| Battleborn | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Gearbox Software |
| Publisher(s) | 2K |
| Director(s) | Randy Varnell |
| Producer(s) | Chris Brock |
| Designer(s) | John Mulkey |
| Programmer(s) | Neil Johnson / Scott Velasquez / Chase Sensky |
| Artist(s) | Scott Kester |
| Writer(s) | Aaron Linde |
| Composer(s) | Cris Velasco Kevin Riepl Mike Rubino |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 3[1] |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 4 Windows Xbox One |
| Release | May 3, 2016 |
| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Battleborn was a free-to-play first-person shooter video game developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. The game was released worldwide on May 3, 2016.
Battleborn was a hero shooter with elements of multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBA). Players select one of several pre-designed characters with different attacks and skills, and participate in either single player, cooperative matches, or competitive matches with other players. During matches, players gain experience to advance their character along the Helix Tree, selecting from one of two new abilities or buffs with each advancement step that allows the player to create a custom loadout for that character for the duration of that match. Furthermore, as the player completes matches, they earn randomized gear (generated similarly to the Borderlands series' randomized weapon feature) that can also be equipped as part of the loadout to provide further buffs and abilities, or purchased through microtransactions.
The game received mixed reviews upon release, with reviewers citing on the difficulties of learning the complex gameplay systems as being ultimately deep and rewarding but off-putting to new players. Battleborn was overshadowed by Blizzard Entertainment's Overwatch, another hero shooter, that was released a few weeks later and which caused a large drop in Battleborn's player count within the month. In response, Gearbox made adjustments in pricing and downloadable content to try to draw new players to the game. In June 2017, it was transitioned to a pricing scheme comparable to a free-to-play title.
Gearbox announced a year-long phased shutdown of the game's servers by January 31, 2021, with the game removed from sale in November 2019 and planned shutting down of in-game purchases by February 2020.
- ^ Kreiner, Joe (February 3, 2015). "Unreal Engine Developers at PAX South". Unreal Engine. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.