Borderlands 3’s dueling system is more akin to classic free-for-all deathmatch

With friends like these…

Gearbox is upping the ante with regard to the way dueling works in Borderlands 3. In past games, two group members could consent to a one-on-one fight, with the victor being crowned just a few seconds later. Now you’ll have the chance to off your whole squad.

As part of a panel at GuardianCon, Gearbox confirmed that Borderlands 3 will support full team free-for-alls that players have to opt into. That’s 1v1v1v1, pitting everyone against each other in a short-lived multiplayer deathmatch. It’s far from its own mode though, as it’s over as soon as three players fall. Still, it feels like a feature that should’ve been included before now.

A few more details were revealed at GuardianCon. Conveniently, Borderlands 3 has a pinging system for non-verbally pointing out enemies, loot, and where to go next. The easiest analog is probably pointing out that it looks rather similar to the way Apex Legends approaches pinging. The video that’s embedded above demonstrates how it works.

Finally, Gearbox outlined the ways viewers can mess with their favorite streamers. There’s the option to mix them in-game cocktails that either buff or debuff depending on the ingredients. For a more direct approach, viewers can spawn badass enemies that are named after themselves. Streamers have it tough.

Borderlands 3: At the Corner of Social and Streaming [Borderlands 3]