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The best Borderlands follow-up depends on which part of the formula your group wants to preserve. Remnant II is the clearest choice for a small party that values difficult encounters, exploration, and character-build progression. The First Descendant is the stronger fit if you want a third-person online co-op looter shooter built around customizable characters, weapons, and multiplayer boss fights. Outriders, The Division 2, and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands are useful alternatives to investigate, but they represent different trade-offs and their current platform and service details should be checked on official product pages before purchase.
Start by deciding what you want to keep from Borderlands
“Games like Borderlands” can describe two very different requests. One player may want another self-contained campaign with jokes, missions, shooting, and a steady stream of unusual weapons. Another may be asking for an online co-op multiplayer looter shooter with repeatable activities, long-term character investment, and a group that keeps returning after the story ends.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Remnant 2 - PlayStation 5 | $30.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Remnant II | $24.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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ASRVA Wireless Controller for PS5/PS5 Pro/PC, Hall Effect Joysticks & Triggers (No Drift), 2 Back... | $52.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Those goals overlap, but they are not identical. A campaign-led game gives your group a clear route through missions and a natural stopping point. A persistent shared-world game puts more weight on ongoing activities, repeated encounters, and continued progression. Neither structure is automatically better. The right choice depends on whether your friends are arranging a few story sessions or building a regular game-night routine.
Use these questions before choosing:
- Do you want a contained campaign or a game designed around continuing activities?
- Is a three-player group enough, or do you need a larger party?
- Do you prefer first-person shooting, or is third-person combat acceptable?
- Should build progression come from distinct character roles, equipment, or both?
- How important are Borderlands’ humor, pacing, and colorful presentation compared with challenge and exploration?
The shortlist below is therefore a set of trade-offs rather than a single ranking.
#1 Best Overall
- Intense Remnant Combat Experience - A mix of methodical and frenetic ranged/melee combat returns with cunning enemies and large scale boss battles. Choose specific gear and weapons to optimize for the different biomes and battles ahead. Bosses will bring high-level players to team up to overcome the challenge and try to obtain the biggest rewards
- New Worlds to Explore - Players can travel alone or with friends as a team through strange new worlds and beyond, overrun by mythical creatures and deadly foes while trying to stay alive. There are multiple worlds to explore with different types of creatures, weapons, and items. Utilize and upgrade discovered items to take on tougher challenges
- Endless Replayability - Branching quest lines, augments, crafting, and loot rewards will test the resolve of even the most hardened players in dynamically generated dungeons and areas. Playthroughs will feel challenging, varied, and rewarding as players succeed against unrelenting odds. Various stories are woven throughout the different worlds, encouraging exploration and multiple revisits
- New Archetypical Progression - Expanded Archetype system provides players with unique passive bonuses and stunning powers. Multiple Archetypes can be unlocked during play, leveled up, and equipped together for a variety of play styles
Co-op alternatives at a glance
| Game | Best fit | Confirmed details | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remnant II | Small groups that want challenging encounters, exploration, and build progression | Playable solo or with two other friends; archetypes have independent progression and distinctive traits, perks, and skills | Its official description supports the co-op and archetype structure, but does not establish every platform, edition, price, or cross-play rule in this comparison |
| The First Descendant | Players seeking a third-person online co-op looter shooter with character and weapon customization | Third-person co-op action RPG looter shooter; multiplayer co-op boss battles; character and weapon customization | The PlayStation Store listing says PS4 support ended on June 19, 2025; confirm eligibility on your regional store page |
| Outriders | A more campaign-focused alternative for players who still want a looter-shooter structure | Included among Borderlands alternatives in a GamesRadar roundup | Current platform availability, matchmaking, and product details require confirmation from an official source |
| The Division 2 | Players interested in a more persistent shared-world structure | Included among Borderlands alternatives in a GamesRadar roundup | Confirm the current edition, platforms, group size, and live-service details before deciding |
| Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands | Players who want to remain close to Borderlands’ style | Included among Borderlands alternatives in a GamesRadar roundup | Confirm current co-op and platform details from an official product page |
The shortlist and its framing are reflected in the GamesRadar Borderlands-alternatives roundup. The two games with direct product-source support in this comparison are Remnant II and The First Descendant.
Remnant II: the best small-party choice for challenge and builds
What is confirmed
The official Remnant II site says you can play solo or co-op with two other friends. That makes a three-player maximum the clearest fit established for this comparison: one player alone, or a party of three in total. The site also describes archetypes with independent progression and their own traits, perks, and skills.
That combination matters to Borderlands players who enjoy the feeling that each teammate is developing a distinct combat identity. Instead of choosing only a weapon loadout, your group can think in terms of complementary archetype progression. One person can concentrate on the abilities and perks of one archetype while another pursues a different path, giving the party a reason to discuss builds rather than simply equip the highest-numbered item.
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- Three-player focus: a party of two friends plus you is supported directly, so a small regular group does not need to fill a larger roster.
