Summary
After more about it was finally revealed in a few trailers throughout 2024,Borderlands 4is now set to launch later this year, with its release date having just been announced at the recent PlayStation State of Play. Fans can now mark September 23 on their calendars for when they can jump intoBorderlands 4and experience what the next entry in Gearbox Software’s long-running looter shooter franchise will bring to the table. Studio members have previously noted thatBL4will be departing from some of the series' established aspects, particularly in shifting to a more serious vibe and story, especially afterBL3was often thought to veer too far into meme-centric comedy and the like.
However, one core design tenet thatBorderlands 4will cling firmly to is the absolutely absurd amount of potential loot for fans to gather in the latest adventure.Borderlandshas always strived to one-up itself in this area, and the upcoming installment promises to continue doing so. But along with the sheer numbers and types of loot,Borderlands 4could look toTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsfor inspirationto put an interesting and rewarding twist on this in the form of the latter’s dice rolling mechanic.
Borderlands 4 Shouldn’t Miss the Opportunity to Incorporate Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands' Dice-Rolling Loot Mechanic
Rolling Dice for Loot in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Was One of its Best Components
With its roots inBorderlands 2’s Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep DLC, based on Bunkers & Badasses–theBorderlandsworld’s version ofDungeons & Dragons–Tiny Tina’s Wonderlandsembraced the flair andappeal of a tabletop RPGwhile melding them withBL’s recognizable sensibilities to great effect. One of the most fitting ways it did so was having players roll 20-sided dice to determine the quality of loot found in treasure chests. This was a natural fit for its framework, and incredibly effective at creating tension and thrills whenever players came upon a new trove.
Additionally, players could discover Lucky Dice throughoutTTW’s maps, permanently increasing the associated luck stat and thus the chances of coveted epic and legendary gear popping out of each chest they rolled for. It made for an intrinsically appealing and satisfying loop, complementing the central loot system, and is an idea thatBorderlands 4could adopt as well.
ATiny Tina’s Wonderlandssequel was allegedly canceledby Gearbox, though the developer did not officially comment on it.
How Borderlands 4 Could Incorporate Dice-Rolling for Loot
WithBorderlands 4taking a turn into darker territoryand moving away from some of the prior tones, the fourth entry looks to be substantially shaking some things up. Along with the part its new antagonist, The Timekeeper, will play, another question is howBorderlands' arms dealers might factor in. Traditionally, manufacturers like Maliwan and others were present in the story to some degree, and this could be an avenue forBL4to feature a dice rolling mechanic similar toTiny Tina’s Wonderlands.
The Timekeeperis implied to have reality-warping powers, and this could lead to a version of the universe wherein the various corporations have introduced something like “dice-locked” chests, resembling those fromTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsbut with the aesthetics to match the respective companies andBorderlands 4’s new vision. Even if not every loot chest’s reward is based on dice rolls, The Timekeeper’s influence and meddling might result in certain regions having them or limiting the mechanic only to special chests, which would provide a good balance between traditional loot sources and specific dice-based ones like those inTTW.
Though theinformation aboutBorderlands 4so farcontains no hints of having loot decided by dice-rolls, another option would be to add this in a post-launch update or major expansion. Perhaps what would be most embraced by fans is another Assault on Dragon Keep-styled DLC that reintroduces it, serving as a kind of followup to both it andTTW.The dice-rolling mechanic was a fun inclusion that gave one ofBorderlands' staple elements an excellent spin, and it would be great if Gearbox considered bringing it back forBL4in some way.
