<s>
Battleborn	B-Application
was	O
a	O
free-to-play	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Gearbox	O
Software	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
2K	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Windows	O
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battleborn	B-Application
was	O
a	O
hero	O
shooter	O
with	O
elements	O
of	O
multiplayer	O
online	O
battle	O
arenas	O
(	O
MOBA	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Furthermore	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
player	O
completes	O
matches	O
,	O
they	O
earn	O
randomized	O
gear	O
(	O
generated	O
similarly	O
to	O
the	O
Borderlands	B-Application
series	O
 '	O
randomized	O
weapon	O
feature	O
)	O
that	O
can	O
also	O
be	O
equipped	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
loadout	O
to	O
provide	O
further	O
buffs	O
and	O
abilities	O
,	O
or	O
purchased	O
through	O
microtransactions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battleborn	B-Application
was	O
overshadowed	O
by	O
Blizzard	O
Entertainment	O
's	O
Overwatch	B-Application
,	O
another	O
hero	O
shooter	O
,	O
that	O
was	O
released	O
a	O
few	O
weeks	O
later	O
and	O
which	O
caused	O
a	O
large	O
drop	O
in	O
Battleborns	B-Application
player	O
count	O
within	O
the	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
response	O
,	O
Gearbox	O
made	O
adjustments	O
in	O
pricing	O
and	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
to	O
try	O
to	O
draw	O
new	O
players	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battleborn	B-Application
is	O
described	O
as	O
a	O
hero	O
shooter	O
,	O
primarily	O
a	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
incorporating	O
multiplayer	O
online	O
battle	O
arena	O
elements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Battleborns	B-Application
meta-game	O
,	O
both	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
"	O
command	O
level	O
"	O
(	O
applying	O
across	O
all	O
characters	O
for	O
a	O
given	O
player	O
)	O
and	O
a	O
character-specific	O
level	O
can	O
be	O
increased	O
based	O
on	O
performance	O
in	O
matches	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battleborn	B-Application
requires	O
a	O
constant	O
Internet	O
connection	O
to	O
play	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
meta-game	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
features	O
25	O
playable	O
characters	O
upon	O
release	O
and	O
later	O
added	O
5	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
characters	O
,	O
with	O
each	O
having	O
different	O
abilities	O
and	O
weapons	O
;	O
characters	O
are	O
broadly	O
categorized	O
based	O
on	O
their	O
movement	O
speed	O
and	O
agility	O
,	O
combat	O
range	O
and	O
effectiveness	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
difficulty	O
of	O
playing	O
the	O
character	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
Rath	O
is	O
a	O
melee-based	O
character	O
who	O
is	O
equipped	O
with	O
a	O
katana	B-Operating_System
,	O
while	O
Thorn	O
is	O
a	O
long-ranged	O
character	O
,	O
whose	O
primary	O
weapon	O
is	O
a	O
bow	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battleborn	B-Application
includes	O
a	O
story-based	O
mission	O
mode	O
that	O
enables	O
five	O
players	O
to	O
cooperate	O
to	O
complete	O
various	O
missions	O
that	O
include	O
objective-driven	O
narratives	O
used	O
as	O
backstory	O
for	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
hero	O
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
additional	O
5-story	O
missions	O
are	O
called	O
Story	O
Operations	O
and	O
were	O
added	O
as	O
DLC	B-Protocol
;	O
their	O
main	O
differences	O
from	O
main	O
story	O
mode	O
are	O
earning	O
of	O
OPs	O
points	O
,	O
which	O
gives	O
player	O
various	O
rewards	O
depending	O
on	O
chosen	O
character	O
and	O
increases	O
mission	O
's	O
difficulty	O
,	O
and	O
changing	O
of	O
dialogues	O
of	O
main	O
non-playable	O
characters	O
,	O
which	O
fully	O
reveals	O
story	O
's	O
narrative	O
on	O
10th	O
playthrough	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
also	O
three	O
main	O
multiplayer	O
modes	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
that	O
pit	O
two	O
teams	O
of	O
five	O
players	O
each	O
against	O
each	O
other	O
(	O
or	O
against	O
a	O
team	O
of	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
controlled	O
heroes	O
)	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Meltdown	O
,	O
a	O
mode	O
where	O
the	O
team	O
should	O
escort	O
and	O
sacrifice	O
AI	B-Application
controlled	O
robots	O
while	O
killing	O
robots	O
of	O
enemy	O
team	O
;	O
</s>
<s>
Face-off	O
,	O
a	O
mode	O
where	O
the	O
main	O
objective	O
is	O
hoarding	O
masks	O
of	O
AI	B-Application
controlled	O
Varelsi	O
mobs	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
that	O
deposits	O
most	O
masks	O
for	O
a	O
given	O
time	O
or	O
score	O
limit	O
wins	O
;	O
</s>
<s>
Battleborn	B-Application
initially	O
