Borderlands 3 maintained a high MAU count in August 2024

Lester Isaac Simon

In our latest edition of the Global Games Market Report, we examined the relationship between video game adaptations and the games upon which they’re based.

While we noted a net positive when it came to films and TV shows that performed well critically and financially, adaptations that performed poorly didn’t seem to adversely impact the games. This brings us to Borderlands 3.?

In early August, the film adaptation of the Borderlands franchise hit theaters to negative critical reception and low box office figures. The question arose as to what sort of impact the film’s anticipation and reception would have on the latest installment of the game franchise.

Using our engagement and revenue data, we found that Borderlands 3 experienced performance spikes in July, with certain metrics remaining high through August. The correlative story couldn’t be that simple, could it? As usual, it wasn’t. ?

In July, PlayStation gamers could get their hands on Borderlands 3 for free via PlayStation Plus. One month later, the Xbox Store and Steam Store discounted the game by 90%. Fans of the franchise also got their first look at Borderlands 4 at Gamescom in late August, though knowledge of the impending installment had already proliferated throughout gaming communities.

Borderlands 3’s engagement and revenue performance in one handy infographic

Borderlands 3 was the #7 game by MAU among Looter Shooters in August 2024

Thanks in part to the game’s inclusion in PlayStation Plus and several big discounts, among other factors, Borderlands 3 had a great summer compared to its performance over the past year or so.

The game continued to face heavy competition across PC and console markets. It’s an older title, and GaaS (games-as-a-service) plus annual releases have increasingly swallowed up an outsize share of player engagement.

Still, Borderlands 3 was just shy of the top 50 games by MAU (monthly active users) overall in July, dropping a few spots in that wider rank in August (#72) across the 37 markets covered for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.

Among Shooters, though, the game performed well over the summer, ranking #17 by MAU in the genre in July and #20 in August. The game ranked particularly high among Looter Shooters (#7 in August). If you look at its player acquisition (the percentage of newly acquired users who came from another game in a given month), a notable share came from big titles like Fortnite and the Call of Duty franchise, and hyped games like The First Descendant. This overlap data showcases Borderlands 3’s current pull in the market.

Along with the MAU spike, the game also saw a substantial increase in its new MAUs (monthly unique gamers playing the title for the first time) on PlayStation in July. There was also a small increase in new MAU on PC and Xbox in August, but nowhere near as sharp a boost as the previous month’s PS+-powered increase.

Borderlands 3 was the #18 Shooter game by total revenue in August 2024

Back in July, Borderlands 3 ranked #40 by total revenue among PC and console Shooter games in the six markets we cover (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the US, and the UK). August saw the game’s rank among Shooters rise to #18.

And while PC and PlayStation accounted for more revenue than Xbox and Switch, PlayStation experienced a decline in total revenue growth month over month.

Payer overlap data from July and August showed that Borderlands 3 players tend to spend more often on similar gaming experiences (and experiences within the Borderlands universe). For instance, half of gamers who’ve spent cash on Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands have also invested personal gaming finances in Borderlands 3. ?

Deadlink and Arcadegeddon players are also more likely than others to spend on the third Borderlands title, and if you drill into Looter Shooters, you can get a glimpse of franchise affinity within the sub-genre.

Where did Borderlands 3 players go when they churned?

On the flip side of player acquisition, you have player churn. Borderlands 3 shared players with the biggest games available now, but a notable share of gamers who ceased engaging with the title kept up their Fortnite and Call of Duty habits, for instance.

Over 35% of players who stopped playing Borderlands 3 in August still played Fortnite last month, with EA Sports FC 24, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II/III/Warzone 2.0, Grand Theft Auto V, and VALORANT also accounting for substantial shares of churned players.

If you look strictly at churn data in the Shooter genre, you spot The First Descendant again. Over 7% of players who stepped away from Borderlands 3 in August after playing in July still played The First Descendant last month.

Mostly, the churn data for Borderlands 3 shows how players often return to established live-service titles from forays into other gaming experiences.