The art of Borderlands 3

Ideas may give birth to games, but it is art that shapes those dreams into something tangible. Art that guides a project, that gives it a signature look and a style that sets it apart from other games. In an age where everything was browner than Midrand in summer, Borderlands was a revelation at the time. Colourful, cheeky and brimming with personality, it was the visuals that helped set this grand experiment apart from so many other games that were released at the time.

Fast forward a few years, throw a few more games onto the pile and Borderlands in now in its third iteration. It’s still as quirky as ever, still silly action wrapped together with current trends given a bandit makeover and it still shines with its cel-shaded aesthetic. A design that the Borderlands 3 art team doubled down on over several years of development. “I was an Art Director on the first Borderlands,” Gearbox’s Daniel Wade said on Artstation of the unique style that had shaped the series over the last decade.

There I helped craft and establish the original prototype to prove out what would later become known as the Borderlands aesthetic. During that time and ever since I’ve been involved with the franchises’ direction in one capacity or another over the years. As such, I’ve had the pleasure of watching each successive iteration of this aesthetic become more than what it was before.

You see, each team brings their own fingerprint, their own voice, their own addition to the style that makes Borderlands what it is. The aesthetic is this living, breathing thing that takes a life of its own and gives the franchise the attitude and uniqueness so many fans cherish. That life is given by the many talented artists that have contributed to each title that has bared the name, Borderlands.

The result? All of this beautiful art for one of my favourite games of the year.

Adam Ybarra – Concept Artist

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Amanda Christensen – Concept Artist

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Daniel Solovev – Concept Artist

Danny Gardner – Concept Artist

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David Fortin – Concept Artist

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Dimitri Neron – Concept Artist

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Elijah McNeal – Concept Artist

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Gabe Yeganyan – Concept Artist

Jens Claessens – Concept Artist

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Kevin Duc – Lead Concept Artist

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Lucas Helmintoller – Concept Artist

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Max Davenport – Concept Artist

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Robert Chew – Concept Artist

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There is so so much more in the original link above, and let me tell you something: It’s worth the many hours you’ll spend exploring, marvelling at how a legion of talented hands put together a masterpiece in fun and action.

Last Updated: October 9, 2019