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Cosplayers, fans flock to venue on Central for immersive 'Borderlands' movie experience

Monterey Motel on Central Avenue near Old Town is transformed into the Borderlands Motel for the night, with attendees waiting at least 45 minutes to get into the event on Monday.

Monterey Motel on Monday is transformed into the world of Pandora as a promotion for the upcoming Borderlands movie.

Attendees of the Borderlands Motel can walk into Tiny Tina’s bedroom at the Monterey Motel on Tuesday.

Michel McKinney is dressed as Lilith during the Borderlands event at the Monterey Motel on Tuesday.

A Krieg-themed pinball machine is available for attendees to play at the Monterey Motel on Monday.

Jane DeLoser, top, and Michel McKinney pose at the Monterey Motel on Central SW, which was transformed into the

Jane DeLoser dresses as Tiny Tina sits on top of a car with a rocket launcher during the Borderlands Motel event at the Monterey Motel in Albuquerque on Monday.

Wally Sinetra of Albuquerque is among the first 100 guests to receive a Borderlands Motel canteen at the Monterey Motel on Monday.

Patrick Arnaudville of Albuquerque plays the video game Borderlands in the Claptrap room at Monterey Motel on Monday.

Keith Decker from Albuquerque, NM brings a crotcheed Psycho he made himself to the Monterey Motel on Monday, July 22.

Attendees that goes by NVHMVM dressed up as a raider for the event at Monterey Motel on Monday, July 22.

Attendees could pick up some popcorn before eating the Borderlands movie trailer Monterey Motel on Monday, July 22.

A Claptrap repeal rolls around the event at the Monterey Motel on Monday, July 22.

Father David Gibson dances with his daughter Hailey Gibson at the Monterey Motel on Tuesday, July 22.

Camilo Quinones performs for the Borderlands Motel event at the Monterey Motel on Monday, July 22.

Nakayla McClelland Nakayla McClelland Nakayla McClelland Journalist

Published July 23, 2024 - 10:13 a.m. Modified August 28, 2025 - 2:00 a.m.

Step into the land of Pandora and become a vault hunter for the day at the Mountain Dew Borderlands Motel.

On Monday night, cosplayers, apocalypse lovers and gamers alike lined Central Avenue near Old Town to enter the formerly known Monterey Motel, now transformed to the Borderlands Motel for a free, one-day video game-themed experience.

The first 100 people were gifted a special edition Borderlands canteen and all fans were welcome to take Borderlands-themed stickers. A raffle was held for fans and, at the end of the night, one person was selected to take home their very own Claptrap robot from the set of the Borderlands movie.

Sponsored by Mountain Dew in collaboration with Regal Cinemas and Lionsgate Borderlands, the event is the first stop on “The Ultimate Borderlands Road Trip” tour to San Diego’s Comic Con to generate excitement and promotion for the upcoming live-action Borderlands movie.

Though several other cities will get the opportunity to see the Bandit Technical Vehicle and see the Claptrap robot in a small popup, Albuquerque is the only city on the list to receive a fully decorated motel experience.

The motel was filled with all things Borderlands, much to the excitement of fans. Motel rooms were converted to look like character rooms in the video game, including that of fan favorite character Tiny Tina. Another room had a video game console so several fans could take a second to play the Borderlands video game while being fully immersed in the world.

Cosplayers performed idle animation movements while waiting for fans to take photos, and at the heart of it all was a giant TV screen showing previews of the Borderlands movie, which comes out on Aug. 9.

Between photos with Tiny Tina and Lilith cosplayers, fans were able to take a rest in the Moxxi’s Bar and try a variety of “Borderlands”-themed alcoholic beverages such as the Bandit Brew or the Claptrap’s Cool Cocktail. Visitors who did not want a sip from Moxxi’s Bar were able to drink Mountain Dew to their heart’s content. In the center of the motel, local DJ CQ the Drummer played a special Borderlands mix in a vehicle named after Krieg’s Den — as he wore the Krieg mask.

Some guests were people like Karol Bartoszynski, who had heard of the event and figured it would be a fun thing to go to. While he had heard of the Borderlands video game before, Bartoszynski was at the event to see all of the post apocalyptic decor.

“I’m a wastelander (people who are interested in several different forms of apocalyptic content, including movies, games and festivals), so I’m really excited to see all the props and stuff,” said Bartoszynski, who was dressed from head to toe in steampunk style clothes. “I’m excited to get some cool photos with all of the stuff.”

Many in line were longtime fans of the Borderlands video game, like David and Haley Gibson. The pair have played the video game series since it originally came out in 2009.

“We actually found out about the event like three hours before on the Visit Albuquerque website,” David said. “We were so excited and I was like, ‘Get ready we need to leave now!’”

The duo was pleased and a little surprised by the quality of the event when they first arrived.

“The cosplayers look amazing and the attention to detail is really impressive,” Haley said. “We never get nice stuff in Albuquerque, so this is a first.”

Similar to the Gibsons, Guy Hamo and Leilah Maayan found out about it on a whim and hurriedly prepared to attend the event less than a few hours before it was set to begin.

“I actually saw a TikTok that had less than 100 likes promoting the event, and I freaked out and got so excited,” Maayan said. “When we got in line, the place was exploding with excitement, so that was really cool to see. We’ve been playing the games forever, so this was a big deal to us. I think they did a really good job encapsulating the game into this place, and seeing so many people get dressed up makes things really fun.”

Five movies or shows based off of video games

The Last of Us is am HBO MAX original television show based off of the 2013 action adventure video game. The story follows Ellie and Joel through a post apocalyptic zombie ridden world as they attempt to search for a cure at all costs.

Fallout is an Amazon Prime television series that follows main character Lucy as she battles through a post nuclear world in search of her father. The television is inspired by the 1997 Fallout video game from Bethesda studios.

Based off of the popular 1996 Pokémon series, Detective Pikachu features the loveable Pokémon mascot Pikachu and Tim Goodman as they try to solve the mystery of Tim's father's disappearance.

Mario and Luigi came to life on the big screen with the 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie from Universal Studios. However, the duo has been well known for their numerous appearances in the Super Mario Bros. series. Mario himself was first introduced to the world in the 1981 Donkey Kong game.

Arcane is a Netflix original series focuses on sisters Vi and Jinx as the two attempt to repair a broken relationship between each other while their city is torn to shambles by drugs and gang affiliations. The show is based off the 2009 multiplayer video game League of Legends.