did	O
not	O
support	O
microtransactions	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
was	O
only	O
introduced	O
in	O
a	O
June	O
2016	O
update	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gearbox	O
planned	O
to	O
release	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
that	O
would	O
include	O
new	O
skins	O
and	O
taunts	O
for	O
existing	O
characters	O
prior	O
to	O
announcement	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
shutdown	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
species	O
are	O
divided	O
into	O
different	O
factions	O
upon	O
their	O
arrivals	O
,	O
and	O
eventually	O
they	O
united	O
and	O
cooperate	O
with	O
each	O
other	O
by	O
sending	O
out	O
the	O
best	O
fighters	O
,	O
who	O
are	O
labelled	O
as	O
Battleborn	B-Application
,	O
to	O
fight	O
against	O
Varelsi	O
,	O
the	O
origin	O
of	O
the	O
catastrophe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
this	O
mission	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
allowed	O
to	O
use	O
any	O
of	O
the	O
Battleborn	B-Application
for	O
the	O
next	O
mission	O
,	O
which	O
requires	O
you	O
to	O
defeat	O
ISIC	O
,	O
to	O
make	O
him	O
an	O
ally	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battleborn	B-Application
was	O
announced	O
by	O
Gearbox	O
Software	O
and	O
2K	O
Games	O
and	O
revealed	O
by	O
Game	O
Informer	O
on	O
July	O
8	O
,	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
original	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Gearbox	O
Software	O
since	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Borderlands	B-Application
in	O
2009	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
also	O
claimed	O
to	O
be	O
"	O
the	O
most	O
ambitious	O
video	O
game	O
that	O
Gearbox	O
has	O
ever	O
created	O
"	O
and	O
a	O
"	O
genre-fused	O
"	O
video	O
game	O
by	O
Gearbox	O
Software	O
's	O
president	O
,	O
Randy	O
Pitchford	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
2017	O
interview	O
,	O
Pitchford	O
said	O
that	O
prior	O
to	O
Battleborns	B-Application
development	O
,	O
the	O
principle	O
way	O
to	O
market	O
and	O
promote	O
first-person	O
shooters	O
was	O
to	O
emphasise	O
what	O
abilities	O
the	O
player-character	O
had	O
,	O
which	O
made	O
elements	O
like	O
a	O
detailed	O
game	O
world	O
or	O
narrative	O
a	O
secondary	O
consideration	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pitchford	O
recognized	O
that	O
they	O
already	O
had	O
experience	O
creating	O
a	O
diverse	O
array	O
of	O
characters	O
through	O
the	O
Borderlands	B-Application
series	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
this	O
roster	O
of	O
heroes	O
approach	O
was	O
gaining	O
popularity	O
in	O
multiplayer	O
online	O
battle	O
arenas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
Battleborn	B-Application
,	O
Pitchford	O
wanted	O
to	O
take	O
the	O
combination	O
of	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
and	O
role-playing	O
elements	O
they	O
had	O
from	O
Borderlands	B-Application
,	O
and	O
mix	O
in	O
the	O
range	O
of	O
heroes	O
as	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
new	O
genre	O
,	O
what	O
has	O
become	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
"	O
hero	O
shooter	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
gameplay	O
elements	O
from	O
Brothers	B-Device
in	I-Device
Arms	I-Device
:	I-Device
Furious	I-Device
4	I-Device
,	O
another	O
project	O
from	O
Gearbox	O
which	O
was	O
cancelled	O
in	O
July	O
2015	O
,	O
were	O
transferred	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
came	O
to	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
first	O
before	O
other	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battleborns	B-Application
PC	O
open	O
beta	O
began	O
on	O
April	O
13	O
,	O
2016	O
and	O
lasted	O
until	O
April	O
18	O
,	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
set	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
worldwide	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Windows	O
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
on	O
February	O
9	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
later	O
delayed	O
to	O
May	O
3	O
,	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rumors	O
surrounding	O
the	O
game	O
turning	O
free-to-play	O
started	O
to	O
circulate	O
around	O
the	O
internet	O
,	O
but	O
Gearbox	O
president	O
Randy	O
Pitchford	O
declined	O
any	O
plans	O
of	O
turning	O
the	O
game	O
free-to-play	O
,	O
although	O
he	O
did	O
mention	O
ideas	O
of	O
releasing	O
a	O
free	O
"	O
trial	B-License
version	I-License
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
3	O
,	O
2016	O
2K	O
Games	O
announced	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
a	O
competitive	O
game	O
mode	O
called	O
Face-Off	O
,	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
for	O
free	O
to	O
all	O
players	O
who	O
own	O
Battleborn	B-Application
on	O
October	O
13	O
