Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel on PC is a first-person looter shooter and action RPG set on Pandora's moon, Elpis. The current Steam and Epic storefront entries use “Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel” without the exclamation mark found in some legacy references, but there is no separate modern rebrand of the standalone game. Developed by 2K Australia with Gearbox Software and published by 2K, it follows the rise of Handsome Jack through the eyes of four playable Vault Hunters.

Moon combat changes the Borderlands formula

The basic loop remains familiar: accept story or side missions, fight through enemy groups, collect randomized weapons, improve your loadout, and invest skill points into a specialized character build. The difference is Elpis. Its low-gravity movement gives firefights more vertical space, while many outdoor areas introduce gaps, launch pads, floating platforms, and routes that reward careful use of momentum.

Every character can use an Oz Kit to perform a double jump, air control, a quick landing, or a downward ground slam. The same equipment manages oxygen in areas with limited atmosphere. Oxygen can be restored through vents, canisters, air systems, and certain enemy interactions, so movement and survival are tied to the same piece of gear.

The result is a campaign that asks you to shoot while airborne, reposition above enemies, and use vertical space more aggressively than in the earlier Pandora-focused entries. It is still built around cover, elemental damage, weapon swapping, and loot comparison, but the moon setting gives the combat a more mobile rhythm.

Vault Hunters, weapons, and elemental builds

The base roster contains four playable characters: Athena the Gladiator, Wilhelm the Enforcer, Nisha the Lawbringer, and Claptrap the Fragtrap. Each has a distinct action skill and skill trees that change how they handle weapons, shields, movement, elemental effects, or team support.

Athena can use the Kinetic Aspis to absorb incoming damage and throw it back at enemies. Wilhelm deploys cybernetic companions and can build toward a more mechanical combat style. Nisha's Showdown focuses on rapid target acquisition and weapon damage, while Claptrap's action skill introduces unpredictable combat effects that can help or complicate a fight.

Two additional Vault Hunters are available through paid add-ons: the Handsome Jack Doppelganger and Aurelia the Baroness. Their inclusion expands the build system with new skill interactions rather than simply adding cosmetic character models. As with other Borderlands games, experimentation matters because class mods, shields, relic-style equipment, grenades, and manufacturer traits can all change the role of a weapon.

The arsenal adds laser weapons and cryo damage to the familiar manufacturer-based gun system. Cryo can slow or freeze targets before shattering them, while laser weapons include different firing behaviors and elemental effects. Weapons still differ by accuracy, magazine behavior, reload style, damage type, and special effects, so a higher level item is not automatically the best fit for every build.

Campaign structure and available content

The main campaign is a mission-driven single-player or cooperative adventure across Elpis and nearby facilities. It combines story missions, side objectives, exploration zones, boss encounters, vending machines, fast travel, and repeated searches for better gear. There is no traditional open-ended survival structure; progression is tied to character levels, missions, equipment quality, and skill allocation.

The standalone game has optional paid add-ons rather than a live-service content model. The main expansion is Claptastic Voyage, which takes the Vault Hunters inside Claptrap's mind and adds new environments, missions, enemies, and gear. The package also includes the Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 2 when purchased as that combined add-on.

Other major content includes The Holodome Onslaught, a challenge-focused arena with additional progression, the Handsome Jack Doppelganger Pack, the Lady Hammerlock Pack, and the Shock Drop Slaughter Pit. Players should distinguish the standalone game and its individually sold add-ons from Borderlands: The Handsome Collection, a separate bundle that packages The Pre-Sequel with Borderlands 2 and substantial add-on content.

Who should play The Pre-Sequel?

This PC version suits players who enjoy class-based shooter builds, randomized loot, elemental weapon combinations, and cooperative campaigns that can be replayed with different characters. It is particularly appealing if you want a Borderlands game where jumping, air control, and slam attacks are part of normal combat rather than occasional gimmicks.

It is less suitable for players looking for a compact linear shooter, realistic gunplay, or restrained dialogue. Mission areas can send you back through familiar locations, inventory management is a regular part of the loop, and the oxygen system adds another resource to monitor in outdoor sections. The campaign's structure is closer to a repeatable loot-and-build sandbox than a tightly paced cinematic adventure.

Players who like colorful cooperative loot systems but want a fantasy setting can also compare it with fantasy looter shooters such as Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. The games share randomized equipment, class experimentation, humor, and four-player cooperation, although The Pre-Sequel remains focused on firearms, sci-fi environments, and manufacturer-based weapon identities.

PC features, controls, and localization

The current Steam version supports keyboard and mouse controls, gamepad play, Steam achievements, Steam Cloud, Steam Trading Cards, Family Sharing, and Steam Remote Play on TV. The first-person camera and inventory-heavy interface work naturally with a mouse, while controller support is useful for players who prefer analog movement during low-gravity traversal.

PC multiplayer is centered on online cooperative play for up to four players. Each participant brings a separate Vault Hunter, weapon loadout, skill build, and progression path into the campaign. The current Windows storefront listing does not advertise native local split-screen, so players should not assume that the console version's couch-co-op setup applies to PC.

The Steam listing identifies Steam as the distribution platform and does not present the game as a free-to-play title. The base game and add-ons are sold as premium products, with a Season Pass available for the major Pre-Sequel content. No separate modern anti-cheat feature is advertised in the current storefront information.

Supported PC localization includes English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Japanese with full audio, while Russian and Korean are available for interface and subtitles. Exact voice and text options can vary by storefront package, so players who need a specific language should check the individual product entry before purchase.

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel FAQ

Is Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel still the current PC name?

Yes. Current Steam and Epic entries use Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. The exclamation mark appears in some older references and search queries, but the storefront title itself does not represent a different edition or rebrand.

Is The Pre-Sequel a standalone game?

Yes. It is available as its own premium game, although it is also included in Borderlands: The Handsome Collection alongside Borderlands 2 and selected add-on content.

What makes the gameplay different from Borderlands 2?

The defining additions are low-gravity movement, Oz Kit air control, ground slams, oxygen management, laser weapons, and cryo damage. These systems make vertical traversal and airborne combat more important during missions.

How many players can play together on PC?

The PC version supports online cooperative play for up to four players. Each player can choose a different Vault Hunter and develop an independent build. Native local split-screen is not advertised for the Windows version.

Which add-on is the main story expansion?

Claptastic Voyage is the major story-focused expansion. It moves the action into Claptrap's mind and adds a new campaign setting, enemies, equipment, and progression content. The Holodome Onslaught is more focused on challenge encounters and upgrade-oriented endgame play.

Does the PC version support controllers?

Yes. The PC release supports gamepad play as well as keyboard and mouse controls. A controller is especially convenient for navigating low-gravity movement, while mouse input remains useful for precise aiming and inventory management.