Borderlands 2 arriving in 2012?

Source: A source "close to [Borderlands 2]" speaking with UK gaming website Eurogamer.

What we heard: The Gearbox Software-developed shooter/role-playing game Borderlands was released in 2009 to widespread critical praise. The title has gone on to sell over 4 million units, release a Game of the Year edition, and arrive on the Mac.

Rumors of a sequel to Borderlands began to swell shortly after the original was released, with Gearbox creative director Mikey Neumann saying in November 2009 that Borderlands 2 was a "no-brainer" based on the success of the original.

Will gamers get to visit Borderlands 2 next year?

Then in December 2009, during a financial call, parent publisher Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick teased a sequel further, saying Borderlands shows "every sign of becoming an important, long-term franchise."

Now, the rumor mill has churned out more speculation of Borderlands 2. A source close to the game told UK gaming website Eurogamer that the title is currently in development and is scheduled to arrive for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in 2012.

Gearbox president Randy Pitchford followed up with Eurogamer, telling the website that he believes the Borderlands franchise is beloved, but that's there is no official confirmation of Borderlands 2 just yet.

It appears Borderlands 2 is deep in development.

"I can tell you that myself and everyone at Gearbox loves Borderlands, and we have been absolutely thrilled at the reception it's gotten from our customers and the fact that it's sold over 4 million units now," he said.

"So you can see that we supported the game like mad with lots of great DLC, and you can imagine that we're going to want to do a lot of things with Borderlands in the future. But we've only announced what we've announced. If we haven't announced it, it doesn't exist."

Additionally, Eurogamer's source said an announcement from official channels concerning Borderlands 2 will be made "soon."

The official story: As of press time, Gearbox had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment on the matter.

Bogus or not bogus?: Almost assuredly not bogus that Borderlands 2 is in development at Gearbox. Given the critical and financial success of the original, paired with not-too-subtle previous comments by Neumann, Pitchford, and Zelnick, it's unlikely Take-Two would abandon the series. However, whether Borderlands 2 will ship during 2012 remains to be seen.