Borderlands 3' s release date is just two months away, but one lingering question remains: will Borderlands 3 have cross-platform play? It's a question that developer Gearbox Software has been coy about since the game's announcement in early April. The possibility of Borderlands 3 players across PC, PS4, and Xbox One playing together in the co-op shooter is especially appealing. Hope that Borderlands 3 will have cross-play may soon be rewarded, as a new teaser hints that the feature could be announced in the near future.
The official Borderlands 3 Twitter account posted an image early Friday morning announcing an upcoming event titled, "Celebration of Togetherness." There's no information regarding what the event will be about provided, though Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford did add some context. Pitchford's tweet invites fans to join in the celebration and that, "we anticipate that what we have prepared for you can create a shared moment of happiness, joy and wonder."
The Celebration of Togetherness will be held on Tuesday, July 16 and will start at 7:00 am PT. No link to a Twitch account or social media was provided, so the Celebration doesn't appear to be an actual live event. It might instead be the planned release for a new trailer or simply a shared announcement. The ambiguity of the event is certain to lead to speculation, which is likely Gearbox's intent.
Gearbox's message, intended or not, is going to result in an association with cross-play for Borderlands 3. It stands to reason then that this is Gearbox's intent. Hinting at cross-play and then not delivering it would be in rather poor taste, but controversy does tend to follow Gearbox around these days.
This isn't the first time that cross-platform play has been hinted at in Borderlands 3. Shortly after Borderlands 3 was announced, a store listing on the official Microsoft store featured a tag for "cross-platform co-op." The tag was quickly removed, but the rumor has only grown. There's also the fact that Borderlands 3 will be an Epic Games Store exclusive to start, meaning its multiplayer will be built into the Epic Store through the Unreal Engine. This is the same system which Fortnite uses to offer cross-platform play. Epic's also been quoted as rolling out its cross-platform tech mid-2019. It'd almost be surprising if Borderlands 3 didn't include cross-play.
Whether cross-play is officially coming to Borderlands 3 remains to be seen, however. Perhaps it will be announced as part of this Celebration of Togetherness or perhaps not. With or without the feature, Borderlands fans are likely just happy to have the franchise back.
Borderlands 3 releases on PC, PS4, and Xbox One September 13.