Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Tales from the Borderlands and Borderlands 3 One of the reasons that Borderlands 2 is so beloved is that it felt like a game that kept on giving. Not only did it get a Season Pass full of top-notch expansions, but it received two extra Vault Hunters for players to fall in love with, those being Gaige the Mechromancer and Krieg the Psycho. Players received an extra level pack to further progress their characters, and small Headhunter Packs released to give gamers some additional boss fights and cosmetics. If that was not enough, after fans thought support for the game had come to an end, Commander Lilith and the Fight for Sanctuary released - an approach Borderlands 4 should strive to replicate.
This final expansion for Borderlands 2 contained everything that predecessors like Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep had to offer. Players could experience new story quests, collect fresh gear for their Vault Hunters, and battle another raid boss for the best possible loot drops. While the DLC was good on its own, it also served as a way to advertise Borderlands 3, wrapping up loose ends in the story and properly setting up the sequel. With fans flocking back to Borderlands 2 to prepare for Borderlands 3 and get themselves excited, Gearbox should see if lightning can strike twice by using this method once again.
Borderlands 3 Deserves Its Own Fight For Sanctuary
While fans were quick to criticize Borderlands 3 for its issues, like the main story of the title that was available at launch, the gameplay of the looter shooter is phenomenal. Additionally, fans were far more positive on the expansions, with the stories they told all being praised. As such, fans would likely be very willing to return to Borderlands 3 if it received a bit of new content - especially if that content was free of charge like Commander Lilith was in its initial run.
Players will now need to pay the standard $15 to access Commander Lilith and the Fight for Sanctuary, but the expansion was free of charge during its first month of availability. Most players jumped on the chance to download the DLC for free, as this was the icing on the cake for an already exciting content drop. If Gearbox wanted to get as many people as possible back into Borderlands 3 to play the DLC - a move that could encourage some of them to catch up on any paid content they might not have played yet - another free release like Commander Lilith and the Fight for Sanctuary would be ideal.
Fight for Sanctuary not only featured some overpowered Borderlands weapons and fun new challenges to overcome, but also a meaningful quest that focused on Scooter’s funeral. Saying goodbye to Scooter was an emotional moment for fans, and one that they appreciated after his fairly quick death in the original Tales from the Borderlands. A hypothetical Borderlands 3 DLC in the same vein as Fight for Sanctuary could deliver a very similar side questline focused on Maya, a character that fans wish had a better sendoff in Borderlands 3.
While releasing the scrapped Maya’s Funeral cutscene was a good gesture, some side quests where characters like Ava, Krieg, and the Borderlands 3 Vault Hunters say a proper goodbye would be lovely. Beyond that, the expansion could feature another traditional raid boss since Borderlands 3 only has one right now, as well as some more legendary weapons. It could also end with a huge teaser for the Borderlands 4 story, possibly showing players where exactly Lilith has gone to after she flew into Elpis.
While Borderlands 3 is several years old now, Borderlands 2 was even older when it received the Commander Lilith DLC. As such, it is not out of the realm of possibility that a surprise expansion is released for Borderlands 3 whenever Borderlands 4 is revealed. Though there are easier, more traditional ways to build hype for Borderlands 4, this method would surely be the most exciting one for fans of the franchise.