Borderlands 3 has announced what its Director’s Cut will include, with the pack bringing a series of murder mystery missions to the game alongside a raid boss and a battle pass-like progression system. This new Borderlands 3 DLC will also be mirroring the Designer’s Cut expansion by providing players with a new set of heads and skins for each Vault Hunter. Functioning as the game’s second Multiverse cosmetic pack, the outfits showcase what the four playable characters would look like if they came from a different universe.
While these Borderlands 3 costumes offer some of the coolest and most unique designs in the game, they also set up some interesting possibilities for future games and expansions. Though this is purely speculation and the Multiverse skins could simply be Gearbox making some special outfits for the Borderlands 3 Vault Hunters, the outfit pack could also be indicative of something more.
If a Borderlands Multiverse is more than must a cool idea for some themed costumes, Gearbox will have limitless ideas for future titles. Much like the Marvel and DC comics Multiverses create worlds of possibilities for the characters fans know and love, a Borderlands Multiverse could do the same — and it is hard not to think about what could come from such an idea.
In Borderlands 3, there is no shortage of cool and silly designs to equip Vault Hunters with. Players can swap Fl4k’s head out with a TV, while Bloody Harvest players can give Zane a wolf head. Every Vault Hunter can wear the head of a horse, making it clear that some cosmetics are simply just for fun. However, what makes these Borderlands Multiverse skin packs so different is the fact that Gearbox has gone out of its way to create backstories for them. Rather than being just another fun or badass costume, each new version of the four main Vault Hunters has an entirely different character arc tied to them.
For example, Multiverse Final Form Fl4k is nothing like the Pack leader and hunter seen in the main story of Borderlands 3. In an alternate universe, Fl4k becomes a historian called the Grand Archivist, protecting a library full of ancient knowledge from those that would attempt to steal its contents. Moze, on the other hand, never leaves the Vladof army — boasting a lengthy career as a soldier that sees her become Commissar Andreyevna. Amara leans into her persona as a vigilante, donning a tiger mask and fully focusing on fighting crime, while Zane uses technology to extend his career as a mercenary and Hitman. If these were just throwaway skins, providing such intriguing backstories for them seems unnecessary, and implies that the Borderlands Multiverse could actually be real.
Borderlands 3’s latest Multiverse skins continue the tradition of providing backstory for the costumes, depicting the collection of Vault Hunters had they joined the Children of the Vault instead of the Crimson Raiders. These Disciples of the Vault skins, while incredibly cool, also inspire fans to think of several other scenarios regarding previous Borderlands moments. What if Handsome Jack succeeded with his plans and used The Warrior to rebuild Pandora in his image? What if Roland never died, and went on to have a family with Lilith? Tiny Tina could not even be Tiny Tina, as one universe could see her parents never being experimented on and killed by Hyperion in the first place. There are endless ideas that could come from such a Multiverse, and these skins could very well be Gearbox testing the waters for such an idea.
Much like Marvel’s What If? TV series, a new Borderlands game or Borderlands 3 expansion can explore the potential that the Multiverse provides. To continue the Marvel comparison, an event like House of M could see one character opening the Multiverse to change everything because of someone they lost. Perhaps Krieg regresses and takes a step back from the progress he made in Borderlands 3’s Fantastic Fustercluck expansion, finding a way to open the Multiverse in a hope that he can be with Maya again.
Someone could get ahold of Tannis, forcing the genius siren to open a portal to different dimensions. The best possible answer could see players getting an explanation on where Fiona went at the end of Tales from the Borderlands, with the character flung into some distant Multiverse — explaining her absence from Borderlands 3.
Regardless of how players are introduced to the Multiverse, though, it could be an incredibly fun and interesting way to introduce different versions of popular characters. Perhaps Handsome Jack is a hero in one universe, aiding players on their journey to take down a corrupt Lilith that goes too far with her Eridium addiction. Another universe could show what would have happened if Claptrap’s Revolution from Borderlands 1 was successful, while Dr. Ned’s zombie hordes could make a return in another universe. Different takes on the Calypso Twins, Marcus, and Ava are all possible too, creating versions of the cast that players love or hate even more than the originals.
The same logic applies to Borderlands 3’s planets as well. While the latest game in the series explored some of the Galaxy and sets up opportunities for future titles to push the envelope even further, a Multiverse game could let players see these planets in a different light. While Pandora could keep some of the same core locations, it could go from a barren Desert to a land covered with water. Eden 6’s forests could be burned down via a natural disaster, while Love and Tentacles’ Xylourgos could be hit with a major heat wave. A Multiverse game could give Gearbox the chance to both reuse resources and bring players back to nostalgic locations while also giving them an entirely different feel.
While the Borderlands franchise boasts several iconic characters, it also features gameplay systems that could be enhanced by the use of the Multiverse. While Borderlands already offers players an absurd number of weapons, entering the Multiverse could immediately expands upon the lineup. Keeping with Borderlands’ humor, perhaps one universe sees characters making and holding weapons upside down, giving players a bunch of ugly and goofy looking guns to add to their collection. Another universe may not have even invented guns, shocking Borderlands’ characters and players alike while opening the door for a proper melee weapon system to come to Borderlands for the very first time.
Apart from more unique gun opportunities, a multiverse-focused Borderlands game could allow for the use of an ambitious new mission system. Of all the games to pull from, Crash Bandicoot 4 and its Mirror Mode would be the least expected — but could also be one of the most exciting if used correctly. After Borderlands fans finish the main story in a hypothetical multiverse game, their new game+ playthrough could swap the roles of characters.
For example, perhaps the annoying yet lovable Claptrap was a hero in one version of the story, but in the next he was the main villain. In another, he may only be a supporting character. While this would require each voice actor to record lots of dialogue, it could make every playthrough a bit different, adding to the game’s replayability by encouraging players to find wacky combinations and storylines.
Lastly, it is entirely possible that a Borderlands Multiverse game would be big enough for Gearbox to take on a whole new genre. With endless possibilities available to players, they can create an endless number of Vault Hunters via an MMO. Players can explore a universe like the one seen in No Man’s Sky, with said universe being filled with randomly generated stories and characters. While still following a set pattern with certain story beats and themes, every experience could be different. Though it would be highly experimental and require a big risk on Gearbox’s end, as an MMO would move away from the co-op looter shooter gameplay Borderlands is known for, it could still prove to be incredibly interesting.
Regardless of whether it comes with a new type of gameplay, though, the Multiverse hinted at by Borderlands 3’s recent skin packs should be explored at some point. Even if it only happens through an expansion, introducing different versions of living and dead characters could be fun for both the Borderlands writers and the fans — expanding the series’ growing story even further with bold new takes on series icons.
Borderlands 3 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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