No matter where gamers look, the current discussion around Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is mainly negative. This has nothing to do with the core game, as the original campaign and launch content turned out to be a massive hit with fans. However, the main game being so popular has been contrasted with the community’s intense dislike for Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ DLC.
While the disappointment in the short Mirrors of Mystery and their hefty price tags is understandable, there could be a reason why they were released in place of Borderlands’ usual expansions. Though this is purely speculation, it would not be surprising if the star-studded cast for Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands has something to do with traditional, large DLCs not happening.
Potential Scheduling Conflicts Due To Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ Celebrity Cast
Many of the characters at the heart of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands are voiced by some well-known celebrities. For instance, the Dragon Lord is played brilliantly by Will Arnett, with the actor doing a terrific job of making the character’s origin story and sense of humor work so well. Beyond that, Tina’s two companions, Frette and Valentine, are portrayed by Wanda Sykes and Andy Samberg.
While the Dragon Lord might not have been featured in a hypothetical expansion for Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, fans likely would have wanted to see Frette and Valentine brought back. After all, they were a key part of Tina’s Bunkers and Badasses campaign, meaning it would make sense to have them around for any extension of it. Both Sykes and Samberg are busy people, though, and scheduling conflicts could have come up if they were asked to return for DLC. They may have only signed on for the main game, too, meaning a new deal would need to be struck.
The Mirrors of Mystery are a perfect solution on paper, as they introduce Vesper to tell the stories that take place within them - meaning that Tina’s talented actress Ashly Burch also does not need to be present for the DLC. Fans would likely expect to see Frette and Valentine in a full expansion, and Tina would be an absolute must, so this could be a major reason why Gearbox sought out an alternative to expansions with Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Expansions Could Feature a New Cast
Still, fans are desperate for Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands to get a second Season Pass with old school expansions. Fortunately, this could happen even if Sykes and Samberg are unable to return. Tina can explain that they fixed their ship and flew back into outer space, revealing that some new companions have sat down with the newbie to play a short game of Bunkers and Badasses. From Mad Moxxi to Zer0, there are plenty of fun options for Gearbox to choose from, and getting the actors for these characters back could be easier.
Even if Ashly Burch was unable to return, Tina herself could have her game hijacked in an expansion, with someone like Claptrap taking over to make a truly ridiculous campaign where he is no longer the butt of any jokes. Gaige would be a fun Bunkermaster, too, as would the Psycho Krieg, with the former providing a robot-focused campaign and the latter's story full of ridiculous moments. While there could be other reasons why Gearbox chose not to release true expansions for Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, the game’s stacked cast of actors may have been one of them. If it was a factor, though, there are still ways that the studio can work around the issue to craft some expansions.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
