If you’re hoping to play Borderlands 3 on PC at midnight when it releases, you might find that you’ll have to wait longer depending on your download speeds.
Gearbox Software’s long-awaited shooter officially went gold last week ahead of its release on September 13. On PC, the game is a timed exclusive for the Epic Games Store, meaning that PC players who want the game on Steam will need to wait until April 2020.
Epic’s Tim Sweeney confirmed to a fan on Twitter that the Epic Games Store would not allow preloading of Borderlands 3 ahead of release. Preloading means that the game is downloaded before it’s playable, so that you can start the game the instant it releases.
I’m sorry, we won’t have support for preloading in the Borderlands release timeframe.
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) August 12, 2019
When asked why this was the case, Sweeney clarified that while EGS has support for file preloading, they’re not sure that their system is “up to the demands of a blockbuster like Borderlands.” This means that those who have preordered the game will still need to wait until the game is live before they can start downloading it.
The Epic Games Store, which launched just this year, has landed several major exclusive releases on PC. These include Shenmue 3, Metro Exodus, and Ooblets.
The game is also coming to PS4 and Xbox One on launch day, and Google Stadia when it releases. It will support preload on consoles.
