Highlights

  • Borderlands 4 in development with potential new planet locations to explore, expanding beyond Pandora's desert setting.
  • Promethea's futuristic urban aesthetic brought vibrant change to Borderlands universe, likely appearing in BL4.
  • Expect more new locations in Borderlands 4, including possible returns of Athenas and introduction of new planets.

The Borderlands series has been around for nearly fifteen years now, taking players through one of the most bizarre video game universes ever made, where brutal, heartless antagonists threaten and dark, hilarious comedy reigns. Now, Borderlands 4 has recently been confirmed to be in active development, and although its setting, premise, and characters have yet to be revealed, there are a few assumptions that can be made about it based on the series' history. One such assumption revolves around what planet(s) the game may feature, and while the planet Pandora has certainly been the franchise's most prominent setting, some of the more recent Borderlands titles have included another planet that will likely be present in Borderlands 4 as well.

The harsh desert planet of Pandora has all but served its purpose for the Borderlands series, not that it needs to be retired anytime soon. Its brutal, barren wasteland has undoubtedly been the perfect setting for the bandits and mutated creatures that rule its surface. However, Borderlands 3 broke tradition when it introduce d a wider variety of locations — specifically, four new planets — for players to explore, setting a new precedent for the series that's impossible to ignore. Following the release of Borderlands 3, the most recent entry in the series, New Tales From the Borderlands, took place on one of Borderlands 3's most popular planets, which will now more than likely find its way into Borderlands 4 as a result.

Borderlands promo art bandit riding giant bullet
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Promethea Will Most Likely Be One of Borderlands 4's Locations

Promethea's Futuristic Aesthetic Adds Variety to the Borderlands Universe

The main appeal of Promethea is its futuristic urban environments, as they starkly contrast the barren deserts of Pandora. In a first for the Borderlands franchise, Borderlands 3's Promethea featured towering skyscrapers overhead and neon-lit streets filled with danger and intrigue around every corner. It was a fresh change of pace for the series and a welcome one at that. It was much more vibrant and colorful than what fans of the franchise were familiar with, but it effectively added variety where there was otherwise very little.

Promethea returned in New Tales From the Borderlands as the primary backdrop for a battle between the Borderlands manufacturer Tediore and its soldiers and three new playable protagonists. While New Tales is merely a spin-off in the series, its use of Promethea could be a sign of things to come. Furthermore, as New Tales is the most recent Borderlands installment, it gives credence to the notion that Promethea could be returning in Borderlands 4, especially after it also premiered in Borderlands 3.

Possible Locations Old and New For Borderlands 4 Explained

Given Promethea's presence in both Borderlands 3 and New Tales From the Borderlands, the location will more than likely be making its way over to Borderlands 4. It wouldn't make sense for Gearbox to start on this trajectory of adding new planets to the Borderlands universe, especially one as distinct as Promethea, if it didn't intend on staying on it. Additionally, Promethea's potential presence in Borderlands 4 could give way to even more new locations being added.

It's unclear what other locations could be present in Borderlands 4, if any, even though Promethea seems like a shoo-in. When it arrived, it added variety to the franchise's environments that it hadn't seen before, so it would be a shame for it to be missing in the next installment. It's also likely that Borderlands 4 will include other planets. Perhaps Athenas from Borderlands 3 will make a return, but it could be that some new planets are introduced as well. Either way, it will be good to see Promethea back, assuming Borderlands 4 goes in that direction.