A few weeks ago, president and CEO of Gearbox Randy Pitchford caused a big stir when he suggested that “real fans” would still pay forBorderlands 4even if it was $80. Pitchford quickly walked back his controversial remarks, and yesterday, publisher 2K officially confirmed thatBorderlands 4will not be $80 when it launches in September. It’ll be $70. And that’s only the Standard Edition.
Borderlands 4will be getting two additional, higher-priced editions at launch: a $99.99 Deluxe Edition, and a $129.99 Super Deluxe Edition. Themost expensive version ofBorderlands 4is coming with every bit of DLC currently confirmed for the sequel, including two new Vault Hunters that each come with a new region of Kairos and their own story quest. DLC Vault Hunters have been a staple of the franchise sinceBorderlands 2, and while it’s nice to see new unlikely heroes join the roster, it might be even nicer to see some familiar faces get even longer in the spotlight.
Borderlands 4’s DLC Hunters Should Be Fan-Favorite Characters
NPCs That Should Become Vault Hunters in Borderlands 4’s DLC
Though the Vault Hunters are the core of eachBorderlandsentry, the heart of the series is its colorful cast of NPCs. Over the last 16 years,theBorderlandsfranchisehas developed quite a roster of unlikely allies, lovable villains, and deliberately irritating acquaintances. Many of these characters have returned time and time again, continuing to be shining beacons of the series' trademark humor and charm. And now, there’s a chance for two of them to get a promotion.
It might be fun to see one ofBorderlands' fan-favorite NPCsbecome a fully-fledged playable character inBorderlands 4’s DLC. Tiny Tina is one character who immediately springs to mind here, with her playing a prominent role in the series sinceBorderlands 2, and her name even gracing the title of both a standalone DLC and a full-length spinoff. Tina hasn’t appeared in any of the marketing forBorderlands 4just yet, so there’s a slight possibility Gearbox could be saving her return for the game’s DLC.
Mad Moxxi has been around for even longer than Tiny Tina, making her original debut all the way back in 2009’sBorderlands. She’s been part of some of themost memorable missions inBorderlandshistory, and the best way to elevate her character inBorderlands 4is to finally make her playable via DLC. The same can be said for Tannis, another NPC who’s played a vital role in the ongoing narrative since the franchise’s inception.
A more obscure pick, but arguably one that would make fans happier than any of the above choices, is Mr. Torgue, the founder of theBorderlandsweapon manufacturerand a common cameo in the series' DLC campaigns. Torgue’s larger-than-life persona and physical build could pave the way for a very fun playable Vault Hunter inBorderlands 4.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequellet players take control of NPCs like Claptrap and Handsome Jack’s body double. It wasn’t a mainline entry, but the precedent is there already.
NPC DLC Hunters Could Please Both Sides of the Borderlands Fan-Base
One portion of theBorderlandsfan-base believes that adding NPCs asplayable Vault Hunterscould risk severely hampering the game’s story, as their pre-established personality and lore could potentially contradict the player’s choices. Additionally, some NPCs could present mechanical issues if they were made playable. For example, it wouldn’t make much sense to buy from a Marcus Kincaid-owned vending machine if fans were playing as Marcus himself.
But DLC might allowBorderlands 4to circumvent these concerns. If the DLC takes place after the main game’s story, thenBorderlands 4doesn’t need to worry about incorporating the newly playable NPC into the DLC’s story content; they can simply be another member of the team helping out.
