Borderlands 4’s State of Play Should Leave One Question Unanswered

Among the most anticipated video games of 2025 is Borderlands 4, the next mainline entry in the series that fans have been waiting for since the release of Borderlands 3 in 2019. While Gearbox has divulged plenty of concrete details about Borderlands 4‘s world already via a couple of trailers — its new antagonist, planet, Vault Hunters, and some new abilities — there is still a lot left unknown about the game, particularly when it comes to its story and gameplay mechanics. Thankfully, Borderlands 4 has a Spring 2025 State of Play showcase waiting for fans just around the corner that will disclose a bit more about the game, but it would still be wise to leave one question unanswered.

During the February 12, 2025 State of Play, Gearbox announced Borderlands 4‘s upcoming Spring 2025 State of Play showcase will offer an in-depth look at the game’s features, including combat mechanics, Vault Hunters, action skills, exploration, and discovery. That doesn’t sound like the showcase will reveal any crucial details about Borderlands 4‘s story, but Gearbox may nonetheless be tempted to tease such details or at least provide a very limited glance at them. It may also be impossible to explain some of the game’s features without digging into the story a bit. While that’s understandable, it should avoid venturing into spoiler territory with one of Borderlands 3‘s biggest unresolved mysteries: Lilith’s fate.

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Lilith’s Fate Should Remain a Mystery After Borderlands 4’s State of Play

Keeping Lilith’s Fate a Mystery Would Preserve Narrative Tension From Borderlands 3

At the end of Borderlands 3, Lilith sacrifices herself to stop Elpis from crashing into Pandora, eventually disappearing in a flash of Eridian energy. Her fate afterward was left intentionally ambiguous, although she seems to appear in Borderlands 4‘s first trailer. In Borderlands 4‘s teaser trailer, Lilith’s Firehawk symbol appears in space above the game’s new planet Kairos, after which Elpis is teleported into said space and is shown crashing into what seems to be a protective shield cloaking the planet. Despite her symbol appearing in the sky, Lilith’s fate from there is still unknown, and it should stay that way.

Maintaining the mystery surrounding Lilith’s fate in Borderlands 4‘s next State of Play showcase is in the story’s best interest, as it would preserve narrative tension from Borderlands 3. Ultimately, leaving that thread unresolved keeps fans speculating on her fate, whether it be that she died, became Eridian, or something else entirely. That continued speculation then fuels long-term engagement all the way into Borderlands 4‘s September 2025 launch, giving it a powerful story hook that it can pull on later.

Keeping Lilith’s Fate a Mystery Would Allow New Characters to Shine

Apart from preserving narrative tension, leaving Lilith’s fate a mystery would also allow Borderlands 4‘s new characters a chance to shine. Focusing more on Borderlands 4‘s new Vault Hunters or underused characters like Ava, Tannis, or Rhys may require avoiding Lilith’s story altogether, especially considering the emotional weight of her character as one of the series’ foundational Vault Hunters. By keeping Lilith’s fate vague, Borderlands 4 avoids overshadowing any newcomers with a fan-favorite character, which is all but necessary unless the game plans to make Lilith a significant focus in its story.

However, whether Lilith ultimately plays a central role in Borderlands 4 or not, her fate shouldn’t be explained until the story does so itself. The Spring 2025 State of Play is the perfect opportunity for Borderlands 4 to double down on that mystery by not even touching it the slightest bit. In doing so, Borderlands 4 can save what may be its biggest story reveal for when it’s actually played, and that will arguably only help it in the long run.

Looter Shooter

Action

Adventure

RPG

Released

September 23, 2025

ESRB

Rating Pending