No One Remembers One of the Best Hero Shooters Ever to Release

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There are a lot of hero shooters available, and most don’t succeed when they launch. Recent examples like Concord and Highguard have been major disappointments, and Overwatch 2 is constantly criticized for unnecessary changes and missing features. It feels like the best days of this genre are over, and perhaps they are. It’s a shame we didn’t fully enjoy them while they lasted.

One hero shooter that many of us missed, and sadly didn’t succeed, was Battleborn. Developed by Gearbox Software, it faced tough competition and launched at a difficult time. Despite these challenges, Battleborn did something truly unique – something no other hero shooter has managed to do since. It was a special game that deserves more recognition, especially considering it didn’t receive much praise during its initial release or even after it was discontinued in 2021.

Battleborn Is A Misunderstood Gem

While many don’t see Battleborn as a top-tier hero shooter, I believe that’s largely due to a misunderstanding of the game and the damage to its reputation over time. Battleborn faced significant challenges from the beginning. Gearbox priced it at $60—standard for 2016—but released it very close to the launch of Blizzard’s hugely successful Overwatch. Given that Blizzard was much more well-known and respected in 2016, Gearbox’s less established and expensive hero shooter was at a major disadvantage.

Adding to its challenges, Battleborn was marketed as a mix of MOBA and first-person shooter, unlike the more straightforward hero shooter genre. This meant it was competing with established games like League of Legends, Paragon, and Dota 2, which were already popular with players. Overwatch, on the other hand, faced Team Fortress 2, a game that had been around for nine years but had a smaller, established player base. Battleborn was trying to succeed in two very crowded markets, while Overwatch found a comfortable space for itself. It’s not surprising, then, that both players and Gearbox quickly lost interest in Battleborn. The developer shifted most of its team to work on Borderlands 3, and the small team left behind couldn’t keep Battleborn going.

Despite its troubled launch and questionable marketing, Battleborn was a remarkably good hero shooter. Its unique skill tree system let you customize your character during combat, making each match feel different and adding surprising depth to every hero. Blending MOBA elements like minions and varied game modes enhanced the experience, and the game featured a diverse and enjoyable cast of characters. Crucially, Battleborn included a story mode – something few other games in the genre offered, and still rarely do, even though its humor wasn’t for everyone.

Battleborn Elevated The Hero Shooter Genre

Since its release in 2016, Battleborn hasn’t had a true successor, which is disappointing. What set it apart was how its story enriched the characters, expanded the game’s world, and seamlessly connected to its gameplay – specifically, the strong shooting mechanics and unique hero abilities. No other game in this genre has quite replicated that experience, and the cancellation of Overwatch 2’s planned PvE mode – which would have offered something similar – makes Battleborn’s absence even more noticeable.

Like the game Evolve before it, Battleborn was a bit too ambitious for its time. While it had some problems and wasn’t handled well by its developer, Gearbox, it still offered a fun experience with unique characters, a striking art style, and engaging gameplay. It’s a shame the game is now unavailable and can’t even be played offline, especially since it remained enjoyable even five years after its release. The lack of continued support ultimately led to a tarnished legacy, and now it joins the growing list of hero shooters lost to time.

It’s always a little sad when a video game shuts down, because even if it wasn’t perfect, it was still a creative work. While Battleborn might not be remembered as fondly as games like Overwatch or Marvel Rivals, I won’t forget it. I tend to enjoy games that are overlooked or didn’t quite become popular, and that makes Battleborn especially meaningful to me. Despite its challenges, it gave my sibling and me countless hours of fun playing together, trying to master Miko, and constantly being beaten by Orendi.

It’s disappointing, but given the recent failures of ambitious games like Concord and the general reluctance to invest in hyped-up multiplayer titles, I don’t think Battleborn will ever make a comeback. A revival or sequel seems unlikely, and frankly, the game’s initial poor sales probably made that impossible anyway. I’ll cherish my memories of it and hope that someday, a developer who appreciated Battleborn – or at least recognized its unique ideas – will create something similar, proving that it was more than just a failed attempt to compete with Overwatch.

Do you believe Battleborn could be worth revisiting? Share your thoughts in the comments or discuss it on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-01-30 22:14