Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford says Wolfenstein 3D and Diablo influenced the OG Borderlands as the devs aimed to "blend the moment-to-moment fun of a shooter" with the satisfaction of progression

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Wolfenstein helped Randy Pitchford "find a thrill and a joy in action games"

Borderlands 4 screenshot of new Siren Vex
(Image credit: Gearbox)

Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford has been discussing the inspirations behind the original Borderlands, pointing to Wolfenstein 3D and Diablo as particularly influential games.

In a new interview shared on the Epic Games site, Pitchford explains the development of Borderlands 1 by more widely looking at the looter shooter genre, which Gearbox's series helped popularize. "The fundamental thesis that I started with on Borderlands was, 'Let's blend the moment-to-moment fun of a shooter with the long-term, compelling feelings that we get from the growth and progression of role-playing games," he explains.

Catherine Lewis
Catherine Lewis
Deputy News Editor

I'm GamesRadar+'s Deputy News Editor, working alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield's student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming's news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you're sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.

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