Battleborn (video game)

Lore & Background

Battleborn is set in a space fantasy universe where every species fled to a star named Solus after a disastrous event destroyed most other planets and stars. These species are divided into factions but eventually unite by sending their best fighters, called Battleborn, to fight against the Varelsi, the origin of the catastrophe. The plot follows the leader of the Jennerit Imperium, Lothar Rendain, who starts a rampage destroying stars, prompting UPR captain Trevor Ghalt to form a coalition to save Solus. The first story mission, The Algorithm, is played as Orendi, a chaotic mage, who must navigate a Varelsi-infested facility. Subsequent missions require defeating ISIC to make him an ally and escorting an M7 Super Sentry to kill the Varelsi Conservator.

Reader's Guide

Battleborn was announced by Gearbox Software and 2K Games on July 8, 2014, as Gearbox's first original game since Borderlands in 2009. It was described as 'the most ambitious video game that Gearbox has ever created' and a 'genre-fused' game by president Randy Pitchford. The game features 25 playable characters at release, with 5 added as downloadable content, and includes a Helix Tree system for character advancement within matches, as well as randomized gear earned from matches or purchased via microtransactions introduced in June 2016. Despite its deep gameplay, mixed reviews cited difficulty for new players, and the release of Overwatch weeks later caused a significant player drop. Gearbox adjusted pricing and transitioned to a free-to-play model in June 2017, but the game was removed from sale in November 2019, with in-game purchases ending by February 2020, and servers shut down by January 31, 2021. Its legacy is as a cautionary tale of market timing and the challenges of competing in the hero shooter genre.

Did You Know?

• Battleborn was Gearbox Software's first original game since Borderlands in 2009.
• The game was overshadowed by Blizzard Entertainment's Overwatch, released a few weeks later.
• The base game launched with 25 characters; a February 2017 update made all characters available immediately after the prologue, rather than after the tutorial story mission.
• The game's servers were shut down on January 31, 2021, after a year-long phased shutdown.

The Helix Tree and Match-Based Progression

Battleborn blended first-person shooting with the strategic depth of multiplayer online battle arenas, creating a hybrid experience where every match felt like a fresh build. At the start of a round, each hero began at combat level one, and as players defeated enemies or completed objectives, they accumulated experience that unlocked choices along a character-specific Helix Tree. At every advancement step, the player picked one of two new abilities or buffs, allowing them to sculpt a custom loadout that persisted only for the duration of that single match. This within-match progression reset entirely when a new round began, keeping each encounter distinct. Complementing the Helix Tree, players could equip up to three pieces of randomized gear—generated in a style reminiscent of the Borderlands weapon system—before entering a match. Activating each piece required spending shards collected during play, and once triggered, the gear remained active for the rest of the round. Shards could also be spent to deploy special turrets on the map, adding a layer of strategic point defense. The interplay between character-specific perks, randomized equipment, and shard management gave experienced players a deep tactical canvas to work with.

Overshadowed by a Rival

Battleborn launched globally on May 3, 2016, crafted by Gearbox Software and brought to market by 2K across PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. The title received mixed critical reception, with reviewers acknowledging that its layered systems—particularly the Helix Tree and gear management—were ultimately deep and rewarding, yet the learning curve proved off-putting for newcomers. The game's fortunes took a sharp turn when Blizzard Entertainment released Overwatch just weeks later. The competing hero shooter siphoned a large portion of Battleborn's player base within a single month, creating a dramatic drop in concurrent players. In response, Gearbox attempted to stem the exodus by adjusting pricing structures and introducing new downloadable content to attract fresh audiences. By June 2017, the studio had transitioned the title to a pricing model comparable to a free-to-play service, lowering the barrier to entry. Despite these efforts, the momentum had already shifted. The game was eventually removed from digital storefronts in November 2019, and in-game purchases were discontinued by February 2020, marking the beginning of its final phase.

A Roster Built for Variety

At launch, Battleborn offered twenty-five playable heroes, each distinguished by unique weapons, powers, and movement profiles. The characters were broadly sorted by attributes such as speed and agility, effective combat range, and overall difficulty to master. At the melee end of the spectrum stood Rath, a close-quarters fighter wielding a katana, while Thorn occupied the opposite extreme as a long-range archer whose primary weapon was a bow. Support roles were represented by characters like Miko, whose kit centered on healing teammates during the chaos of a match. Initially, not every hero was immediately accessible; players had to unlock additional characters by completing story missions, grinding multiplayer matches, or raising their command rank. A significant update in February 2017 streamlined this process, making all twenty-five base heroes available right after the tutorial story mission. Five additional characters arrived later as downloadable content, expanding the roster to thirty. The June 2017 free-trial update further reshaped access, granting all base heroes and story missions to players who purchased the full-game update, while others could still acquire them individually through the in-game marketplace.

From Co-Op Campaigns to Server Shutdown

Beyond its competitive multiplayer modes—Meltdown, Incursion, Capture, and the later-added Face-off—Battleborn featured a story-based mission mode designed for up to five players cooperating through objective-driven narratives that served as backstory for several of the heroes. Five additional story missions, branded as Story Operations, arrived as downloadable content and introduced an OPs points reward system tied to the chosen character, along with increased difficulty and altered NPC dialogues that fully revealed the overarching narrative on a tenth playthrough. The game required a constant internet connection due to its meta-game systems, which tracked both a player-wide command level and individual character levels, unlocking new Helix Tree perks, cosmetic outfits, and additional heroes over time. Despite these layered systems, the title's commercial life was relatively short. Gearbox announced a year-long phased shutdown of its servers, with the process concluding on January 31, 2021. The game had been pulled from sale in November 2019, and in-game purchases ceased by February 2020, bringing a definitive end to the experience.