Summary
After the newBorderlands 4trailer was revealed at The Game Awards, fans were quick to notice all the various details and secrets in it, such as how the secret message hinted at by the “Break Free” part of the trailer was decoded just hours later. While the new trailer answers some questions, such as who the big bad is andwhatBorderlands 4’s Vault Hunters look like, there are several lingering doubts about what the story will be like. One quick assumption that many fans made or started speculating on is that the trailer’s big conflict between The Timekeeper’s Order and Queen Callis' Rippers is actually The Watcher’s war.
The Watcher’s foretold war dates back all the way toBorderlands: The Pre-Sequel, and it seemed implied that it would be shown inBorderlands 3- which didn’t happen. Instead,Borderlands 3’s Director’s Cut DLC had The Seer as a boss, with some lines of dialogue hinting at The Watcher and the reason why Sirens are messing with the timeline.Borderlands 4could very well tackle this topic after so many years, especially seeing how The Timekeeper’s army is going up against Queen Callis', but it seems likely that The Watcher’s war is still a few years away.
Why Borderlands 4’s Timekeeper Could Be The Spark For The Watcher’s War
The reason why The Watcher’s war seems like something else entirely is that the Eridian entity mentioned this impending war would be massive and require all the help that Lilith’s crew could get. This is what eventuallysaves Athena’s life at the end ofBorderlands: The Pre-Sequel, as The Watcher stops bullets that would kill her. IfBorderlands 4’s “war” between The Order and The Rippers was meant to be this full-scale conflict that required all Vault Hunters to be involved, one could argue that many more familiar faces would show up during the trailer.
More importantly, this war that The Watcher foretold may have to do with The Timekeeper, but not as one would imagine. ThoughBorderlands 4’s new villainis tied to the Vaults and even seems to be protecting his own at the end of the video, he is not exactly a new entity within the franchise.
In fact, he was mentioned inNyriad’s messages inBorderlands 3alongside The Graveward and The Traveler, with both being Vault Guardians that players defeated inBorderlands 3andTales From The Borderlands, respectively. Given The Timekeeper’s name, it would seem that he may manipulate or control time and the events of the universe - but things may be a bit more complicated.
Why It’s Unlikely That Borderlands 4’s Order vs Rippers Conflict is The Watcher’s War
It may be that “Timekeeper” refers to the content of his Vault being the control over time, and that’s what he is protecting. If he is defeated inBorderlands 4, then it may be thatThe Watcher’s warwill happen in the next game, and it will be one for the control of time. This wouldn’t only mean that some series villains and heroes may return, but also that whoever controls time can go back to the ending of the first game and prevent the Vault Hunters from pushing back The Destroyer.
Borderlands' Destroyeris one of the oldest entities in the universe, and it was sealed within Pandora by the Eridians at the cost of their entire civilization being wiped out. This being has the potential to annihilate all life in the universe, and controlling time in order to bring it back or even stopping the Eridians from sealing it away would have disastrous consequences. As such, it’s more likely thatBorderlands 4’s war is a red herring, and the events of the game may end up creating the context for The Watcher’s war to spark finally.
WHERE TO PLAY
Borderlands 4 brings intense action, badass Vault Hunters, and billions of wild and deadly weapons to an all-new planet ruled by a ruthless tyrant.Crash into Kairos as one of four new Vault Hunters seeking wealth and glory. Wield powerful Action Skills, customize your build with deep skill trees, and dominate enemies with dynamic movement abilities.Break free from the oppressive Timekeeper, a ruthless dictator who dominates the masses from on high. Now a world-altering catastrophe threatens his perfect Order, unleashing mayhem across the planet.Ignite a resistance and blast your way through mechanical monstrosities, bloodthirsty bandits, and vicious beasts. Amass an arsenal of death-dealing firepower to wreak havoc as you tear your way across Kairos.Fight solo or in co-op with up to three other players in this immense sci-fi adventure, packed with free-form combat and exploration, pulse-pounding boss fights, infinitely varied loot drops, and an eclectic cast of unforgettable characters new and old.
