Summary
- Borderlands 4 introduces a new Licensed Parts system for weapons, impacting Hyperion and Atlas.
- Hyperion's downfall after Borderlands 2 justifies its reduced role in Borderlands 4.
- Atlas' diminished presence as weapon parts in Borderlands 4 clashes with its revival in Borderlands 3.
Several trailers and previews later, and Borderlands 4 is clearly not afraid of shaking things up to usher in what appears to be a new era for the series. While these changes have manifested in a number of different ways, one of the more significant alterations involves some of its most familiar weapon manufacturers. Borderlands 4 is adding some new manufacturers to the pot, but it's also making some changes to traditional manufacturers using its new Licensed Parts system. With the Licensed Parts system, guns can feature components from multiple manufacturers, as opposed to being tied down to only one. The idea represents a significant evolution for the series, but it ultimately impacts both Hyperion and Atlas.
Borderlands 4 has brought back several series-long manufacturers, but Hyperion and Atlas have been reduced to weapon parts for the new Licensed Parts system. In other words, rather than featuring Hyperion and Atlas weapons, Borderlands 4 will only allow players to find weapons with Hyperion and Atlas parts on them. Narratively, this "downgrade" makes sense for Hyperion. For Atlas, on the other hand, it's a bit perplexing, considering its role in Borderlands 3.
Borderlands 4 Is Taking an Open World-Sized Page Out of Skyrim’s Playbook
Borderlands 4 may not be fully open world, but its Skyrim-inspired exploration lets players reach distant landmarks that spark their curiosity.
Borderlands 4's Weapon Shake-Up Makes One Casualty Justifiable, Another Confusing
Hyperion's Fall Feels Earned After Borderlands 2's Catastrophe
Between Hyperion and Atlas, the former's downgrade to being featured only as parts in Borderlands 4 makes more sense than the latter from a narrative standpoint. After Handsome Jack's defeat in Borderlands 2, Hyperion suffered significant setbacks, including loss of leadership, structural collapse, and severely diminished influence. Without Handsome Jack, there was a leadership void within Hyperion. Then, in Tales from the Borderlands, Rhys, a Hyperion employee, gets into an entanglement with Jack's AI and ultimately crashes the Helios space station into Pandora. As a result, not only was Hyperion's orbital command center destroyed, but the catastrophe was also symbolic of the company's downfall.
Dahl is also absent from the list of active weapon manufacturers in Borderlands 4, but it's possible their parts will still contribute to the Licensed Parts system.
By the time of Borderlands 3, Hyperion's presence is almost non-existent. Not only does the company no longer play an antagonistic role, but its products are also less prominent than other manufacturers like Jakobs, Maliwan, and Atlas. In the end, this shows Hyperion's retreat from the main stage, meaning its diminished role in Borderlands 4 makes complete sense. Unless Hyperion were to somehow experience a resurgence in Borderlands 4, being reduced to weapon parts only is the perfect role for it to play in the next entry.
Atlas Losing Spotlight Clashes With Its Borderlands 3 Revival
On the other hand, Atlas' new role as weapon parts in Borderlands 4 doesn't make much sense at all after the events of the previous installment. In Borderlands 3, players actually assist Atlas in a major corporate war that eventually leads to its resurgence under Rhys' leadership. In light of that, it would be natural to expect Atlas to have a more prominent role as a weapon manufacturer in Borderlands 4. However, the company has nonetheless been reduced to weapon parts, which just feels a bit inconsistent with its history in the last game.
Between Hyperion and Atlas, the former's downgrade to being featured only as parts in Borderlands 4 makes more sense than the latter from a narrative standpoint.
Perhaps Borderlands 4 has a narrative explanation for Atlas' new role. With Borderlands 4 taking place six years after the events of Borderlands 3, perhaps the upcoming entry will provide a side story about Atlas' diminished presence. The hope is that Borderlands 4 will at least say something about it rather than sweeping it under the rug and pretending no one will notice. More casual Borderlands players may not care much about the lore reasons for Atlas' new role, but those who have followed the developing narrative from its beginnings will undoubtedly require a thoughtful explanation.
Borderlands 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- September 12, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
