If you're jumping into Borderlands 4, but want to play the previous games in the franchise, this is the best order to tackle them. Playing the Borderlands games in release order is also a great option, but to truly immerse yourself in the lore and narrative of the series, playing them in the order listed below will best prepare you for Borderlands 4's story.
While this list is intended to inform players on the best order to play the Borderlands games, it will not cover the minor spin-offs. Games like Tales From The Borderlands and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands are included, but we've omitted games like Borderlands Legends and Borderlands: Vault Hunter Pinball.
Borderlands 4's New Manufacturers Explained
Borderlands 4 will shake things up quite a bit from its predecessor, and it will feature three all-new weapon manufacturers.
1 Borderlands
How Long To Beat: ~22 Hours
Borderlands
- Released
- October 20, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, FPS
Borderlands was the first introduction to the world of Pandora. This game started the franchise and gave players their first look at characters like Lilith and Claptrap, who would go on to become mainstays in all future games.
Starting with the first game in a franchise is always the best idea when you're trying to get invested. Borderlands is a little rough around the edges, but it's aged pretty well over the years and is still great fun.
2 Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
How Long To Beat: ~18 Hours
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!
- Released
- October 14, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel was not received by fans as well as other entries in the series. While it may lack in certain areas, the game is full of incredibly relevant lore and backstory for many characters that would go on to become mainstays in the franchise.
This game released after Borderlands 2, but it's best to play it before jumping into the mainline sequel. That's because it sets up some of the events of the game and contextualizes a few major characters.
3 Borderlands 2
How Long To Beat: ~30 Hours
Borderlands 2
- Released
- September 18, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
Borderlands 2 is one of the most notable games in the franchise and is a must-play for players jumping in. The game features a fantastic villain and a powerful lineup of vault hunters.
Borderlands 2: Why You Should Start Over in 2025
This year is an excellent time for fans to give the lauded second entry in the Borderlands series a fresh go for a number of good reasons.
Aside from Borderlands 3, Borderlands 2 is the game that players should be sure they cover before jumping into the newest release. It give lots of context to the importance of characters like Tannis and Lilith and further develops the lore of the vaults and their power.
4 Tales From The Borderlands
How Long To Beat: ~11 Hours
Tales From The Borderlands
- Released
- November 25, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Graphic Adventure
Tales From The Borderlands was the first large deviation from the standard Borderlands formula. This game was made by Telltale Games, in their typical graphic adventure style.
While it is a spin-off game made by a separate developer, characters from Tales From The Borderlands do appear in future titles in the series and hold prominent roles. It definitely worth playing if you're getting invested in the Borderlands lore and want full context for the events that follow.
5 Tiny Tina's Wonderlands
How Long To Beat: ~16 Hours
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands
- Released
- March 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Crude, Humor, Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, FPS
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is a much more fantastical entry in the series. With a Dungeons and Dragons-inspired narrative and explorable overworld, this game really stands out from the bunch.
Since much of the story is told through the lens of a pseudo-DnD campaign, it is unclear whether this game will have any real impact on the overall story of the franchise, but it is a great game to jump into if you're looking for a Borderlands fix.
6 Borderlands 3
How Long To Beat: ~24 Hours
Borderlands 3
- Released
- September 13, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Borderlands 3 has its ups and downs, but this is the final mainline game to be released prior to Borderlands 4 and is a very important entry in the series, lore-wise. Fans had extremely conflicted views on the game when it originally released, but opinions have since softened.
There are major story implications and Borderlands 3 is a must-play prior to Borderlands 4. Fans and players alike should jump into this game, or at least watch a story recap, prior to playing the newest release.
7 New Tales From The Borderlands
How Long To Beat: ~10 Hours
New Tales From the Borderlands
- Released
- October 21, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
New Tales From The Borderlands picks up the mantle of Tales From The Borderlands, giving players a gentle story-driven adventure to play through. Unlike the first Tales From The Borderlands game, this one was developed in-house by Gearbox Software, making it even more important to the overarching narrative.
Whether this game is pivotal to the narrative of Borderlands 4 remains to be seen. With Tales From The Borderlands introducing recurring characters to the franchise, there's a good chance that some familiar faces from this title may appear in Borderlands 4.
8 Borderlands 4
Vault Hunting On A Whole New Planet
Borderlands 4
- Released
- September 12, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
Borderlands 4 is the newest entry in the franchise and looks to be the most ambitious. Not only does it feature a whole new cast of characters, with obvious heavyweights returning, it also takes place on a whole new planet.
This is a huge shift for the Borderlands franchise, which has previously focused on the planet of Pandora, with a few notable exceptions. With the fate of several characters in question following the events of Borderlands 3, players can expect a packed narrative with more than a few exciting twists.
How Long It Takes to Beat Every Borderlands Game Before BL4 Releases
Borderlands 4 releases very soon, but players still have plenty of time to play through the rest of the series.