How Long Does It Take To Beat Borderlands 2?

Borderlands 2 is a first-person shooter that's all about leveling up, obtaining gear, and then leveling up more and obtaining better gear. In a sense, it was Destiny before Destiny, and it's soon getting a sequel come September 2019 when Borderlands 3 drops.

But let's say you haven't played Borderlands 2 yet, and you want to knock it out before the follow-up hits stores. How long does it take to beat Borderlands 2? The answer to that question will vary depending on what exactly you mean by "beat."

How Long to Beat pegs a full run through the game's main campaign at roughly 30 hours. That includes completing missions on the golden path, keeping yourself appropriately leveled for any challenges you face, and making sure you have adequate weaponry for the various boss fights in Borderlands 2. Of course, you might find yourself pulled off the trail from time to time, so if you complete some side quests while progressing through the story, you could find yourself spending upwards of 50+ hours inside Borderlands 2.

Suppose, however, that you intend to do everything. You want to check the box next to every side quest. You want to earn every achievement. If you want to conquer Borderlands 2 in its entirety, you'll need to carve out around 115 hours to do it. And that's not counting all of the game's DLC, which can add dozens more hours should you partake. With Borderlands 3 so close, who has that kind of time?

Borderlands 3 arrives on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on Sept. 13, 2019. That's not very far away at all, so if you're hoping to be caught up on the story side before Gearbox rolls out its next title, your best bet is to stick to the main campaign in Borderlands 2. You can always come back and do the rest later.