Gearbox Software and 2K's New Tales from the Borderlands has driven a lot of conversation among the franchise's fans. From unexpected character returns to potential sequels set-ups, New Tales from the Borderlands was a bombastic and humorous return to the world of Borderlands. Many have praised the game's comedic elements and the addition of characters like the debonair assassin bot LOU13, but some felt the story and the overall gameplay were a little lacking.
There are still many aspects of New Tales from the Borderlands to love, like the widening of Borderlands' universe by exploring Promethea. Beyond continuing the franchise's signature sense of humor and adding more compelling anti-heroes to Borderlands' huge roster, New Tales from the Borderlands also upholds the series' record of good LGBTQIA+ representation. With Lor's surprising return, Borderlands has demonstrated its commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Lor's Borderlands Journey
Lor, first introduced in Borderlands 3 under the name Lorelei, is a resident of Promethea who found themselves caught up in the Maliwan attack. Originally a coffee shop worker and acquaintance of series regular Rhys, Lor joined Atlas after the conflict started to help protect his home against the dual threats of a malignant Maliwan and the Children of the Vault, and was instrumental in driving them off. Working together with the Vault Hunters sent by Lilith, Lor is able to help defeat the usurper head of Maliwan: Katagawa Jr.
Lor returns in New Tales from the Borderlands, set one year after these events as Promethea comes under attack once again. Returning to his origins, Lor now runs his own coffee shop and occasionally has friendly run-ins with Fran, one of New Tales from the Borderlands' playable protagonists. Players may have expected some crossover characters given Borderlands 3 and New Tales from the Borderlands' shared narrative aspects, but it was still an unexpected surprise to see that Lor transitioned in the year following the mainline entry's events.
LGBTQIA+ Representation In The Borderlands Franchise
Many games give their players the full freedom of a varied character creator, like Cyberpunk 2077 and Saints Row 4. But barring Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, Borderlands players aren't able to create their own protagonists; they are instead made to choose between pre-built characters with their own designs, personalities, and backstories. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean fans are limited in who they can play as. However, the Borderlands series makes up for this in other ways.
In a series characterized by its entertaining chaos, it can be easy to miss some of its more interesting aspects like Borderlands' decent representation. Borderlands 3 in particular is seen by many as the most LGBTQIA-friendly installment so far, with main characters like the robotic Beastmaster FL4K identifying as non-binary. This was reflective of a member of the Gearbox team who themselves is non-binary, showing that when there is diversity in a game's development, there can be more positive representations within the game as well.
Another playable character in Borderlands 3 who upholds this positive diversity is Zane Flynt, the game's Operative. The former mercenary may appear like a loner, but this pansexual fighter has many partners dotted around various planetary systems. Pansexuality is often an overlooked or discounted area of the sexual identity spectrum, so to have a main character embrace their pan identity felt like a big step forward.
Lor's own journey is surprisingly sensitive and thought-out for a series that's well-known for its violent and irreverent elements. The Lor who players first meet in Borderlands 3 identifies as non-binary, even though they're starting to consider transitioning. In a sci-fi world like that of Borderlands, this is an easy process in practice, but that doesn't mean Lor takes this decision lightly. They recognize this is more than just adapting their body, and when players meet Lor post-transition in New Tales from the Borderlands, it feels like a celebratory moment of self-actualization.
Diverse Representation In Video Games
Trans and gender-nonconforming characters are few and far between in games, and if they do appear they can sometimes be mired in misconceptions and harmful stereotypes. LGBTQIA+ representation in general is something that the video game industry hasn't traditionally gotten right, but thankfully that's started to change in recent years. From major brands like Xbox celebrating Pride Month to popular titles like Destiny 2 adding a trans awareness emblem and The Outer Worlds including an asexual companion, steps are being taken to make sure video games are representative of their audiences and creators.
The list of video game characters who identify beyond cisgendered and straight is growing, and that's a positive sign. Studios may still be receiving some backlash from vocal pockets of the community as a result, but this won't stop the tide of change that continues to sweep through the industry. Many developers rightly recognize the importance of representation and diversity, like Dead by Daylight's Behaviour Interactive which announced last year that it would be collaborating with GaymerX, a non-profit organization dedicated to highlighting LGBTQIA+ voices and stories. This, along with Respawn Entertainment adding the trans character Catalyst to Apex Legends, shows how studios are showing up for previously underrepresented groups.
LGBTQIA+ representation shouldn't just be the tokenistic inclusion of a few characters, and games like Dragon Age, Destiny, and Celeste are increasingly showing how these diverse stories can be explored and enjoyed by different audiences. There may be a long way to go in some respects, but with increasing examples of industry leaders working to improve the overall diversity of games, at least the future is finally looking bright for people who haven't always seen themselves in the games they play.
New Tales from the Borderlands is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.