EPIC Games wrote ahead of Borderlands 4’s release, “Gearbox has pledged to support Borderlands 4 with both free and paid post-launch content following release, including two new playable Vault Hunters and extended story content.” Let’s explore what this means for us players.
Table of contents
New Vault Hunters
I’m excited to learn that Gearbox Software is going to add new playable characters to Borderlands 4, because with Borderlands 3, they said they weren’t creating new Vault Hunters, as players didn’t really engage much with that content. That’s why the Borderlands 3 Vault Hunters received a 4th Skill Tree with the Designer’s Cut.
DLC Characters have always been paid content in previous Borderlands games (BL2 + BLTPS), therefore, I expect the same in Borderlands 4.
Story Campaign Add-Ons
Great Story Campaign Add-Ons have been a staple of the Borderlands franchise. Gearbox Software always adds a ton of value with these types of DLCs. I’m glad to hear “extended story content” because the Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Post-Launch Content wasn’t described as that, and those DLCs weren’t well-received by the community.
I hope these DLCs also include something for hardcore players
Story Campaign Add-ons have always been paid content in previous Borderlands games, therefore, I expect the same in Borderlands 4. I expect multiple of these DLCs to be bundled in a Season Pass.
Free Downloadable Content
Great to hear Borderlands 4 is also getting free post-launch content. If we look at Borderlands 3, we received 2 Takedowns, 3 Seasonal Events, a Black Market, a Science Machine, mini-events, and weekly hotfixes.
The GBX Devs talked about dynamic events and world bosses in Kairos during the BL4 State of Play. I could see them expand on this and promote it during mini-events.
The State of Play also teased Vault Key Fragments. Collecting all the pieces would unlock a challenging dungeon with great rewards. Gearbox Software could add special Vault Key Fragments throughout Kairos that will unlock a Vault similar to a BL3 Takedown, while the other regular ones are more like the BL3 Proving Grounds.
The “Bloody Harvest” Seasonal event has become a staple of the franchise as Gearbox integrated it into the Borderlands games in some shape or form. So, I kinda expect it in Borderlands 4, but I can also see them do non-traditional events like Revenge of the Cartels.