An absurd situation: The Division 2 and Borderlands 3 are two games that have not yet been announced, but both could still come out before the similarly situated Anthem. All three titles are aiming for a release within a year, with March 2019 as a deadline. It’s getting tight around the ailing Destiny 2.
As soon as a trend is established in gaming, studios rush to send their own variations into the race. After everyone wanted to develop a hero shooter like Overwatch two years ago, studios are now working on battle royale shooters.
One exception: Destiny and the MMO shooters. Destiny 2 still has the field pretty much to itself. That is likely to change within a year.
Where are the alternatives to Destiny 2? They are on their way
Destiny was a huge success for Activision in 2014, but hardly any game has been released since that really walks in those paths. The reason: Games like Destiny need years in development. Fans expect an open world, thoughtful progression mechanics, and high-quality presentation. That takes a few years.
Even Bungie seems to have failed under time pressure to develop a worthy sequel to Destiny with Destiny 2. The field is therefore open: Players are longing for alternatives.
But in fact, it should be the case in 2018/2019. Three games that are likely to be similar to Destiny may appear around the same time and compete for players who are disappointed with Destiny 2.
The funny thing is: Two of the games haven’t even been announced yet, but that’s just a formality at this point. It’s clear that large teams have been working on them for years.
Borderlands 3 – the most announced unannounced game of all time
What is the status: Borderlands 3 is not yet announced, but everyone knows that Gearbox has been working on the title for years. All signs point to it. Again and again, fans are told “Wink, wink – look forward to it.” It’s getting a bit ridiculous that the title is still not officially announced and that’s why no one wants to talk about it.
When is Borderlands 3 coming? Publisher Take-Two announced that a highly anticipated title from one of its largest franchises will be released by March 2019. It can only be Borderlands 3. The Christmas business of 2018 is occupied with Red Redemption 2 – it will likely be spring 2019.
What can we expect? The next Borderlands should continue to please fans of the series, so offering something for single-player friends. But it will likely move more towards online than previous games. Gearbox sees itself as a pioneer in loot shooters and is somewhat surprised when its own game is referred to as “Destiny-like”.
When will it finally be presented? The next big thing for publisher Take Two will come in October with Red Dead Redemption 2. But Borderlands 3 should be presented soon. It’s getting a bit ridiculous to keep it quiet much longer. 400 people have presumably been working on it for years – and everyone knows it. Maybe it’s still not clear what Take-Two is actually calling it. Whether it will be Borderlands 3 or Borderlands Online?
The Division 2 – A huge studio has been working for 2 years on … nothing?
What is the status? The Division 2 has not yet been announced. But The Division 1 has not had a roadmap for months on how it will proceed. The studio Massive in Malmö has not been working with its “The Division” team on The Division for years. Other Ubisoft studios are taking over the ongoing development of the game. However, Massive is diligently expanding its The Division team, and there is even a movie announced. But how the franchise will continue in terms of gameplay, no one has told the fans – and it hasn’t been for months.
When should it come? Publisher Ubisoft has announced four new AAA games by March 2019. Two of them are already known, namely “The Crew 2” and “Skull & Bones.” The probability is high that one of the two unannounced games is indeed The Division 2. It could actually be released in autumn 2018 or does one want to wait until the movie is out? Ubisoft’s plans are nebulous.
What can we expect? It is unclear whether The Division 2 will really be a standalone sequel or a “stand-alone” expansion of the first part. Both are quite possible and makes sense. The advantage for Massive is that after The Division 1, they now know what fans expect and how the release of such a game works. Perhaps one could avoid the typical launch crisis that usually haunts such games.
When will it finally be presented? We might learn more soon. The next big thing from Ubisoft is FarCry 5 at the end of March. After that, the stage could be free for a presentation of The Division 2. E3 in June would be an opportunity.
Anthem – the only announced MMO shooter
What is the status? Anthem was presented at E3 2017, but there is only sparse information about the shooter. Except for a scripted presentation, nothing has been seen yet.
When should it come? Anthem was originally scheduled for the end of 2018, but it has now been postponed to spring 2019. Rumor has it that Anthem really needs to be released in March 2019 so it falls into EA’s current financial year. That would be important for investors.
What can we expect? A third-person shooter that focuses on loot and story. What direction Anthem will take exactly and whether the title can lead BioWare back to former greatness is still open. One thing is clear: it’s all or nothing for the studio. BioWare is focusing on Anthem, the shooter must be a hit.
When will it finally be presented? It has been partially presented. We can probably expect more in June at EA Play. There should at least be an insider look at Anthem.
After a long drought, it might rain soon
After 4 years of waiting for a successor to Destiny, it could get pretty crowded in the genre between September 2018 and March 2019. At the end of 2018, a big expansion for Destiny 2 is also expected. In addition, “Red Dead Redemption 2” is expected, another big title, albeit with a different approach.
Next year, the studios will finally catch up with Bungie and Activision. They are ready to throw their competition into the field.
This could bring variety and diversity. However, the question is whether all games can really meet their release plans as it currently seems.
The publishers, especially Take-Two and Ubisoft, seem to be preparing big surprises that are slowly ripening.
We present more alternatives for the future here:
