Gearbox Software expands ‘Battleborn’ roster with four new characters

bborn_blog_20150805-pic2 — The four new characters for 'Battleborn,' revealed at Gamescom 2015. (via https://battleborn.com/en/news/view/gamescom-news-battleborn-release-date-new-heroes-and-new-trailer/)

The upcoming multiplayer first-person shooter “Battleborn” is getting four new characters when it releases next year. Gearbox Software and 2K Games confirmed this at Gamescom 2015, ensuring a total of 25 playable characters in the game.

Gearbox also released a new trailer that showcased the readily available modes and playable options for “Battleborn.” Two of the modes are a five-player co-op campaign and a competitive multiplayer battle for up to 10 players.

The new heroes, also called “Battleborn,” are Benedict, Mellka, Ambra and Reyna. They are another group of diverse characters with skills that pushes players to strategize and change their playstyle accordingly.

First of the new heroes is August Benedict Jr., also known as Benedict. He is one of the few remaining bird-like “Aviant” descendants who possesses high mobility with double jumps as well as the ability to fly. This, accompanied by a rocket launcher which serves as his primary weapon, make up for a hero that can decimate groups of enemies from varying distance.

Mellka, an assassin, joins the fray, as the hero is known for her speed. She possesses a nerve gas machine pistol that can disorient enemies, making up for her low damage tolerance. This, combined with her bio-glaive, makes her useful in close-quarter combat.

Ambra, on the other hand, brings support to the group with her healing ability. Despite being born from an ancient order of priestesses, she possesses powerful abilities and attacks.

Lastly, there's Reyna, also known as “The Valkyrie” by her supporters. Her title suits her well as she can dish out high damage with her laser pistol. She also possesses a command glove which she can use to support her allies in battle.

Since the game's reveal in July, players have been interested in learning more about the shooter that’s made by the same developers behind the “Borderlands” series. Polygon describes the game as a multiplayer online battle arena, or MOBA, shooter, but it says it’s not quite like other games of the same genre like “DOTA 2” and “League of Legends.” Unlike other MOBA games that focus on modes with slight variation from each other, “Battleborn” aims to create a very replayable game through its varying modes and vast universe.

The game is still in the development process, but players were given a sneak peek on how the game plays through a trailer seen below. “Battleborn” will launch on Feb. 16 2016 for the PS4, Xbox One and PC.