- Build ownership: independent archetype progression gives each player a separate development path.
- Co-op exploration: the official positioning emphasizes playing together through encounters and the game world, making it a better match for groups that want active teamwork rather than a purely solo progression track.
- A different pace: choose it when your group is willing to trade Borderlands’ more relaxed power fantasy for more demanding encounters and deliberate coordination.
Who should skip it
Remnant II is not the automatic choice for a group whose priority is Borderlands’ exact tone or a large, constantly rotating party. The official information used here establishes solo and three-player co-op plus archetype progression; it does not establish a larger party size, a Borderlands-style first-person presentation, current cross-play rules, or a specific pricing model. Check those details for your platform before buying.
The First Descendant: third-person co-op with boss-focused activities
What the store listing establishes
The PlayStation Store listing for The First Descendant describes it as a third-person online co-op action RPG looter shooter. It highlights multiplayer co-op boss encounters as well as character and weapon customization. Those details place it closer to the persistent online side of the genre than to a purely self-contained campaign.
The perspective is the first major adjustment for a Borderlands player: this is third-person rather than a first-person shooter according to the listing. The second is the activity structure. Multiplayer boss encounters give a group a reason to organize around repeatable challenges, while character and weapon customization supply the progression layer that makes equipment and builds matter over time.
When it is the better recommendation
- Choose it if your friends specifically want an online co-op game with boss activities designed for multiplayer.
- Choose it if third-person combat is acceptable and you value seeing your character as part of the build-and-equipment loop.
- Choose it if ongoing character and weapon customization is more important than reproducing Borderlands’ exact campaign rhythm.
PS4 support requires special attention
The PlayStation Store notice says PS4 support ended on June 19, 2025. Do not assume a PS4 copy remains eligible because older articles or search results list that platform. Check the store page for your country and the platform on which your group actually intends to play. Platform eligibility is a volatile product detail, so the regional listing should take precedence over an old comparison.
The available listing does not establish prices, subscription requirements, cross-play rules, or current population levels for every platform. Treat those as purchase checks, not assumptions.
Outriders: investigate it when a campaign matters most
Outriders appears in the GamesRadar roundup as a co-op looter-shooter alternative, with an editorial angle aimed at readers seeking a more campaign-focused experience. That makes it the natural candidate on this list for a group that wants a beginning-to-end story structure rather than a game organized primarily around a persistent shared world.
Rank #2
- Intense Remnant Combat Experience - A mix of methodical and frenetic ranged/melee combat returns with cunning enemies and large scale boss battles. Choose specific gear and weapons to optimize for the different biomes and battles ahead. Bosses will bring high-level players to team up to overcome the challenge and try to obtain the biggest rewards
- New Worlds to Explore - Players can travel alone or with friends as a team through strange new worlds and beyond, overrun by mythical creatures and deadly foes while trying to stay alive. There are multiple worlds to explore with different types of creatures, weapons, and items. Utilize and upgrade discovered items to take on tougher challenges
- Endless Replayability - Branching quest lines, augments, crafting, and loot rewards will test the resolve of even the most hardened players in dynamically generated dungeons and areas. Playthroughs will feel challenging, varied, and rewarding as players succeed against unrelenting odds. Various stories are woven throughout the different worlds, encouraging exploration and multiple revisits
- New Archetypical Progression - Expanded Archetype system provides players with unique passive bonuses and stunning powers. Multiple Archetypes can be unlocked during play, leveled up, and equipped together for a variety of play styles
That description is useful for narrowing your search, but it is not a substitute for a current product page. The material available for this comparison does not verify Outriders’ present platform list, edition differences, matchmaking behavior, group-size rules, or ongoing service status. Confirm those details before purchase, particularly if your friends play on different systems or expect to join one another without additional setup.
How to evaluate it for your group
- Open the current official product page for the platform you use.
- Confirm that the same edition and platform support your friends’ systems.
- Check the current co-op and matchmaking description rather than relying on an old listicle.
- Decide whether a campaign-led structure matches the number of sessions your group can realistically schedule.
If your priority is simply “another story-driven looter shooter,” Outriders belongs in the conversation. If your priority is a proven three-player structure or a verified persistent activity loop, the evidence in this comparison is stronger for Remnant II or The First Descendant.
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The Division 2: consider it for a persistent shared world
The Division 2 is also named in the GamesRadar Borderlands-alternatives roundup, but its editorial role is different: it is the option to investigate when you want a more persistent shared-world structure. That distinction is important because a shared-world game changes how your group plays. Instead of finishing a campaign and stopping, you are evaluating a continuing ecosystem of activities and progression.
Do not treat that broad category label as a complete specification. The available material does not confirm the current edition, platform support, party size, cross-play arrangement, or live-service details. Verify those points through the current official listing for your system.
Questions to answer before choosing it
- Does the current edition include the content your group expects, or are there separate versions?
- Can every member of your party play on the intended platforms?
