Highlights

  • Gearbox Software's Borderlands has a vast array of unique and powerful weapons, with nearly one billion guns being attainable in Borderlands 3.
  • Eridian weapons, a nontraditional and alien type of armament, were featured prominently in the original Borderlands but skipped Borderlands 2 and were replaced in Borderlands 3.
  • The possibility of bringing back Eridian weapons in Borderlands 4 has both pros, such as pleasing old school fans or adding variety, and cons, such as wasting a position that could go to a new category of weapons or the guns feeling obsolete due to how easy it is to stay stocked on ammo.

Gearbox Software's Borderlands offers, if nothing else, a gargantuan supply of creative (and in many cases uniquely powerful) weapons. As the popular co-op looter shooter series has endeavored to give fans an ever-growing range of firearms over the course of its 15-year (and counting) history, Borderlands' array of arms, in all their randomized glory, has continued to expand. The developer itself previously stated that, in a conservative estimate, the possibilities within its most recent mainline 2019 release, BL3, number near one billion.

The sheer variety and volume of weapons that the franchise has included is indeed impressive. With such an enormous evolving pool, though, there are inevitably some types that were removed or changed in favor of others, as Gearbox iterated and experimented in each game to give its guns a fresh feel. One class/faction that was seen prominently in the original release, but subsequently less so, are Borderlands' Eridian weapons. Produced and left behind by the mysterious bygone race that forms a core part of the story, these were more nontraditional compared to other weapon choices. In order to keep up the pace of its assortment of arms in the next entry, Gearbox could very well consider reprising Eridian ordinances. However, there are some arguments and reasons both for and against this.

While Borderlands 4 is not at this time officially announced or confirmed, along with some previous leaked information, it is highly rumored and thought to be in some stage of development.

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Related
Borderlands 4 is Going to Need a Trillion Guns

If Gearbox chooses to continue its trend of each Borderlands game having more weapons, Borderlands 4 would need over a trillion.

The Upsides and Drawbacks to Borderlands 4 Possibly Bringing Back Eridian Weapons

Borderlands' Eridian Weapons

As opposed to Borderlands' collection of corporations that often specialize in specific kinds and designs of firearms, Eridian weapons are somewhat more general in nature. Their signature function and design is having unlimited ammo requiring a cooldown (or swap to another gun) and a fittingly alien, living organic appearance. While they were widely available in the original game, they skipped the sequel, and the third title essentially replaced them with the bandits' COV brand, which featured an overheating bar as opposed to the Eridian guns' cooldown/swapout mechanic, although BL3 did have a single legendary Eridian firearm as a main mission reward.

Pros of Borderlands Including Eridian Weapons Again

As Borderlands is famous for its absolutely massive arsenal, it may seem like an obvious and positive choice for Gearbox to throw the Eridian selection of weapons back into the mix for the fourth title. They have an established narrative reason for existing, and seeing them make a return would likely please many fans, while also providing more weapon drop options in terms of parts and raw numbers should they simply be added to the rotation alongside many of the previously seen guns. Eridian weapons can also be interesting to use and play around with, as they may encourage players to switch up from their tried and true tactics to try something ​​​​​more unconventional, and sometimes amusingly unpredictable. If they were updated and/or tweaked, the guns might make for a fun inclusion.

Cons of Borderlands Seeing Eridian Weapons Return

On the other end of the spectrum, reprising Eridian weapons would be something seen before, albeit not for a while, meaning they could feel less interesting than a fully new category of guns. Another factor to consider is that it's not terribly difficult to keep a healthy supply of ammunition in Borderlands, as it is fairly plentiful and easily enough looted or otherwise obtained, making the main draw of Eridian arms somewhat moot in that respect. There is also the chance that the next Borderlands title might introduce a new arms manufacturer, which might render having Eridian weapons return obsolete as well.

Combined with the fact that a lot of other weapons can outclass or outperform the Eridian ones, they can at times feel like a novelty compared to more traditional, but effective options; and in some cases, don't scale or match as well to Vault hunter skills. It will be intriguing to see, though, if or how Gearbox's plans for a possible Borderlands 4 involve reintroducing Eridian gear, or if the studio will surprise fans with something completely new in terms of weapons.