I've been seeing pre-orders for this however I can't tell exactly what it is, from the title i can some to 2 assumptions

  1. It is a game that comes before (pre-) the Sequel to Borderlands (ie. Borderlands 1.5)

  2. It is a Sequel set before the titler game (so because it's Borderlands the Pre-Sequel and not Borderlands 2 the Pre-Sequel it is set before Borderlands)

The second point is more reinforced if the Dev's were just being funny by playing on the word Prequel, of cause the Dev's being funny with the name can also explain the first in they wanted a Borderlands 1.5.

So I am wondering, what exactly is Borderlands the Pre-Sequel, is it a Prequel to Borderlands or Borderlands 2

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5 Answers

Per the Steam store page (emphasis mine):

Discover the story behind Borderlands 2 villain, Handsome Jack, and his rise to power. Taking place between the original Borderlands and Borderlands 2, the Pre-Sequel gives you a whole lotta new gameplay featuring the genre blending fusion of shooter and RPG mechanics that players have come to love.

Your first guess is the correct one. it is before (pre-) the sequel, and after the original Borderlands (After Claptrap's Robot Revolution expansion).

Your first guess was correct. It is (in all bar the title) Borderlands 1.5.

I can't speak for the dev's on this one, sadly because I'm not on the team, but I would say it would be for reasons to do with the storyline. What and why exactly I cannot say.

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It is the third borderlands title in the series, but chronologically the events take place between borderlands 1 and 2, so it is (arguably) a prequel to borderlands 2.

I say "arguably" because while the events in the playthrough take place between 1 and 2, they are presented as being recalled during a conversation which takes place after BL2.

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pre-sequel was made to explain Jack's backstory since he never appeared before Borderlands 2. It showcase how he got his power and why he has a mask on his face. Also he is a playable character if you buy him as DLC.

I'm surprised I didn't see this in any of the answers:

The Pre-Sequel is both a prequel and a sequel. It is a prequel to Borderlands 2 and a sequel to Borderlands, hence pre-sequel.

So yes, it is effectively Borderlands 1.5, but 'pre-sequel' makes it clearer that it was released after both the others, as the title is aware of both Borderlands and Borderlands 2, whereas Borderlands 1.5 could have easily been released before Borderlands 2.

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