- What group size and matchmaking rules apply now?
- Are the ongoing activities compatible with how often your friends play?
The Division 2 is therefore a category recommendation, not a claim that it reproduces Borderlands’ campaign pacing. Pick this direction when the attraction is a world your group can keep returning to.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands: the closest stylistic direction
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is included in the GamesRadar roundup as a close Borderlands-adjacent option. Its value in this shortlist is stylistic proximity: readers who mainly want the franchise’s tone and presentation should investigate it before moving to games that change perspective, pacing, or world structure.
Because the material used here does not verify its current co-op rules, platform list, editions, or availability, confirm those details on an official product page. That check matters even for a familiar franchise. A game can be the closest tonal match and still be the wrong practical choice if it does not line up with your group’s platforms or current purchase options.
Use it when similarity matters more than novelty
Choose this path if your group wants to stay near the Borderlands identity and is willing to accept a related game rather than a radically different combat or progression model. If your friends instead want a harder co-op challenge, a third-person online structure, or a persistent shared world, the other entries provide clearer reasons to move away from the formula.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Campaign co-op versus a persistent shared world
Choose a campaign-led game when
- Your group can schedule a finite run of sessions.
- You want missions to provide a clear route and a natural ending.
- You prefer progress that feels tied to a shared story rather than repeated endgame activities.
- You want the closest replacement for the “play through it together” side of Borderlands.
Outriders is the entry the roundup positions toward this need, while Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is the closer stylistic direction. Their current technical details still need official confirmation.
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Choose a persistent structure when
- Your friends expect to keep the same characters for a long time.
- Repeatable activities and ongoing progression are the main attraction.
- You want multiplayer encounters such as the boss-focused activities described for The First Descendant.
- You are comfortable with a game that may feel less like a single shared campaign.
The First Descendant is the directly supported online example in this shortlist. The Division 2 is the option the roundup associates with a more persistent shared-world model, subject to current official verification.
Match the game to your party
Two friends plus you
Start with Remnant II because its official site explicitly supports solo play or co-op with two other friends. Its archetype progression also gives a three-person team a clear way to differentiate roles and builds.
A group that wants boss activities
Start with The First Descendant. Its PlayStation Store description specifically calls out multiplayer co-op boss encounters, third-person online co-op, and character and weapon customization. Confirm platform eligibility first, especially if anyone is using PS4.
A group that wants the Borderlands feel
Investigate Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands first, then verify its current official co-op and platform details. The recommendation is about stylistic closeness, not a claim that every technical feature is identical.
A group that wants a story to finish
Investigate Outriders as the campaign-focused alternative identified in the roundup. Confirm its present matchmaking, platform, and edition information before committing the group.
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Investigate The Division 2 and verify the current live-service, edition, platform, and group-size details. The key decision is whether your friends want a continuing activity loop rather than a contained campaign.
Platform, edition, and service checks before you buy
Several practical details are not established by the sources used for this comparison. Do not infer them from genre labels or older articles.
- Platform support: check the current official store page for every member of the group.
- PS4 eligibility for The First Descendant: the PlayStation Store notice records the end of PS4 support on June 19, 2025.
- Cross-play: verify the current rule for the exact platforms your group uses.
- Subscription requirements: check the console’s current online-play requirement and the game’s listing.
- Edition contents: confirm whether a standard, deluxe, expansion, or complete edition changes access to co-op content.
- Matchmaking and party size: use the current official description, especially for Outriders, The Division 2, and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, whose details are not established here.
- Price and regional availability: prices and store availability change by country and date; check the listing at the time of purchase.
A practical shortlist workflow
- Name the non-negotiable. Write down whether your group cares most about first-person shooting, humor and tone, campaign completion, randomized loot, build crafting, or ongoing activities.
- Choose the structure. Select campaign-led co-op if you want a finite shared journey; select a persistent model if your group expects repeat sessions around continuing activities.
- Filter by party size. If your normal group is three players, Remnant II has a directly documented fit. For the other games, verify the current official party rules.
- Accept or reject a perspective change. The First Descendant is explicitly third-person, so decide whether that is an advantage or a deal-breaker before comparing its loot loop with Borderlands.
- Verify the platform before comparing prices. This prevents choosing a game that one friend cannot currently access, with The First Descendant’s PS4 notice serving as the clearest example.
- Check the current product page. Confirm edition, cross-play, subscription, matchmaking, and service information immediately before purchase.
Bottom line
For a small group that wants co-op exploration and distinct build progression, choose Remnant II. For a third-person online looter shooter with multiplayer boss encounters and character-and-weapon customization, choose The First Descendant, while checking the June 19, 2025 PS4 support change on your regional store. Investigate Outriders when a campaign-focused alternative is the priority, The Division 2 when you want a persistent shared-world direction, and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands when staying close to Borderlands’ style matters most. Those last three are useful leads, but confirm their current official platform and co-op details before buying.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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