Borderlands 3 Director's Cut - What We Know So Far

A lot of content didn't make it into the final retail release of Borderlands 3. That's not an uncommon occurrence in the video game industry, but it might make you wonder what got left out. Some movies also go through this experience: there's the cinematic release, and then there is a director's cut that follows to include deleted scenes and some other tweaks. Borderlands 3 is essentially getting one of those, and quite aptly, it's called Borderlands 3 Director's Cut.

To hear Gearbox's Randy Varnell tell it, a lot of cool ideas and important story elements apparently got chopped as Borderlands 3 wrapped up development. Borderlands 3 Director's Cut is a chance for the studio to make use of some of that work. At the very least, it'll give fans of Borderlands 3 a reason to revisit the game and see what's changed. If you want to know more about Borderlands 3 Director's Cut, including when it comes out and what it'll have, read on.

Borderlands 3 first arrived back in September 2019, finally giving fans of the franchise what they'd desired for years: a trip back into the Borderlands universe. The fun didn't stop with that release, however; over the course of the next few months, Borderlands 3 brought more content to players in the form of expansions and season passes. Now a new piece of DLC is slated to arrive in Borderlands 3 Director's Cut. But when? On what date should you expect to see this new content drop?

After a freak Texas weather event in February 2021, the Director's Cut release date had to be pushed back a little bit. It was first set to arrive on March 18, 2021, but on March 11, the official Borderlands account tweeted that it would be delayed until April 8. There's no word yet on whether or not Gearbox will have more content coming after this particular DLC, or if this could be the last substantial content pack players get for the game. Regardless, if you're a fan of Borderlands 3 or the entire Borderlands franchise in general, you'll want to mark your calendar for March.

If there is one character fans really don't seem to like from Borderlands 3, it's Ava. Fans tweet mean things about her. There are entire web pages devoted to explaining why she is loathed.. Based on that, you'd think Gearbox would want to avoid focusing a new story around such a disliked personality in the Borderlands universe. Yet that is exactly what the studio is doing with Borderlands 3 Director's Cut.

According to Gearbox's Randy Varnell, the Borderlands 3 team had to leave some parts of the game out that would've made Ava a more well-rounded character. Those at Gearbox saw Ava differently than many fans did because they knew her whole story and not just the parts that made it into the final release.

"We want to create a game that people love, and we certainly want to create a story and characters that reach out and engage with them," Varnell said. "And Ava didn't get there for a lot of people."

Borderlands 3 Director's Cut will offer Ava a chance at redemption. Her DLC "murder mystery" story missions will attempt to fill in the gaps and let players see a side of Ava that was previously left on the cutting room floor.

Borderlands 3, much like the Borderlands titles that came before it, encourages players to chase and collect really awesome weapons. Players can then use those fantastic new toys against run-of-the-mill enemies and bosses alike. Some especially enjoy the challenge of a raid boss — a tougher baddie that requires more coordination and more firepower. Fortunately, Borderlands 3 Director's Cut will add one of those, and will do so in a location that's generated a lot of curiosity.

Players have been wondering for well over a year what's been hiding behind that locked door in Ascension Bluff. The answer: Hemovorous the Invincible, a raid boss that will test the might of your gear in Borderlands 3, and reward you with some very good loot if you emerge victorious. In addition to Hemovorous, players can look forward to new story missions with Ava that are referred to as "murder mysteries." There'll also be new "Vault Cards," which are described as "new challenge-based progression tracks."