Battleborn has a free mobile companion, and it’s out today

By Gabe Gurwin May 3, 2016

Gearbox’s Battleborn is out today, mixing MOBA elements into a shooter in the same way that the Borderlands series introduced Diablo-esque loot grinding, but it’s not the only game that publisher 2K is releasing today. It’s 2016, and that means an accompanying mobile game, and just by stabbing at your phone with your fingers like you’re trying to kill a lone mosquito, you can earn rewards in the main game.

Battleborn Tap, like the name suggests, features Gearbox’s cast of goofy characters (there’s no other way to describe someone with a mushroom for a head … wait), while you you poke your phone to destroy various enemies and bosses from the Battleborn universe. If you link the game to your SHiFT account (which also applies to the Borderlands games) you can also earn “exclusive rewards” in the main game on consoles or PC. Just for linking the account, you’ll get a gold skin unlocked for the character Orendi.

“Throughout the course of the game, you’ll unlock new areas and recruit more badass heroes to join the fight,” the official announcement says. “Grow and customize those heroes by collecting and spending gold shards to upgrade your heroes’ skills and abilities to give your squad the best fighting chance against increasingly difficult waves of enemies.”

“Gold shards” sound a lot like the “gems” that are so prevalent in mobile games recently, and according to the App Store, Battleborn does offer in-app purchases. The game’s trailer shows cooldowns for different attacks at the bottom of the screen, some of which last almost 10 minutes. The “shop” tab in the bottom right of the screen is most likely where you’ll be spending real money in the event that you care more about Battleborn Tap than the main game.

Battleborn Tap is out now for iOS and Android. Battleborn is also available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Early impressions of the main game are less positive than the Borderlands series, with IGN referring to the enemies as “drab” and GameSpot describing it as “a little underwhelming.” We’ll have our own video review up later this week.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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