Revival Effort for Abandoned Borderlands MMO: Modder Enlists Community Help to Resurrect Forgotten Game, Deemed "Historically Significant"
In a significant development, a dedicated fan project is making strides towards resuscitating the long-abandoned massively multiplayer online (MMO) title, Borderlands Online. The project, currently spearheaded by modder and developer EpicNNG, seeks community backing to overcome technical obstacles that have prevented the game's relaunch since 2K China shut it down in 2015.
Gaining traction on Twitter, EpicNNG posted footage of the MMO running for the first time since its closure, providing a tantalizing glimpse of what could be salvaged from the game. However, the developer subsequently got stuck on an infinite loading screen after creating a vault hunter character, highlighting the need for community collaboration.
In a recent update video, EpicNNG shared insights into the project's ongoing hurdles, emphasizing the need for programmers, translators, and enthusiasts to contribute to deobfuscating the game code, fixing errors, and localizing the game into English. The current build, EpicNNG indicated, has been available for ten years but was only recently found by another contributor, known as Lewis.
EpicNNG expressed concern over the game's viruses-riddled downloads and urged extreme caution for those exploring the project's resources independently. Thankfully, the team has now confirmed the availability of the full game and is hopeful about future accessibility.
However, complications remain.“A lot of the scripts are broken," EpicNNG acknowledged, warning that even a successful deobfuscation could result in a broken game. To circumvent the login screen, EpicNNG is currently working with obfuscated code but has made little headway so far.
The developer is keen to avoid legal entanglements, particularly as Borderlands 4 is anticipated. “I'm doing this for the sake of media preservation," EpicNNG stressed, urging contributions that prioritize collaboration over leaks. The developer also extended a plea to major rights holders, emphasizing the project's passion and its non-intention to cause harm or generate profit.
Whilst the revival project may not guarantee the return of fan-favorite Tiny Tina, who reportedly has not been contacted about reprising her role, the community response could still breathe new life into Borderlands Online. For interested parties, updates are available on Twitter, YouTube, and various gaming news outlets. As EpicNNG puts it, "this is genuinely history-making stuff."
- The Twitter post from EpicNNG, the project's lead, showcases footage of the revived Borderlands Online games running for the first time since its closure, offering a sneak peek of what could be saved from the game.
- To overcome the technical challenges halting the game's relaunch, EpicNNG calls for programmers, translators, and enthusiasts to contribute towards deobfuscating the game code, fixing errors, and localizing the game into English.
- In the recent update video, EpicNNG expressed concerns about the game's virus-riddled downloads and advised extreme caution for those exploring the project's resources independently.
- Despite the challenges, the team is optimistic about the game's future accessibility, with the full game now confirmed to be available. To avoid legal complications and maintain good relations with rights holders, EpicNNG stresses the collaborative nature of the project, urging contributions that prioritize teamwork over exploitation.
