Will Borderlands 3 support cross-play?

Best answer: Gearbox hasn't confirmed cross-play for Borderlands 3, but the company has stated that it's looking into it.

Shooting and looting: Borderlands 3 ($60 at Amazon)

What is cross-play?

Cross-play or cross-platform play as it is sometimes called, refers to the ability for people to play multiplayer games against people on different consoles. Usually, PlayStation 4 users can only play against other PlayStation users, but cross-play can open up the matchmaking pool to players on PC, for instance. Some games, like Fortnite and Minecraft, even support cross-play between consoles.

What has Gearbox said about Borderlands 3 cross-play?

Gearbox's Randy Pitchford is notably in favor of cross-platform play and has stated that the company has a "very keen" interest in it. In regards to Borderlands 3 in particular, publisher 2K stated that they were looking into the possibility.

"Cross-play is something we're looking at closely," a 2K spokesperson told GameSpot. "But we don't have anything to confirm or announce at this time."

Which consoles will likely support cross-play?

Initially, after Borderlands 3 was announced, its Microsoft Store page listing indicated this it would feature "cross-platform co-op" between Xbox One and PC. The listing has since been removed, but if cross-play does make it to Borderlands 3, it's a good bet that Xbox One and PC will support it.

As for PlayStation 4, it's harder to guess. Sony has notoriously shot down cross-play compatibility in the past, but changed its tune some months ago following heavy backlash stemming from a Fortnite cross-play controversy. If PS4 does get cross-play, the most likely candidates would be between PS4 and PC.

When can we expect cross-play for Borderlands 3?

Considering that Gearbox is still looking into it and has not confirmed anything as of yet, you may not see cross-play support at launch. It'd be nice to see it within the first year, but we'll need to wait and see what Microsoft and Sony allow. We're not ruling it out as a possibilitiy though.