Take-Two CEO Reveals Borderlands' Last-Minute Art Style Change Cost
Borderlands’ well-documented 11th hour art style change cost Take-Two an extra $50 million in development costs and delayed the game by a year, but without it the now successful franchise would have flopped straight out the gate.
Borderlands’ well-documented 11th hour art style change cost Take-Two an extra $50 million in development costs and delayed the game by a year, but without it the now successful franchise would have flopped straight out the gate.
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick shared insights into the pivotal decision to approve the last-minute art style switch for Borderlands, despite the significant costs and delays involved. Zelnick emphasized the importance of trusting the developers at Gearbox, a move that ultimately led to the creation of a hit franchise.
The art style change, which involved rebuilding the game with a cel-shaded, cartooney aesthetic, was initially met with skepticism. However, Zelnick's support for the decision proved to be a game-changing moment for the Borderlands series, which has since sold over 100 million units.
While the decision was unconventional and caused stress among the development team, it ultimately paid off, solidifying Borderlands as a successful looter shooter franchise. Despite the success of Borderlands 3, Zelnick has acknowledged that sales expectations for the franchise have not been fully met.