,	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
mode	O
launched	O
alongside	O
the	O
first	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
Story	O
Operation	O
,	O
titled	O
"	O
Attikus	O
and	O
the	O
Thrall	O
Rebellion	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battleborn	B-Application
received	O
"	O
mixed	O
or	O
average	O
"	O
reviews	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
video	O
game	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
awarded	O
it	O
a	O
score	O
of	O
7.1	O
out	O
of	O
10	O
,	O
saying	O
"	O
Battleborn	B-Application
's	O
fun	O
heroes	O
and	O
leveling	O
will	O
keep	O
you	O
hooked	O
despite	O
a	O
lack	O
of	O
content.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Hardcore	O
Gamer	O
awarded	O
it	O
a	O
score	O
of	O
4.5	O
out	O
of	O
5	O
,	O
saying	O
"	O
Battleborn	B-Application
has	O
done	O
what	O
I	O
would	O
have	O
previously	O
thought	O
was	O
impossible	O
:	O
it	O
has	O
kept	O
me	O
interested	O
in	O
its	O
multiplayer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PlayStation	O
LifeStyle	O
awarded	O
it	O
a	O
score	O
of	O
8	O
out	O
of	O
10	O
,	O
saying	O
"	O
If	O
Borderlands	B-Application
and	O
the	O
MOBA	O
genre	O
could	O
have	O
a	O
baby	O
,	O
I	O
imagine	O
it	O
would	O
look	O
something	O
like	O
Battleborn	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
looking	O
back	O
at	O
the	O
game	O
a	O
year	O
after	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
Destructoids	O
Darren	O
Nakamura	O
felt	O
Battleborn	B-Application
was	O
an	O
excellent	O
game	O
once	O
a	O
player	O
had	O
put	O
time	O
to	O
acquire	O
a	O
larger	O
number	O
of	O
playable	O
characters	O
to	O
select	O
from	O
,	O
and	O
had	O
amassed	O
gear	O
that	O
created	O
unique	O
and	O
powerful	O
loadouts	O
for	O
specific	O
characters	O
,	O
but	O
a	O
player	O
would	O
need	O
to	O
work	O
through	O
tens	O
to	O
hundreds	O
of	O
hours	O
of	O
gameplay	O
to	O
acquire	O
these	O
elements	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
off-putting	O
to	O
new	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battleborn	B-Application
was	O
the	O
best	O
selling	O
retail	O
game	O
in	O
its	O
week	O
of	O
release	O
in	O
the	O
UK	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
director	O
Randy	O
Varnell	O
,	O
the	O
launch	O
week	O
sales	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
similar	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
Borderlands	B-Application
,	O
which	O
had	O
gone	O
on	O
to	O
sell	O
over	O
7.8	O
million	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
player	O
base	O
quickly	O
declined	O
after	O
release	O
,	O
primarily	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
another	O
hero	O
shooter	O
,	O
Overwatch	B-Application
by	O
Blizzard	O
Entertainment	O
,	O
on	O
May	O
24	O
,	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gearbox	O
had	O
already	O
been	O
developing	O
Battleborn	B-Application
and	O
had	O
fixed	O
their	O
expected	O
release	O
date	O
when	O
Blizzard	O
announced	O
Overwatch	B-Application
for	O
release	O
within	O
a	O
few	O
weeks	O
of	O
Battleborn	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
they	O
had	O
considered	O
trying	O
to	O
change	O
the	O
release	O
date	O
as	O
Blizzard	O
had	O
a	O
larger	O
promotional	O
budget	O
that	O
could	O
easily	O
overwhelm	O
2K	O
Games	O
,	O
Pitchford	O
opted	O
to	O
stay	O
to	O
what	O
they	O
planned	O
and	O
instead	O
make	O
sure	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
release	O
went	O
smoothly	O
and	O
to	O
highlight	O
how	O
Battleborn	B-Application
differed	O
from	O
Overwatch	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
September	O
2017	O
interview	O
,	O
Pitchford	O
believed	O
that	O
the	O
fallout	O
in	O
sales	O
from	O
Battleborn	B-Application
was	O
not	O
necessarily	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
presence	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
,	O
but	O
that	O
people	O
had	O
made	O
comparisons	O
between	O
the	O
two	O
games	O
which	O
reflected	O
negatively	O
on	O
Battleborn	B-Application
and	O
cost	O
them	O
sales	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
industry	O
rumour	O
in	O
September	O
2016	O
suggested	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
soon	O
switch	O
to	O
a	O
free	O
to	O
play	O
model	O
,	O
which	O
would	O
follow	O
a	O
similar	O
path	O
that	O
2K	O
Games	O
 '	O
Evolve	B-Application
had	O
done	O
in	O
July	O
2016	O
and	O
subsequently	O
saw	O
an	O
increase	O
in	O
player	O
base	O
size	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
6	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
Battleborn	B-Application
released	O
a	O
patch	O
that	O
introduced	O
the	O
"	O
Free	O
Trial	O
"	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
effectively	O
changing	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
a	O
free-to-play	O
model	O
despite	O
Pitchford	O
's	O
comments	O
.	O
</s>
