Borderlands 4 has introduced players to Vex, the playable Dark Siren, marking her as the first Vault Hunter developed for this upcoming installment. The art team has elaborated on Vex’s design, highlighting how her unique Siren action skills influence the color of her tattoos and enhance her capabilities, which include corrosive weapon effects and the summoning of Phase Pets. This new character joins a tradition in the Borderlands franchise, where each game includes a Siren as a playable option. Vex will be one of four Vault Hunters available at launch in September, with additional characters planned as downloadable content.
Unlike previous characters such as Amon the Forge Knight or Harlowe the Gravitar, Vex distinguishes herself with her dark attire and the ability to summon pets and clones that aid in combat. This provides players with numerous long-range strategies whether playing alone or in cooperative mode. In an unprecedented move, Randy Pitchford revealed the entirety of Borderlands 4’s world map, including all 200 collectible locations. During a presentation in the fourth episode of Beyond The Borderlands, members of the Gearbox Software art team, Max Davenport and Ashley Lyons, explained how Vex’s design integrates with her weapons and skills.
While Vex portrays a dark and edgy look, she utilizes vibrant colors, such as deep purples and bright pinks, for her action skills, creating a striking contrast. Lyons illustrated how Vex’s action skills could alter weapon colors, such as transforming a Tediore weapon with a corrosive element into a green version, thereby modifying its elemental damage. Davenport noted that Vex’s tattoos, vital features for Borderlands’ powerful Sirens, will also shift in hue following her action skills. Additionally, Vex’s Incarnate wings were introduced later in development, enhancing her overall design with intricate details.