Yesterday, we reported on Borderlands 4 swapping in Ava for Amara in the story campaign. It looks like there was a lot more to it than fans assumed.
EpicNNG, who originally shared the rumor, pointed this out on Twitter:
Seen a few people say how much better it was to have Amara in the game over Ava
Where do you guys think her dialogue is from?
Did Amara Receive Ava’s Redemption Arc?
EpicNNG reinforced this point even further in replies. He said this to someone asking if they changed the dialogue to fit Amara’s character:
No it’s legit just Ava’s dialogue lmao
I mean they changed a few lines but that’s all really
He also addressed this argument from KalevalaNite:
It was certainly not “late in production” Amara’s segment was like the first section we ever saw
EpicNNG replied:
It was late in production.
Borderlands 4’s Own Story Corroborates This Rumor
Paul Tassi argued in a Forbes article that there is clear evidence in the story that Amara was slotted in to take Ava’s place.
For one, Amara mysteriously brought Ava’s pet Hermes around with her. Aside from that, she used some of Ava’s powers in the story.
While both are Sirens, we do know that Sirens can manifest their powers differently. Amara’s and Ava’s powers are different enough that you could tell them apart.
Ava Isn’t Likely To Come Back Anytime Soon
EpicNNG also claimed that Gearbox isn’t likely to change their minds and add Ava in.
At least, it’s not happening anytime soon. He believes Gearbox has already finalized their year 1 DLCs, and she would not have survived the cut.
Does Ava Deserve A Second Chance?
It looks like Gearbox did the right thing when they decided to cut Ava. Tassi shared this sentiment in his article, but he’s not the only one.
Ultimately, Gearbox chose to make a game that will please fans. While some gamers dislike the idea of being pandered too, Gearbox may have felt they had to in this case.
The Borderlands franchise as a whole is beloved. But the more recent batch of games have not been turning out as popular or successful as everyone hoped.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is probably the biggest failure the franchise has experienced. 2K Australia, who made the game with Gearbox, closed a year after it released.
Borderlands 3 was received much better, but also received its criticism. So Gearbox may have some ambitions for Ava and the franchise’s story, but they have to prioritize making good games.
This does not necessarily close the door on Ava. But Gearbox will have to come up with something to make her more appealing to the fans. At least for now, Gearbox has other things to prioritize.