Borderlands 4 needs to leave its golden goose in the dust

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Key things

  • The Borderlands 4 trailer suggests Lilith's return with her Phasing a large moon or planet in the sky.
  • Speculations about the return of Handsome Jack as the main villain in BL4 have been refuted by Randy Pitchford.
  • BL4 should move away from Handsome Jack to allow new enemies and characters to grow and also to keep the series from stagnating.



After a long time when Gearbox was radio silent and rumors were the only source of information regarding Borderlands 4the iconic looter-shooter finally made an appearance at Gamescom, sparking plenty of fan theories about what the next installment in the series will be about. Little is known yet, the teaser showed a few familiar elements mixed with new details, all hinting at a big chapter ahead. Borderlands 3The Director's Cut DLC confirmed that Lilith was still alive after the game's finale. Borderlands 4's teaser confirms just that by showing her iconic fiery phoenix in the sky.


Not only that, but Borderlands 4The phoenix preempts the appearance of a giant moon or even a full-fledged planet that teleports in, which is consistent with Lilith's Phasewalk ability, meaning it's probably her doing. Some fans also latched onto the frame displaying the Vault symbol in a way that seemed to match Handsome Jack's scar, as shown in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequelbut this theory was quickly shut down by Randy Pitchford himself, saying it was something “much more dangerous and sinister”. Although this seems to confirm that Handsome Jack will not be Borderlands 4's villain, doesn't confirm if the series is moving away from him.

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Borderlands 4 Risks cementing handsome Jack as the face of the franchise


Why BL4 shouldn't have a handsome Jack

Borderlands 4 it's been a long time coming, and if not delayed, it's likely to launch in fall 2025, about 6 years after BL3. Although Borderlands 3 was a huge game in its own right, moving the series forward in several ways, arguably two steps forward and one step back due to its reliance on Handsome Jack again. It's understandable on the one hand, as Handsome Jack has become the face of the franchise and is also widely regarded as one of the best video game villains ever.

Jack, on the other hand, dominated the whole Borderlands 2was a big part of it Borderlands: The Pre-Sequeland then had a DLC dedicated to his legacy in Borderlands 3 as well as a side quest that highlighted Jack's family's tragic story. With such an imposing shadow on the franchise, it's no surprise BL3The villains have been compared to Handsome Jack and they don't live up to him. So Handsome Jack is “returning” in any shape or form Borderlands 4 it doesn't allow the series to move forward, which is what it desperately needs.


Why Borderlands 4 needs a blank slate without handsome Jack

Handsome Jack is all over the franchise and his likeness also appears in the game Stories from the borderland games at the top of the main line. A brand new enemy will take over the reins Borderlands 4 sounds great, especially if this entity is actually far more dangerous and sinister than Border“Jack, but that's not enough. Instead, the new title should reduce Jack to a footnote, maybe appearing as an easter egg in some dialogue or weapon text and nothing more. Players will most likely remember Jack anyway, but veterans and newcomers alike would benefit from witnessing a blank slate.


Over time it became almost an expectation to see Jack Border games given how often it was used. Removing this familiar element doesn't necessarily seem like the best solution, but it would allow the existing characters to grow more, as well as allowing the new ones to shine brighter. Borderlands 4 has a chance to deliver The Watcher's war, a long part of the series that spawned another big release after Pre-Sequelon which BL3 he didn't really build much. If so, it will need a lot of old and new faces within the game universe – and as many as possible Preliminary continuation is a Handsome Jack game of sorts, The Watcher's war should take place in a universe where Jack is a distant memory.

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