Borderlands delivers Christmas chaos for all

Referencing 1964’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Gift of Mayhem melds old-school style with a modern videogame vibe. 

Supporting the new Mayhem mode, an ultra-difficult play option for Borderlands 3, the ad shows a seemingly tranquil North Pole, full of pine trees, gently floating snowflakes, and a mecha-Rudolph companion. The characters find a Lootbox in the tundra and carefully open it, unleashing mayhem on the unsuspecting world. 

Created by Chromista, and directed by Eddie Alcazar, the ad required a labor and time-intensive workload to create, as traditional animation techniques were used in place of more modern CGI. The tongue-in-cheek humor works, as the audience knows that the nostalgic moment won’t last long.