Borderlands is loud, but the useful part is more precise: co-op shooting, strange guns, character kits, and loot that changes how a fight feels. The best follow-ups keep at least two of those pieces alive.
Start with Gunfire Reborn if you want a different series with first-person co-op, weapon rolls and character builds. Choose Risk of Rain 2 for escalating item combinations, or Roboquest for faster movement. Borderlands 2 is worth revisiting if you have not played it, but it is part of the same series.
Co-op FPS builds
Item combinations
Same-series campaign
Fast movement
The shared itch
Pick by whether the missing piece is loot, co-op campaign pace, roguelite runs, or ability-driven gunplay.
| If you want... | Start with | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Classic co-op loot campaign | Borderlands 2 | You need the newest movement and endgame feel |
| Loot stacking into absurd builds | Risk of Rain 2 | You want a voiced campaign and characters |
| Co-op roguelite shooting experiments | Gunfire Reborn | You need open zones and long story arcs |
| Fast FPS movement and repeatable runs | Roboquest | You want Borderlands-style quest hubs |
| Free-to-play looter-shooter grind | The First Descendant | You dislike live-service farming |
More campaign loot-shooting
Closest matches that are looter shooters
Match strength key:80+65+50+<5028 of the 100 closest matches to Borderlands 3 are looter shooters.
Borderlands 2Shares Looter Shooter · FPS · Online Co-Op , adds Funny90% · 312k positive reviews$19.9990%Excellent match
Borderlands Game of the Year EnhancedShares Looter Shooter · FPS · Online Co-op , adds Dark Humor81% · 17k positive reviews−82%$5.4090%Excellent match
Borderlands GOTYShares Looter Shooter · FPS · Online Co-Op , adds Sci-fi90% · 20k positive reviews$29.9987%Excellent match
Borderlands: The Pre-SequelShares Looter Shooter · FPS · Online Co-Op , adds Funny79% · 31k positive reviews−91%$3.6084%Excellent match
Borderlands 4Shares Looter Shooter · FPS · Online Co-Op , adds PvE58% · 86k positive reviews−7%$65.0987%Excellent match
PAYDAY 2Shares Looter Shooter · FPS · Online Co-op , adds Heist89% · 675k positive reviews−5%$9.4968%Strong match
Tiny Tina's WonderlandsShares Looter Shooter · FPS · Online Co-op , adds Fantasy71% · 17k positive reviews$29.9968%Strong match
Risk of Rain 2Shares Looter Shooter · Online Co-op · Co-op , adds Third-Person Shooter94% · 353k positive reviews−70%$7.4368%Strong match
Median match strength inside this slice is 66%, against 65% across all 100 matches. The strongest overall matches all are looter shooters, so the filter costs nothing here.
Borderlands 2
Recommendation
- Best for
- Classic co-op loot campaign.
- Why it fits
- It remains the cleanest answer if you want missions, jokes, vault hunters, four-player roles, and a campaign people still talk about.
- Skip if
- You need the newest movement and endgame feel.
Build chaos over quest structure
Risk of Rain 2
Recommendation
- Best for
- Loot stacking into absurd builds.
- Why it fits
- It drops quest hubs and turns the build escalation into the whole game, which is ideal if loot synergy was the hook.
- Skip if
- You want a voiced campaign and characters.
Gunfire Reborn
Recommendation
- Best for
- Co-op roguelite shooting experiments.
- Why it fits
- It gives classes, scrolls, weapon rolls, and fast resets without asking you to clear a giant campaign.
- Skip if
- You need open zones and long story arcs.
Fast runs or live-service grind
Roboquest
Recommendation
- Best for
- Fast FPS movement and repeatable runs.
- Why it fits
- It is the action-first branch for players who want sharp shooting and quick build tests more than loot comedy.
- Skip if
- You want Borderlands-style quest hubs.
The First Descendant
Recommendation
- Best for
- Free-to-play looter-shooter grind.
- Why it fits
- It fits if the appeal is characters, farming, and live-service progression rather than authored campaign chaos.
- Skip if
- You dislike live-service farming.
Campaign or repeatable runs?
Gunfire Reborn, Risk of Rain 2 and Roboquest rebuild your run around new drops. Choose Borderlands 2 when you want a continuing quest campaign, or The First Descendant when long-term online farming is the appeal.
Co-op roguelite shooting experiments.
Classic co-op loot campaign.
Loot stacking into absurd builds.
Fast FPS movement and repeatable runs.
Free-to-play looter-shooter grind.
For more campaign and co-op shooters, compare our Call of Duty alternatives. To browse a wider selection, open games similar to Borderlands 3.
Sources and last check
Last checked: September 5, 2026. Game features and play modes were checked against the official Steam listings: Gunfire Reborn, Risk of Rain 2, Roboquest, Borderlands 2, The First Descendant. Recommendations reflect the play styles described above. Check the store for current requirements before buying.
Play queue
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