Borderlands 4's launch is just around the corner. The fourth major installment in Gearbox Software's storied looter-shooter series will be arriving September 12, and the buzz around the upcoming entry has been largely positive. The studio has been hard at work updating fans and drip-feeding reveals regarding how Borderlands 4 will be aiming to course correct from some of the missteps that BL3 is acknowledged to have taken. Along with this, the new batch of Vault Hunters have been shown off in more detail, giving players a good idea of their personalities and playstyles.
As the countdown to release ticks closer, fans are also already looking forward to the post-launch support and additions that Gearbox has in store. The initial outline for Borderlands 4's roadmap promises a number of exciting updates, with one of the biggest being a major story-based DLC that, in keeping with tradition, will introduce a new Vault Hunter. And based on the few hints about this new Hunter, they could fill a big role that's suspiciously missing from the first four.
Borderlands 4's First DLC's Vault Hunter Looks Like They Might be a Sniper or Sharpshooter
Borderlands 4's Initial Wave of Vault Hunters Lacks a Dedicated Stealthier Class
Going back to the original title and in each of the subsequent ones, Borderlands has usually had a sniper or similar character class as part of its core group of Vault Hunters. The three numbered entries saw the likes of Mordecai, Zer0 and FL4K, each of which filled the role. There was also Nisha from Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel who served to fill the spot. However, Borderlands 4 seems to be bucking this tradition, as its new cast is generally more versatile, with each Hunter appearing not to strictly adhere to or conform as closely as in the past. Instead, the latest batch and their associated skills seem to lean into more of a jack-of-all trades in many ways.
Broadly, though, the first four Vault Hunter classes could be categorized as:
- Vex- Siren
- Amon- Berserker/Tank
- Rafa- Soldier/Operative
- Harlowe- Scientist/Inventor
Noticeably absent is a sniper or gunslinger-type character. But Borderlands does have a tradition of adding in specific class-based Hunters in later content, with Aurelia Hammerlock and Handsome Jack's beleaguered body double, Timothy Lawrence, being some of the previous inclusions. Thus, it could be the case that Gearbox is saving a sniper for the first DLC.
Why Borderlands 4's DLC Vault Hunter Could be the Missing Sniper Class
Borderlands 4's first DLC is titled Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned, and is stated to be based around a cosmic horror tale similar to BL3' s Guns, Love, and Tentacles expansion, but perhaps taking this angle even further given that Borderlands 4's tone will be darker in general compared to previous directions. Over on the game's official Reddit, users have been widely speculating about the DLC's Vault Hunter based on the vague image that Gearbox has teased. Looking to don a plumed hat and a perhaps feathered cloak, this provides a few initial hints of their nature, as they could be something like an intergalactic monster hunter, fitting the sniper/hunter role and the DLC's framework.
Additionally, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has said that this Vault Hunter "has a lot up their sleeve." Some have taken this to mean literally, possibly as a character with multiple appendages, which would surely be a big advantage if they are indeed a gunslinging sharpshooter of some kind. Additionally, one of the scrapped concepts for Zane had the Borderlands 3 character donning a similar-looking hat with multiple arms, meaning Gearbox may have looped back to that concept for this new Vault Hunter. Gearbox will likely reveal more tidbits about this mysterious figure after launch, and while it remains to be seen for now what the exact nature of Borderlands 4's first DLC new VH will be, the clues in place seem to suggest they are a sniper or related character, which will surely satisfy players who prefer that style and build.
Borderlands 4
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- September 12, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
