releases. As someone who is on the fence about this game I'd probably have bought this already if it weren't launching the same day I finally get to play Overwatch with all of my friends for the first time.

 

[deoee]

I know Overwatch and Battleborn aren't actually alike but it was still pretty savage of Blizzard to schedule their open beta the exact same day this game releases. As someone who is on the fence about this game I'd probably have bought this already if it weren't launching the same day I finally get to play Overwatch with all of my friends for the first time.

We will still welcome you after you played the beta!

And of course many people including me will try out Overwatch but that game just does not tickle my interests as much as battleborn.

The whole team fortress 2 style of game is nothing that could hold my attention for longer than a few matches!

 

[Ricker]

Nice OT...Tempted to grab this damn...I liked the beta enough,even though going through the campaign solo was damn hard I thought(couldnt beat the 2 missions solo) but I would have a co-op buddy most of the time...Overwatch I like the characters and all but its too fast for me (aka I suck at those)...then there is Uncharted the week after and Doom and backlog,lol now I have backlog and future log problems

 

[Lady Siara]

This game would greatly benefit from some sort of short demo or a free trial that locks you at level 5 or something.

I hope it ends up selling fairly well because I don't want to have a second Evolve heartbreak. Although, it does seem like Gearbox (and largely 2K) seem to have taken Evolve's marketing shitshow to heart and avoided many of the things that drew ire: tons of pre-order DLC, microtransaction skins and doubling down on esports. The other death knell of Evolve, taking too long to rebalance in the starting months (mainly because they were building an infrastructure to make patching easier) is my other worry but Gearbox seems to have been pretty receptive and swift with balance changes thus far.

Sorry for the doom and gloom, really enjoyed the alpha and beta and would like more people to see the good in both Battleborn and Overwatch. There is definitely room for both.

 

[Steel]

Oh, cool my title won.

That being said I was just suggesting a title, someone else can take the key if they'd like.

Nice OT, btw.

 

[Justice_Bolt]

Nice OT. Man we are so close to play this awesome game.And now progress will count!

Review embargo lift May 2nd , 1:00 p.m. Est.

 

[deoee]

Oh, cool my title won.

That being said I was just suggesting a title, someone else can take the key if they'd like.

Nice OT, btw.

Your title was my favorite, next to a few character quotes. So glad it was chosen

Like said in the beta thread, I'd love to take it if it's fine.

 

[Klyka]

Why do this game's looks remind me of Wildstar so much?

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Loved the shit out of the beta. Best part was the characters played very differently and I enjoyed almost all of them.

I really hope they balanced the thralls to make them spawn less, I think that would go a long way to solving the snowballing that happened a lot in the beta.

 

[Gothos]

Still not sure if I should buy it or not. I'm mostly interested in story mode so I guess I'm gonna wait for reviews and see how it fares. Do we know how many missions are there in the full game?

 

[Steel]

Your title was my favorite, next to a few character quotes. So glad it was chosen

Like said in the beta thread, I'd love to take it if it's fine.

I'd be OK with that.

 

[patchday]

Still not sure if I should buy it or not. I'm mostly interested in story mode so I guess I'm gonna wat for reviews and see how it fares. Do we know how many missions are there in the full game?

Well the missions from open beta (a month ago why didnt you play?) were light fun but don't expect a 'story' at least from what we were shown. It was like a Vanilla Destiny coop mission with better voicing and humor though

 

[Dance Inferno]

It begins.

I'll be keeping an eye on Battleborn. I have Overwatch pre-ordered and I didn't get to play the Battleborn open beta since I was traveling, but here's hoping it turns out well.

 

[Glass Shark]

Really torn on this one. The basic gameplay and match structure feels good, but I'm worried that it won't have enough of a player base as a $60 title to sustain a long-term community.

 

[Seijuro]

One of my most anticipated games this year. Liked what I saw from it last year, got very down on the game from hearing impressions - until I played the Beta, which I loved.

One can like a Gearbox game despite it's producer being who he is.

What I'm not so psyched about is only 2 stages for each mode. 6 maps in total for the MP isn't much. I know that Gearbox is not the only offender in this regard (see Splatoon etc), and more free maps are coming and whatnot, but I don't like this direction many mp games in general are going.

