This Scrapped Borderlands Vault Hunter Concept Doesn’t Have to Stay on the Cutting Room Floor

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In the community of Borderlands fans, there’s a common belief that Borderlands 3 from 2019 falls short compared to its predecessors in terms of quality. Although the core gameplay mechanics of Gearbox Software’s popular title are arguably the best the series has ever offered, the humor, villains, and overall writing have received significant criticism. Fans argue that Borderlands 3 leans too heavily on tough-to-defeat enemies and boss fights, which diminishes the strategic aspect of its combat. Additionally, some criticize the game’s endgame balance, cluttered interface, excessive paid DLCs, and lack of overall polish.

One aspect of Borderlands 3 that has received less criticism is its playable characters. Similar to previous mainline Borderlands games, Borderlands 3 offers four Vault Hunters for players to select, each with their own unique talents and abilities. From a gameplay standpoint, the diversity of characters in Borderlands 3 is impressive, spanning from Amara, a Siren adept at close-quarters combat, to Moze, who heavily utilizes explosives as a Gunner. Although the Vault Hunters in Borderlands 3 are all unique from one another, FL4K the Beastmaster was initially intended to have a different appearance and gameplay style compared to the rest of the characters.

Borderlands 3’s Scrapped FL4K Character Designs Shouldn’t Go to Waste

FL4K is a Robot Who Loves Animals in the Final Version of Borderlands 3

In the released version of Borderlands 3, the character FL4K is depicted as a enigmatic robot with a soft spot for various animals. Before the game’s storyline, FL4K functioned as an Indexing Unit under someone called the Grand Archivist. After developing self-awareness and a thirst for violence, their employment ended prematurely. Instead, they embarked on a personal quest across the cosmos to find answers. Accompanied by a pet animal, FL4K adheres to a hunting lifestyle as a means of appeasing Mistress Death, their representation of death itself.

It remains a mystery as to why FL4K became self-aware, and it’s uncertain what specific tasks they were performing while serving under the Grand Archivist.

FL4K Had Several Fantasy-Inspired Character Designs, Which Were Scrapped by Gearbox Mid-Development

Initially, the character FL4K wasn’t initially intended to be a robot; instead, they were originally designed as a high-tech, Robin Hood-esque figure with a flamboyant persona and a fondness for sniper rifles, as detailed in The Art of Borderlands 3. However, during the game’s development, FL4K underwent multiple transformations, including a redesign that resembled an elf. Despite these changes, one consistent aspect was FL4K’s affection for animals throughout all versions of the character.

Among the unrealized versions of the character FL4K, the elf-like depiction is particularly intriguing. In some early concept art for FL4K, as showcased in the “Art of Borderlands 3” book, the character is portrayed as a blue-skinned, pointed-eared figure wielding a scythe, adorned with spikes on their attire, and accompanied by a dragon-like creature. Though visually striking, this design for FL4K, along with other fantasy-inspired variations, was abandoned by Gearbox since they didn’t align with the science fiction atmosphere of the game.

Gearbox Could Use FL4K’s Scrapped Elf-Like Concept for a Character in a New Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Game

Although it’s understandable why FL4K was made a robot rather than an elf in Borderlands, it might be intriguing to see a Vault Hunter resembling earlier concepts of FL4K in a future Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands installment. While such a character wouldn’t fit well in a mainline Borderlands game, they could work perfectly in a fantasy-themed sequel like Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands 2, given the success of the first game and the likelihood of more entries in the series. If Gearbox decides to create Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands 2, it would be great if they could incorporate some of the discarded character designs from Borderlands 3 into the new game.

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2025-07-25 17:36