What if Gearbox Software and 2K Games shocked the Borderlands community by releasing a Borderlands 4 Prequel DLC that bridges the gap between Borderlands 3 and the upcoming Borderlands 4?
Gearbox Software did a similar thing back in 2019 when they dropped a massive DLC for Borderlands 2 to promote the then-upcoming Borderlands 3. The Commander Lilith and the Fight for Sanctuary DLC bridged the gap between the two games by telling its own story and moving the overall story further. What if Gearbox Software and 2K Games did the same thing again but now released a Borderlands 3 DLC that bridges the gap between Borderlands 3 and Borderlands 4, what would that look like?
The Plot
In order to establish that we need to look at where we are at
We learned that Lilith teleported Pandora’s moon at the end of Borderlands 3 and crashed it into the new Borderlands 4 Planet, Kairos. This cataclysmic event has had its impact on the natural order of Kairos. We see some of that in the Borderlands 4 Reveal Trailer but what other events did this set in motion and how do we end up at the new location?
I assume that the Crimson Raiders will play a role in Borderlands 4 because Ava and Tannis are all about finding Lilith at the end of Borderlands 3. So we need something to happen to get the Crimson Raiders from Pandora to Kairos
There is likely going to be a 6-year time jump between Borderlands 3 and Borderlands 4, if Gearbox follows its own tradition. This gives us room to play around so how will they find out about the new location?
I think the Timekeeper is going to be the key to this. If I were the Timekeeper, I would want to know the origins of Elpis and where it came from. What if he sends out his minions to investigate the universe and we encounter them in a final Borderlands 3 DLC?
My Final Borderlands 3 DLC Idea
I think that there is a cool way to integrate this event into the Borderlands 3 universe. Gearbox could implement this like a Seasonal Event. WAIT WHAT… A seasonal event, I hear you say, I thought we were talking about a DLC. Stay with me, I got it figured out.
It could act similar to the Revenge of the Cartels Event but instead of encountering Joey Ultravoilet’s minions, you encounter the Timekeeper’s synthetic army throughout the various BL3 planets.
You then will collect data points by defeating The Order’s troops. When you have enough datapoints you will learn about their cloaked spaceship. Maurice can then pinpoint its location and set up a portal so we can raid the ship for intel.
I would love it if The Order’s spaceship offered a similar experience as Villa Ultraviolet where it feels like a takedown with optional objectives, challenges, and mini-bosses on top of a big boss fight.
All this awesome Gameplay is rewarded with new loot but we also need some lore.
Because there are more hidden spaceships throughout the galaxy it would be cool if we intercepted some transmissions from the Spaceships and their HQ on Kairos that hint at things in Borderlands 4. like Callis, the Rippers, important NPCs or events, and of course a bit of backstory on the new playable Vault Hunters.
The story could take place over several playthroughs where we get parts of the data as we try to hack the ship’s mainframe until we get the full coordinates of Kairos. This allows for replayability and the Crimson Raiders to set course for Kairos and we will pick up the story in Borderlands 4.