 

[Drewfonse]

I know Overwatch and Battleborn aren't actually alike but it was still pretty savage of Blizzard to schedule their open beta the exact same day this game releases. As someone who is on the fence about this game I'd probably have bought this already if it weren't launching the same day I finally get to play Overwatch with all of my friends for the first time.

Yeah, the timing is tough. And it's the only reason that I waited until yesterday to pre order Battleborn. Unless Overwatch disappoints, and I don't think it will, I'm getting both games.

It's rare that I play a beta and then miss the game when the beta ends. That definitely happened with Battleborn. I think that Overwatch and Battleborn can coexist in my X1.

 

[deoee]

One of my most anticipated games this year. Liked what I saw from it last year, got very down on the game from hearing impressions - until I played the Beta, which I loved.

One can like a Gearbox game despite it's producer being who he is.

What I'm not so psyched about is only 2 stages for each mode. 6 maps in total for the MP isn't much. I know that Gearbox is not the only offender in this regard (see Splatoon etc), and more free maps are coming and whatnot, but I don't like this direction many mp games in general are going.

That's said personally I'd rather play less very good maps instead of having a ton and not liking most of them (hi there battlefield )

I'd be OK with that.

Well that's awesome

 

[JStein0222]

Great work on the OP, can't wait to jump in at midnight when the game unlocks!

 

[Menome]

Still not sure if I should buy it or not. I'm mostly interested in story mode so I guess I'm gonna wait for reviews and see how it fares. Do we know how many missions are there in the full game?

Quoting myself from another thread:

The campaign consists of eight missions, each projected to take 45 minutes to an hour to complete, with unique levels that aren't part of the pure multiplayer modes. A.I.-controlled characters will take the place of your four other teammates.

However, as said, it's geared towards co-op play and also repeat playthroughs. Different characters have unique comms chatter throughout the missions and there's differing difficulty levels with the chance of earning extra loot and unlockable characters.

It's more fleshed out than it could have been and does at least feature a Saturday-morning cartoon plot, with five extra missions coming as DLC, but it's not the focus of the game and I think you'd be left feeling a bit short-changed.

 

[JStein0222]

Does anybody know when the review embargo ends?

I still havent decided who my main will be even though I played the beta extensively. I like El Dragon a lot as a character but couldn't quite figure out how to play him effectively.

Also, random question, we know 5 DLC characters are incoming, how would people feel about guest characters from Borderlands jumping in? I think Claptrap might be kinda cool

 

[Steel]

Well that's awesome

To be clear though, it's up to the OP. It's their key.

Well the missions from open beta (a month ago why didnt you play?) were light fun but don't expect a 'story' at least from what we were shown. It was like a Vanilla Destiny coop mission with better voicing and humor though

More like several Destiny missions in one with actually interesting bosses, but yeah.

 

[Special C]

One of my most anticipated games this year. Liked what I saw from it last year, got very down on the game from hearing impressions - until I played the Beta, which I loved.

One can like a Gearbox game despite it's producer being who he is.

What I'm not so psyched about is only 2 stages for each mode. 6 maps in total for the MP isn't much. I know that Gearbox is not the only offender in this regard (see Splatoon etc), and more free maps are coming and whatnot, but I don't like this direction many mp games in general are going.

Remember the MOBA elements. Maps like that are very hard to balance. It's not as simple as arena shooter map design.

 

[doctordoak]

Anyone know if this game has "legacy" control stick options?

 

[patchday]

More like several Destiny missions in one with actually interesting bosses, but yeah.

Destiny was probably a very poor comparison. He really should just watch a youtube of a coop mission cant be hard to find a decent one. That will paint a much better picture

What I'm not so psyched about is only 2 stages for each mode. 6 maps in total for the MP isn't much. I know that Gearbox is not the only offender in this regard (see Splatoon etc), and more free maps are coming and whatnot, but I don't like this direction many mp games in general are going.

I take it you are not familiar with MOBA which is what some of BB MP modes (Incursion / Meltdown) take some inspiration from

MOBAs traditionally only have 1 traditional map (Dota & League of Legends) that has 3 lanes. This is your main competitive map. Sure, these games may have some other maps but when you watch a pro esport it is always the 1 traditional map

I'm on the fence on BB purchase right now but I should point out that content is not just a new 'map'. Especially in this sort of game. Your audience wants new heroes over new MP maps which is just noise. Heroes is your main content

 

[Justice_Bolt]

Don't be on the fence guys if the only thing that stoping you is the userbase. This game is so addicting that people that play it ,will play it for a long time! There is so much to unlocks and replay value is out of this world. I don't think it will be hard to find players to play the game.

