Gearbox Software’s next shooter has the potential to be a highly streamed game and the studio is teaming up with Twitch to give it a solid rollout when it launches. Gearbox and 2K, the publisher of Borderlands 3, is partnering with the streaming platform to deliver the Echocast extension for streamers and communities. The Echocast extension for Twitch gives viewers a look at the streamer’s loadout and the contents of their backpacks. The Borderlands series is a loot-driven first-person shooter and it will serve the developers well to allow the community to see the many different weapons and items they could come across in their own playthroughs. Further, audiences can use the extension to check out a streamer’s skill tree in Borderlands 3, hover over the items to see their stats and get a generally better idea what kind of build they’re seeing in action. The streamers playing Borderlands 3 can also host Rare Chest Events that their viewers can opt into, enhancing the relationship and interactions with their audience. This element makes the new Echocast a one-of-a-kind addition to the platform. For those that decide to participate, they get a chance to earn a copy of one item that the streamer gets when opening a rare chest. That lucky viewer will get a Shift code that can be redeemed for whatever gun, shield, or grenade mod found in the chest. You can check out the official Borderlands blog for details on how to set up your Shift account if you don’t have one already. Borderlands 3 is the long-awaited new entry in the loot shooter series that Gearbox confirmed during PAX East earlier this year. The game launches on September 13, but we won’t have to wait long to see the Echocast Twitch extension in action. Gearbox Software will be hosting a worldwide Borderlands 3 gameplay reveal event on Wednesday, May 1 and content creators will be streaming the game starting at 10 a.m. PT. Anyone who watches and links their Shift and Twitch accounts will get a chance to add some powerful gear to their arsenals well before they get their hands on the game later this year. Editors' Recommendations<doc-sep>Borderlands 3 ECHOcast is an extension for Twitch that allows you to link your Borderlands and Twitch channel in order to get free loot while watching Borderlands 3 streamers. This kind of interaction between playing and watching a game is unparalleled, but the main thing you need to know is that if you watch a lot of Borderlands streamers then this will help you grind gear when you’re not able to put time into playing the game itself. In addition to this, you’ll also be able to use the Borderlands 3 ECHOcast extension to browse a streamer’s gear, abilities, and more. That means you don’t need to ask the streamer for details on what they’re using or what weapons they have access to, so everybody wins. However, while it’s fairly easy to get the ECHOcast extension working to the point where you can look at your favourite streamer’s build, there are a couple of extra things you need to do in order to claim loot from rare loot chest events. Here’s how to get the Borderlands 3 ECHOcast extension working: The first thing you need to do is sign up for a SHiFT account then you need to set one up by heading here. These are totally free to set up and are also important for using Borderlands 3 Shift codes so it’s worth signing up for if you plan on playing the game when it releases. Secondly, you’ll need a Twitch account. Note: this doesn’t need to be a Twitch Prime account so this is also free. Once again head here to sign up. Now you just need to link the two. Head to your SHiFT profile page and click on the Twitch logo. There’ll be a set of instructions to follow that are easy enough to complete. With that done, all you need to do is go watch one of your favourite Borderlands 3 streamers – make sure you’re watching on theatre view or fullscreen – and provided they have the ECHOcast extension on, you should get the prompt to grab the extension yourself. Look for the Vault logo on the stream to toggle ECHOcast. When it’s active, you just need to watch the stream, and when the streamer opens a rare loot chest it will activate an event on the stream. Once the streamer opens a rare chest you have only 30 seconds to opt into the event. If you’re one of the winners, the extension will notify you and give you 30 seconds to choose which of the items from the chest you’d like to receive. That item will automatically be added to your Twitch-linked SHiFT account so that you can claim it from your in-game mailbox. All loot is scaled to your level when you retrieve it from your in-game mailbox. And there you have it, everything you need to know about getting the Borderlands 3 ECHOcast stream running for yourself.