Gearbox Bringing Back ‘Borderlands’ Web Series After Releasing Sequel

Before Borderlands was one of 2009’s breakout hits in the video game industry, its world was the setting for the Claptrap Web Series, a collection of four episodes starring the Claptrap robot. Borderlands 2 has been out for almost two months, and developer Gearbox has decided it’s the perfect time for Claptrap Web Series to make its return. The first episode of a second season will debut soon on Gearbox’s Facebook page.

Claptrap Web Series chronicles the adventures of the game’s robotic assistant as he takes the role of a pushy director on the game’s set. Though the first episode centers around a now woefully outdated Christian Bale parody, the series features the same brand of humor that was present in the game itself.

Borderlands was also the medium for a music video from The Crystal Method that was released via Machinima. That video also featured Claptrap in a prominent role; consider him (her? it?) to be the game’s breakout character.

Several other games have also used the web series format as a way to market an upcoming or recently released game. The biggest example is obviously Halo: Forward Unto Dawn

, but we’ve also seen recent examples predate the releases of Dishonored and Far Cry 3. What sets Claptrap Web Series apart is its use of the game world as its medium; while the other examples in this list are live action or animated, Claptrap uses a machinima style to great effect.

The first season of Claptrap Web Series was a huge hit; the four episodes combined to draw in over two million viewers, which may have been one reason why the open-world shooter won critical acclaim and branded itself as the ‘Game of the Year‘ within a few months of its release. Borderlands 2 has already won similarly positive reviews, and Claptrap Web Series can’t do anything but increase the praise the series receives, so long as Claptrap keeps his dancing to himself.