Thus far,Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsseems to be doing well with fans. While there have been some issues with the game, such as some minor bugs and majorserver issues duringTiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ launch weekend, many have praised the gameplay and storytelling of the spin-off. With unique locations and fresh features like the Overworld, there is a lot to appreciate about Gearbox’s latest looter shooter.
However, onceTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsfans complete the campaign and begin their grind through the Chaos Chamber, many may be left wanting more. WhileTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsis a full-sized game, it is a bit shorter than the mainlineBorderlandstitles. Despite this brevity, it feels like a lot more can be done with Bunkers and Badasses. While proper sequels would be great to see, an equally promising route for Gearbox to take would seeTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsadopt a games as a service approach.
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Why a Switch to Live Service Would Make Sense For Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
A live service version ofTiny Tina’s Wonderlandscould take on a seasonal format, dropping fresh content for fans to enjoy every few months. The quickest way to make this format exciting would be to introduce seasonal campaigns that shake things up in a significant way. While the originalTiny Tina’s Wonderlandscampaign portrayed the Dragon Lord as a villain, another Season’s campaign could see him as a hero. Likewise,Paladin Mikecould be an enemy of the queen instead of an ally in a Seasonal campaign.
While these campaigns could reuse many assets from the original, each could be distinct and memorable if new enemy types are added for players to battle against. The Overworld map could be remixed, too, while fresh quests could be added that provide more unique loot. Each new campaign could feature two different advisors alongside Tina, with Frette and Valentine being swapped out with Brick and Mordecai. Even odder combos, likeMoxxiand Zer0, could be a ton of fun to see work together.
While a seasonal format would be a great way to provide new story content without forcing Gearbox to build new gameplay systems or update its engine,Wonderlandscould also introduce special events and a battle pass system. For the events, players could need to get a certain amount of kills within a period of time to unlock an exclusive cosmetic. More loot could also drop from certain areas through loot events like inBorderlands 3. As for the battle pass,Borderlands 3has already provided a perfect model for this via itsVault Cards, though the feature is not inTiny Tina’s Wonderlandscurrently.
Vault Cards each had a theme and provided a variety of loot to unlock. AlongsideDiamond Keys, players could get new heads, skins, weapons, emotes, and decorations for their Vault Hunters. With a seasonal approach, Gearbox could provide a fresh Vault Card to work on every season, with players unlocking new customization options and gear inTiny Tina’s Wonderlands. Not only would this be a reasonable form of monetization, but Gearbox could take in community feedback to incorporate fan-requested designs. From mushroom cosmetics to crossover content with other franchises, Vault Cards would be a fine addition toTiny Tina’s Wonderlands.
Given how long it would likely takeGearboxto craft newWonderlandscampaigns, Seasons could span six-month windows as opposed to the three-month Seasons of games likeCall of Duty. WithTiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ Season Pass focusing more on adding some replayable missions, those hoping for more story content like the main campaign could be left wanting. WhileTiny Tina’s Wonderlandssequels are one route Gearbox could take, releasing one in between each mainBorderlandstitle, the current version ofWonderlandsbecoming a live service platform could also work. With the game looking and playing great, updating it for years with extra campaigns seems like a viable option if Gearbox ever wants to take it.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