<doc-sep>Start transforming your game’s economy and increase your bottom line. Get the free guide now. Elevate your enterprise data technology and strategy at Transform 2021. Borderlands 3 won’t be out until fall, but developer Gearbox Software is giving fans an early opportunity to collect guns and gear. On May 1, you’ll be able to watch popular streamers on Twitch play the cooperative shooter for the first time and collect loot alongside them. This all part of the new Echocast Twitch extension. If you enable it (via clicking on the Borderlands vault icon on Twitch’s video player), you can inspect the streamers’ weapon loadouts, skill tree abilities, and inventories while they’re live. But the extension has another layer of interaction if you link your Gearbox Shift account to Twitch: Whenever the streamer opens up a rare treasure chest, you’ll have a chance to get some of that loot for yourself. You’ll only have 30 seconds to join these rare chest events when the streamer finds them, and once you opt-in, you’ll be entered into a randomized drawing with all the other viewers. The winner will have a chance to select one item from the chest, and it’ll go directly into their in-game mailbox in Borderlands 3. Gearbox released a video that demonstrates how the Echocast extension works. Twitch has had a major impact on multiplayer games like Fortnite and Apex Legends, so it makes sense for Gearbox to try to make a huge splash on the streaming platform for the big gameplay reveal of Borderlands 3. The new extension is a smart way of ensuring that people flock to Twitch on May 1, potentially watching Borderlands 3 content for hours in the hopes of winning some loot. But it also may invite even more unwanted criticisms from the community — especially if they use it to “judge the crap out of the streamer’s build” as Claptrap says in the video. I’m personally not looking forward to someone arguing with me about why my level 2 shotgun isn’t as good as another level 2 shotgun in my inventory because of some minute stat bonus.<doc-sep>
You still have to wait more than four months before Borderlands 3 releases to retail, though Gearbox Software has come up with a clever way of awarding in-game loot starting right now. How so? It requires installing a Twitch extension and watching prominent streamers play during today's Gameplay Reveal Event. "Hundreds of the biggest streamers will be playing and livestreaming Borderlands 3, and we’re excited to announce that we’ll be debuting the official Borderlands 3 ECHOcast Twitch extension as part of the experience," Gearbox Software said. To take advantage of this opportunity, you have to link your SHiFT and Twitch accounts, and install the official Borderlands 3 ECHOcast extension. Doing this will allow you to interact with livestreams of Borderlands 3 in a variety of ways. For example, you can poke around a streamer's loadout to see gear what he or she is carrying, dive into their skill trees, and so forth. Beyond being an active spectator, linking your SHiFT and Twitch accounts comes with the added benefit of being able to participate in the Rare Chest Events. "One of the most exciting features of the ECHOcast Twitch extension affords you a chance to receive the same in-game loot that you watch a streamer finding in rare chests, which are typically guarded by powerful enemies. Keep an eye out, because once the streamer opens a rare chest you have only 30 seconds to opt into the event," Gearbox Software explains. These are doled out randomly to viewers. They are also scaled to your level when you retrieve them from your in-game mailbox. The negative side to all this is that it opens up streamers to increased scrutiny. Viewers may not agree with a streamer's choice of gear or how he or she has allocated skill points. That comes with the territory, though, and as long as people are not too nasty about the feedback, it is all part of the fun. On the flip side, this provides an opportunity for viewers to learn from their favorite streamers, while simultaneously building up some loot well ahead of the game's launch. That is the ideal scenario, anyway. If you don't have a SHiFT account, you can register one for free at the Gearbox SHiFT site . Likewise, you can sign up for a Twitch account at twitch.tv , if you don't already have one. To link them, visit the settings tab on your SHiFT profile page , click on the Twitch logo, and follow the instructions. You can also link them by signing into your SHiFT account at the Gearbox SHiFT site, clicking on "Gaming Platforms," and then clicking the "Link" option under the Twitch logo.