Sorry fans of Mad Moxxi and Claptrap, it looks like Borderlands 3 won't be coming to this year's E3 Expo.

E3 promises to be huge this year when it comes to announcements and showcases of major franchise sequels, with long-awaited titles like RAGE 2 expected to grab a lot of the headlines. The developers from Gearbox Software however, apparently won't be unveiling the sequel to 2012's critically-acclaimed Borderlands 2. Considering that the first two games were a runaway success in the competitive market of first-person shooters, now seems like it would've been the perfect time to round off a trilogy.

According to Shacknews, the highly-anticipated followup won't find a place on E3's roster for this year, despite previous rumors that Borderlands 3 was coming soon. They confirmed through a Gearbox employee yesterday at an event during E3 Judges Week that another game will not be revealed at the gaming expo next month in LA during E3 2018. Gearbox is definitely appearing at E3 however, and considering that Walmart recently leaked Borderlands 3 as a game for 2018 - alongside the accurate confirmation of RAGE 2 - it is a surprising turn of events.

Since the release of Borderlands 2, the IP has branched out with the rushed spinoff Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and the much better received Tales From The Borderlands from developer Telltale Games. But the hunger for an official third game in the main series has turned to frustration as Gearbox is still yet to officially give No. 3 the green light despite referring to the project on numerous occasions. There have been a few teases of Borderlands 3 but it could be a little longer before there is any official news on another installment.

Given that Telltale's episodic Borderlands title ended in 2015 with "The Vault of the Traveler," news about a return to the planet of Pandora has been relatively quiet. However, considering that Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford seemed to show off some "game ready" characters that alluded to Borderlands 3 over a year ago, many had expected an announcement from E3.

Borderlands 3 was tipped to be Gearbox's next project after completion on Battleborn and its DLCs and even by gaming standards, this was quite some time ago. PAX East would've also been a prime time to announce Borderlands 3, meaning that only the likes of San Diego Comic-Con are left for Gearbox to announce the game this year. Admittedly, with a recent flurry of activity surrounding a Borderlands movie, maybe developers and movie studios alike are saving Borderlands 3 for a double announcement?