Borderlands 4 made a big splash at the Game Awards 2024 with its revealing new trailer. The first teaser for the next installment in the premier looter shooter series hit many different notes: looking at the new vault hunters for Borderlands 4updates on fan favorite characters and of course tons of new weapons. But perhaps more interesting than anything else was the first look at some of the story beats in the fourth game, including a first look at the next villain trying to take over Pandora.
The story i Borderlands 3 was somewhat of a weak point for the title, with many fans citing the Calypso Twins' inferiority to its handsome predecessor as a reason why the threequel did not reach the same heights as previous installments. A key moment in the trailer may indicate that Borderlands 4s story intends to take the series to the next level by finally addressing one of the most mysterious dangling plot threads from one of the series' most underrated entries.
Family
One Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel feature should live on in new forms in BL4
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel had a lot of unique ideas built into it, and one of them deserves to be brought back in Borderlands 4.
Borderlands 4 Looks Like It's Finally Delivering on Watchers' 'Vault Hunter War'
A plot line ten years in the making
Although sometimes overlooked, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel may have posted the plot too Borderlands 4 a full decade ago, back in 2014. That game ends with the Watcher, an enigmatic alien entity making itself known on the Sanctuary before ominously warning the characters of an impending war that would require all the Vault Hunters they could get. The subsequent Holodome DLC revealed that Axton and Gaige had been off-world looking to recruit Aurelia, but after that the “war” became something of an afterthought.
Borderlands 3 largely ignores this plot thread in favor of focusing on Calypsos and the Children of the Vault Cult, but the first looks at Borderlands 4 could indicate that Gearbox is dusting off the Watchers' long-predicted war. Borderlands 4s reveal trailer shows hordes and hordes of enemies rushing headlong into battle with the game's four new Vault Hunters standing in their way.
It's far more “war-like” visuals than the series has arguably delved into in the past and a possible sign from Gearbox that it will finally deliver on the promise of Pre-Sequel. The new villain of Borderlands 4The timer, is something of an enigma right now. There's no telling their exact motives, but whatever they are, it seems they're willing to bring an army to help them achieve their own goals.
As exciting as Vault Hunter War is, it's good that the series is moving on to new stories
The Watcher was a mysterious player in The prequelonly appears on the screen twice during the game's run. Almost nothing is known about it except the fact that it is definitely Eridian in origin. This war, and perhaps even the Timekeeper, can also trace their origins back to Borderlands the series' most enigmatic faction. This would certainly explain why the Watcher was so early aware of the inevitable danger. The war may well be the result of a resurgence of the Eridian presence in the galaxy, as most longtime fans of the series will agree that they are not entirely convinced that all Eridians are extinct.
Regardless of the exact details of the conflict Borderlands 4there's a distinct chance that it involves the Vault Hunter War players have been waiting for since 2014. If so, it's good that Gearbox is finally delivering on it, as it's been by far the biggest delay Borderlands plot thread that has been left unaddressed and unresolved. Closing the book on the Watcher's War would allow the series to continue moving forward with new ideas and concepts, and provide a long-awaited resolution to the most underrated game in the series.
Borderlands 4
See if you have what it takes to go down in history as a legendary Vault Hunter as you search for secret alien treasure and blow up everything in sight.
Looter Shooter
Action
Adventure
RPG
- Franchise
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Borderlands
- Released
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2025-00-00