 

[Turin Turambar]

Game is pretty cheap on GMG, 36€ instead of 50€. I wouldn't be so sure to recommend the game for 55-60€, but I can do it with that price.
It is in the end cheaper than Overwatch 40€ price tag .

 

[patchday]

Reasons why I'm currently on the fence (as I listed already in the open beta thread)

- Tight FOV makes it hard to play as melee. Even on PC you can only barely adjust it (just barely)
- Random loot. That is great for PvE players since they always have a 'carrot' but I'd argue all your PvP audience wants is to hit a higher rank, etc. Hence why MOBAs (LoL, Dota) have no random loot carrots. Anyways- just not sure how bad that will impact pvp. Hopefully it will make no difference. Couldnt tell from the open beta. But usually, any type of competitive game with random loot kinda turns into a grindfest for loot to make that perfect build. Hope I'm wrong- but only way to tell is wait for release and monitor community threads

- the frame rate was 30 (PS4) but often dropped. I could live with that. On PC it runs much better though.

 

[Drewfonse]

Quoting myself from another thread:

The campaign consists of eight missions, each projected to take 45 minutes to an hour to complete, with unique levels that aren't part of the pure multiplayer modes. A.I.-controlled characters will take the place of your four other teammates.

However, as said, it's geared towards co-op play and also repeat playthroughs. Different characters have unique comms chatter throughout the missions and there's differing difficulty levels with the chance of earning extra loot and unlockable characters.

It's more fleshed out than it could have been and does at least feature a Saturday-morning cartoon plot, with five extra missions coming as DLC, but it's not the focus of the game and I think you'd be left feeling a bit short-changed.

Just to clarify, these 5 extra missions are not full fledged ones like the 8 that ship with the game. I have read that they are much smaller in scale

 

[arimanius]

I haven't kept up with this game but I always like gearbox games so I'm interested to see how it turned out. Hoping to see some good impression from you guys when it launches.

OP the battleborn bootcamp video link isn't working for me.

 

[Comrade Crunch]

When are the reviews dropping for this, anyone know?

 

[Slathe]

I was on the fence with this for a while, mainly because my friends were interested in Overwatch and thought Battleborn didn't add enough for the fact that it's less polished. But after playing both I think it's not good to compare the games. Both have their merits based on what you're looking for. Battleborn is much closer to Monday Night Combat or Smite, both of which I enjoy. Overwatch is essentially TF2+.

I think the games provide different experiences. Overwatch matches are like 7 minutes, whereas Battleborn are about 25. I think the character depth in Battleborn comes from leveling them up and tweaking the abilities, whereas in Overwatch it comes from the repeatable short cooldowns and mixing the skills together more quickly. Overwatch plays faster, for the most part, and Battleborn is slower.

I think it really depends on what experience you are looking for at any given moment. Both have a distinctly different feel.

I was banking on winning that free copy from the OT contest because it's a tough sell for me to pick up the game now, just because my online gaming group is already spread across different games (HOTS, Atlas Reactor, and soon to be Overwatch) and I don't know if it will be worth it for me to play myself. But, that said, I've found myself lusting to play more Battleborn since the beta ended, and I've been following the threads pretty closely. So I'm hoping the game will be successful enough that one day I can coax my group to give it a try.

 

[ashecitism]

OP the battleborn bootcamp video link isn't working for me.

https://youtu.be/9aLQNgyeqh8

OP put it up again. Should be good now.

When are the reviews dropping for this, anyone know?

May 2 10am PDT

 

[Menome]

OP the battleborn bootcamp video link isn't working for me.

After breaking the thread for five minutes, the link is working now!

 

[Comrade Crunch]

https://youtu.be/9aLQNgyeqh8

OP put it up again. Should be good now.



May 2 10am PDT

Thank you!

 

[deoee]

When are the reviews dropping for this, anyone know?

https://battleborn.com/en/news/view/en-what-to-expect-on-launch-day/

 

[taco543]

Great looking OT! Now we play the waiting game.