*Please Note: It may take 4+ weeks to review your fan art submissions. Thank you for your patience!
Property Guidelines
Specific to Borderlands
Please note that guidelines are just guides to best increase your chance at getting a fan art design officially licensed by a brand partner. Ultimately, all decisions come down to each brand. We thank you for participating in our program, and best of luck!
Last updated January 8, 2021
Dos
Do make original and creative designs inspired by the Borderlands game series, including Borderlands, Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Tales From the Borderlands, and Borderlands 3.
Do create original artwork. We want to see your artistic interpretations, not marketing art, screenshots, logos, or other existing elements. Use the game and existing images as references, but do not repurpose any existing asset as part of your design. (With the exception of the brand elements that the licensor has provided.) This program is a showcase for your art; we want to see YOUR ART.
Do consider using custom text rather than pre-made fonts in your designs. If you do use fonts, use only fonts which you have the right to use in this context.
Do experiment with different art styles and techniques for your fan art.
Do treat brand elements such as the vault symbol with respect and do not distort them. Download the logos here. However, we encourage applying different treatments to the vault symbol, or to create a vault symbol that appears to be made of different materials. (For example: a Vault Symbol that appears to be finger painted, or a Vault Symbol made of slime might be acceptable as part of a cool original design.)
Do create designs that are appropriate for all ages.
Do celebrate our characters.
Do consider featuring references, characters, or props that only a deep fan would recognize. Create designs that you’d love to have or wear!
Do use humor. Make jokes that are “all in fun” and not mean-spirited.
Do check that words are spelled correctly before you submit your design.
Do have fun!
Don'ts
Don’tcreate mash ups with 3rd party IP and Borderlands in your fan art.
Don’t submit unoriginal content such as: official logos used alone, existing merchandise designs, promotional marketing designs, game screenshots, Photo Mode content, plagiarized works, etc.
Don’t submit artwork that is not your own. Do not take or copy other fan artists.
Don’t submit any design that includes photographs of yourself or others, unless official photography release documentation can be provided.
Don’t closely copy existing designs, try to be unique and original.
Don’t incorporate too many “splatter” elements in your fan art.
Don’t submit works that are vulgar, hyper-violent, obscene, racist, hateful, defamatory, political, or otherwise divisive or inappropriate. Avoid in-game content (quotes, etc.) that could be interpreted as having an offensive meaning without context. Works that are deemed as offensive will not be approved and taken down.
Do not depict graphic violence, gore, or blood.
Don’t submit designs with cursing.
Don’t title or tag work with obscene or inappropriate words. They will not be approved.
Do not submit designs if you are an employee of or contracted artist for Gearbox or are otherwise engaged in official work related to the Borderlands franchise.
About Borderlands
Borderlands began in 2009 with a cranky bus driver, a strange little robot, and a mysterious voice that guided four heroes towards a legendary Vault rumored to be full of alien treasures. What our heroic Vault Hunters discovered there inspired many new adventures--and launched the ‘shooter-looter’ genre onto the gaming world. With bazillions of amazing guns, a huge cast of colorful characters, and distinct hand-inked art style, the Borderlands franchise continues to expand on it’s formula of loot, co-op, humor, and heart with the subsequent installments of the series, including the highly anticipated Borderlands 3 which explores new planets with the newest set of Vault Hunters and returning fan-favorite characters.
