The hype train is reaching full steam for Borderlands 3, and now developer Gearbox is looking to capitalize on the momentum by partnering with streaming platform Twitch.
Tomorrow marks the gameplay premiere of the much-awaited looter shooter from Gearbox, and it’s been announced that the reveal stream will feature a brand-new mode of online interactivity, thanks to a new Twitch extension: the ECHOcast.
Officially announced on the Borderlands website today, the ECHOcast Twitch extension was specifically programmed for interactivity with Borderlands 3 livestreams. It will be a part of experiencing the game moving forward, and it will be launched tomorrow, May 1, which is when we will first get to see gameplay for Borderlands 3.
The ECHOcast extension basically acts the same way as the ECHO device from the previous Borderlands games. It acts as the main game’s HUD, and tells you details about the guns and equipment you pick up, as well as your chosen character’s skill tree. The Twitch extension acts the same way, but instead of your character, you will be able to view the inventory of the streamer you’re watching, which includes his or her full loadout, from weapons to skills.
The livestream happening tomorrow also introduces ‘rare chest events’, which can be joined in if you have the ECHOcast extension. These events are timed exclusives that allow anyone watching the livestream with the extension installed to receive the same loot as what was acquired by the streamer who opens a rare chest themselves. For anyone who played previous Borderlands games, these rare chests are usually found toward the end of levels, and now those who watch the stream will have a 30-second time frame to opt-into the event. Of the viewers who choose to opt-in, several will be chosen randomly as the winners of the event. They will then be able to choose between the different items present in the chest. All the loot acquired is automatically scaled to the players’ level for their own game, which releases on September 13. This means that it’s basically impossible to be stuck with useless loot.
Details on participating in this event are found here. You will need to have a Twitch account as well as Gearbox SHiFT account to join the event. You will then need to link your SHiFT account into your Twitch account.
The worldwide gameplay reveal of Borderlands 3 is set to be streamed tomorrow, May 1, starting at 1 p.m. EDT. It will feature hundreds of the biggest streamers on the platform, so you will get to have your pick of which one to watch.
Borderlands 3 will release on September 13 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and the Epic Games Store on PC.
