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Take-Two CEO Says Borderlands’ Art Pivot Cost $50 Million and Delayed Release a Year

He now portrays the gamble as the call that set the series apart.

Overview

  • In a recent interview with podcaster David Senra, Strauss Zelnick recounted approving a full art remake for the first Borderlands.
  • The pitch arrived about two months before the planned launch and asked for $50 million more and roughly a year of extra development.
  • Zelnick said Take-Two had limited capital at the time and that he dug into the details before backing the plan.
  • He maintains the overhaul made Borderlands a hit by giving it a distinct cel-shaded style instead of the earlier gray, look‑alike shooter art.
  • Coverage notes he did not disclose the original total budget, only the added cost tied to the late art change.