The big Director’s Cut expansion for Borderlands 3 is set to launch on April 8, meaning that fans only have a few days left before they can enjoy all the game’s new content. Whether it be battling the new raid boss Hemovorous The Invincible, completing challenges to unlock Vault Card rewards, or solving murder mysteries with Ava, there will be a lot more to do in the game next week.
However, Borderlands 3 fans may want to prepare for a big surprise within the Director’s Cut. Based on what has been said about the expansion pack’s content thus far, some interesting decisions are being made with the DLC’s new quest line. Though this is purely theorizing and speculation, it certainly seems plausible that the Director’s Cut quests could set up the next Borderlands game in a big way.
The Timing Of The Director’s Cut
For starters, the Director’s Cut seems poised to be the last piece of DLC content released for Borderlands 3. While Gearbox could surprise fans with a third Borderlands Season Pass, this seems unlikely, as any further expansion ideas could be saved for a sequel instead. If this is indeed the case, and the Director’s Cut DLC is the last major content release for the game, it would make sense for Gearbox to build up hype for whatever is coming next for Borderlands.
After all, past Borderlands games have all concluded with cliffhangers. The original Borderlands title teased players with the Hyperion satellite, eventually setting up the connection between Angel and the company. Borderlands 2 revealed that there were multiple Vaults scattered throughout the solar system, hinting heavily at a galaxy-hopping affair that would eventually be Borderlands 3. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel hyped up the Watcher’s War, something that would be awesome to see brought to life one day.
Borderlands 3's ending, on the other hand, makes it the one entry in the series that does not conclude with a massive cliffhanger. Instead, players see the beloved Siren Lilith sacrificing herself to stop the destruction of Pandora, with the character either dead or missing as the credits roll. Closing on a rather somber note, players have no real indication of where the story will be going next. While this does allow Gearbox the freedom to do whatever it wants in the next game, whether that be finding Lilith or introducing fresh planets to explore, it goes against the formula that has been established thus far. However, the Director’s Cut could rectify this, with the new murder mystery quests possibly setting up the next big chapter of Borderlands’ story.
The Importance Of Ava’s Involvement
While players may be bummed to see Ava involved given the overall reception to the character, her involvement immediately raises the stakes of what is going on. After all, Gearbox could have told another story unrelated to the main plot. As shown with the four expansions from the first Season Pass, there is no shortage of Vault Hunters that could be brought back to build a DLC around. Likewise, Bounty of Blood showed that original characters like Butcher Rose can be just as run, with self-contained narratives fitting well in the Borderlands universe. However, Gearbox has made the conscious decision to incorporate Ava into this DLC story.
While this move could simply be the developer trying to improve the character of Ava prior to Borderlands 4, it could also mean so much more. After all, the original description of this new quest line hinted that the expansion will “send ripples throughout Borderlands 3’s story,” all but confirming that something major will happen during the missions. Ava’s involvement could imply that the paranormal murders are Siren-related, possibly introducing a brand new character to the mix — or even showcasing a new version of an old one.
While the DLC story does seemingly have a light-hearted tone, as Ava will be documenting findings via a podcast, Borderlands has always worked serious moments into even the most lighthearted of narratives. After all, the excellent Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep expansion proves that even the funniest moments can have a huge meaning behind them, and a similar twist could happen during these murder mysteries. While things may be all fun and games early on, players could see the crimes getting grislier and more worrying the further things go. At the end of the missions, the discovery of the killer could possibly be a huge reveal that sets up the main story of Borderlands 4.
What The DLC Could Be Setting Up
One of the best theories at the moment regarding who the murderer could be suggests that none other than Lilith will be behind the killings. While players have been quick to doubt her death during the finale of Borderlands 3 due to it happening off-screen, this would be quite the twist. Still, it seems like anything is possible in the Borderlands franchise, making it is easy to justify such a turn. Some kind of outer space force could have corrupted Lilith, turning her evil and making her a major threat for the remaining Crimson Raiders. At the same time, Lilith’s old personality may have faded away, with the Siren fully embracing the power of the Firehawk.
Considering that the murders are “seemingly paranormal,” a dead character could be involved in the killings. Maya would be interesting to see involved somehow, as many fans have not yet gotten over her death. The Calypso Twins could see their story expanded upon, while Aurelia Hammerlock could be seeking vengeance from the grave. At the same time, they take place on multiple planets, suggesting that whoever the killer is has a way to get around easily. This could mean that a new character is getting involved in the story, though like everything else, this is purely speculation.
While there is certainly room for the murderer to be a throwaway villain that is used as a one-off threat to fight at the end of the quest line, Gearbox could be setting up Borderlands 4’s villain. A proper cliffhanger could reveal this new threat, giving dedicated Borderlands fans something to be excited about as they wait for the entry in the series. Regardless of whether this killer is a corrupt Lilith, undead adversary, or a new addition to the cast, it would make sense for these missions to be a big deal. After all, involving Ava again and telling a story connected to the main campaign implies that something meaningful will happen. While this may just be some much-needed character work with Ava, it would be great to see some kind of reveal or cliffhanger as well.
Borderlands 3 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.