Like its previous iterations, Borderlands 4 will likely come to be known for its bandit-blasting, boss-bombing, and loot-loving gameplay. This tradition was set in Borderlands 1, and it shows no sign of stopping in the future. However, the next installment to the Borderlands franchise has the chance to do something more with PvP multiplayer action.
In the past, very little has been implemented in the way of PvP. The franchise has never attempted doing so outside of player duels, which is a bit of a missed opportunity. Its implementation in Borderlands 4 could give it the proper makeover that it deserves.
Bringing PvP to a PvE Borderlands
Borderlands' deepest dive into the PvP scene actually goes back as far as Borderlands 1. The game featured three different arenas that provided various advantages and disadvantages for different characters. However, these arenas would later be converted to the round-based PvE arenas seen in Borderlands 2. It seems that Gearbox Software realized the limitations of PvP in a game built around PvE aspects and decided to call it quits. Some of Borderlands' best legendary weapons and abilities trivialized the experience. From then on, Borderlands games would be limited to just dueling.
Despite many being satisfied with calling it there, it may in fact have been a missed opportunity. While its true that Borderlands is a PvE franchise first, that doesn't mean PvP can't have a place in future installment. Duels are a welcome feature, but their addition seems like a tacked on feature more than anything substantial. Aside from betting on guns, it holds little relevance at all to the game. The potential for chaotic but fun gameplay through PvP is nearly limitless, and would be the continuation of Borderlands' iconic core aspects. However, the lack of PvP in Tiny Tina's Wonderlands doesn't inspire much confidence for the future for this idea.
One of Borderlands' best opportunities for PvP actually came through Borderlands 3's Arms Race DLC. In it, players entered a map with none of their guns or abilities, forced to use what they scavenge from the map in order to defeat a boss. This game mode was seemingly heavily influenced by battle royale games such as Fortnite, but without the PvP. However, a PvP mode similar to the Arms Race DLC would solve a lot of the issues players had with PvP originally. Not only can it limit what kinds of guns players get, only allowing them ones that are balanced for PvP, but it can reward them with more guns to use in PvE as well. That way, it satisfies both PvE and PvP players while staying balanced.
Game modes that control or limit the abilities of certain guns would be the key to making PvP work. Disabling class abilities or reworking them to be balanced for PvP would also solve the issue of classes with more potent skills. Borderlands games aren't inherently antithetical to the idea of PvP, as at the end of the day, it is still a first-person shooter. By tweaking the aspects that make PvP incredibly unbalanced, Gearbox Software can create a game that is conducive to a PvP environment, while also staying separate from the PvE aspects that fans have come to love. Not doing so may make it another wasted feature that Borderlands 4 should've capitalized on.
While it's not known how long Borderlands fans will have to wait for the next installment, there is still plenty of time for Gearbox Software rework past features. With any luck, PvP fans might see a PvP game mode in Borderlands 4.