Battleborn is a first-person-shooter with a deep roster of 25 playable heroes. Every hero has their own personality and comes equipped with their own unique weapons and powers. Through Battleborn’s accelerated character growth system, players will fully experience each hero’s leveling progression in a single story mission or multiplayer match.

Battleborn is set in a distant future, where nearly every star in the universe has gone dark at the hands of a mysterious enemy. Solus, the last star, is the only beacon of hope for the universe’s surviving population. The fading of stars has led to a great war among those desperate for the last remaining resources. Heroes, called Battleborn, fight for the dominance of their unique factions as all life in the universe teeters on the brink of extinction. Now, the mysterious enemy is threatening to finish what they’ve started, and only an unlikely alliance between the universe’s most powerful heroes can stop them.

Battleborn’s Story Mode will take a TV-style approach to its format where you and your friends, as the commander of the Battleborn, are the stars of every episode.

We think of May 3 as Battleborn’s series premiere, because the game’s Story Mode is structured just like some of our favorite episodic television shows; from Star Trek and X-Files, to cartoon throwbacks like X-Men and Transformers. Collectively, the “season” included with the game has one large over-arching story spanning eight episodes (plus a prologue), and each episode tells a self-contained story about the Battleborn’s fight to save the last star, Solus.  

You can grab a seat in your favorite battle furniture of choice and play an episode solo. Or, grab a buddy and a second controller and play 2-player couch co-op on your console just like the good ol’ days! Or, get online on your PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or PC and team-up with up to four other friends for some 5-player co-op fun. These episodes are highly replayable, and we’ve found that each episode takes about an hour or so for the average to player to beat. Think of all the different ways you’ll tackle each challenge, playing with 25 unique Battleborn heroes. As you run through each episode with a different hero, the dialogue changes. They reveal bits about themselves and provide more backstory to the world as you play. You also earn more loot, gear, XP, and credits every time you play an episode – not to mention that sometimes you’ll even unlock new characters! We’ll get to that in a second.

We’ve previously introduced two episodes: “The Algorithm” and “Void’s Edge.” Today we’re revealing a new episode, “The Renegade.” During The Renegade, you’re dispatched on a rescue mission to save Caldarius and by doing so, recruit him to your cause and make him a playable hero. The same goes for ISIC in “The Algorithm” – you debug the rogue Magnus AI and make him friendly – well… tolerable – and he joins your team. As the story advances, you’re not only unlocking new Battleborn to command, you’re also gaining experience towards the hero’s Character Rank and your personal Command Rank. Playing through the episodes also scores you new lore challenges, titles, and gear that you’ll be able to use in the competitive multiplayer modes.

Now that the game is done, the dev team can start looking to the future. Even after the first “season” of Battleborn episodes, we’re not done! We plan to make more heroes and tell more stories about our heroes. As we mentioned the other day, 2K’s vision for Battleborn post-launch content includes five add-on packs – each pack including a new side story in the form of a Story Operation, as well as exclusive hero skins and taunts. And each add-on pack will cost you five bucks.

 EXPANDED UNIVERSE

Speaking of stories - in case you haven’t seen it yet, check out the Battleborn prequel motion comics to see how the fight to save Solus started. This cool little bit of Battleborn’s expanded universe sets up what’s happened before the game starts, and before the Battleborn unite. You can find them on the Battleborn website and on our YouTube channel. Check it out below!

You won’t have to wait long to give Battleborn’s episodic story a try, as today 2K and Gearbox Software announced that Battleborn’s Open Beta begins on April 8th on PS4 and April 13th on PC and Xbox One. The Open Beta will include access to two story episodes – Void’s Edge and The Algorithm – two of the game’s three competitive multiplayer modes – Incursion and Meltdown – all 25 playable heroes, loot, gear, and the game’s full progression systems.

PS4 BETA PLAYERS: As a thank you to PS4 players who participate in the Open Beta, they will receive the first Battleborn DLC Pack 1 and instant access to Alani upon release. In addition, PS4 players will have access to the Battleborn hero, Toby, during the Open Beta.

PRE-LOAD DATE: Rev up those consoles and computers: pre-load begins for all platforms on April 6th.

• PS4 – 5pm PST (12am UTC)
• PC – 10 am PST (5pm UTC)
• Xbox One – 5pm PST (12am UTC)

APPROXIMATE DOWNLOAD SIZE:

• PS4: 8.5GB
• PC: 12GB
• Xbox One: 11GB

WHERE TO DOWNLOAD: The Battleborn Open beta will be available through PlayStation Network, Steam, and the Microsoft Store. The Open Beta will be available to download straight from the store, no sign-up or code required.

AVAILABLE REGIONS: The Battleborn Open Beta will be available worldwide!

PS PLUS / XBOX LIVE:  PS Plus is not required to participate in Open Beta. Xbox Live Gold members will have access to all Story and Competitive Modes in the Open Beta. Xbox Live Silver members will be able to play private Story Mode episodes and private Competitive Modes, but will not have access to public matchmaking features.

FEEDBACK AND BUG REPORTS: Feedback and bug reports are an essential part of the Battleborn Open Beta. Log into the Gearbox Open Beta Forums and send us your feedback!

During the Open Beta, you’ll be able to experience the natural progression of Battleborn; including two Story Mode episodes, two Competitive Multiplayer Modes, 25 heroes (some instantly available, some will unlock as you progress), and as you play, you’ll rank up on three different progression systems.

STORY MODE: Go in solo or co-op with up to 5 players in two full Story Mode episodes: The Algorithm and Void’s Edge.

• The Algorithm: Take on The Algorithm mission to debug and unlock the rogue Magnus AI, ISIC. If you played in the Closed Technical Test last year, you’ll notice Geoff, the Spider King, has made a few changes to his lair. 
• Void’s Edge: Bring a jacket, ‘cause the ice-planet, Bliss, is mighty cold. A Varelsi portal has opened and it’s up to you to fight your way through the invasion and deliver the payload.

COMPETITIVE MULTIPLAYER MODES: Challenge other players to duke it out in two Competitive Multiplayer modes: Incursion and Meltdown.

• Incursion: (Overgrowth map) Destroy the enemy’s two Spider Sentry Drones before they get to yours.
• Meltdown: (Paradise map) Send waves of minions to their death and score points for every minion who throws themselves into the incinerator. The team with the most scrap metal wins!

PARTY UP WITH FELLOW BADASSES: Conscript your friends for a truly badass Open Beta experience!

• Party up with friends or search for random players to join them in Co-Op Story Mode episodes.
• Play Split-Screen on PS4 and Xbox One in either Story Mode or Competitive Multiplayer Modes.
• Communicate with your teammates through in-game Voice Chat.
• Practice makes badass – create private custom matches with friends to get a handle on controls and practice with new characters as you unlock them.

BATTLEBORN HEROES: Battleborn has a large starting roster of 25 playable heroes, which will continue growing with five additional, free heroes after launch. In the Open Beta, you’ll start with 7 unlocked heroes and the rest will be unlocked as you rank up and complete objectives. In the meantime, here’s a quick rundown of the main character types: Attackers, Defenders, and Support.

• Attackers: Charge into the fight with a variety of offensive Battleborn heroes. Throw punches, slice ‘em up, blast ‘em down, or break out the big guns with Rath, Deande, Phoebe, Whiskey Foxtrot, Mellka, Thorn, Marquis, Oscar Mike, Benedict, Caldarius, El Dragón, Orendi, Shayne & Aurox, and Ghalt.
• Defenders: Take a hit for the team (or two, or three) with the likes of Attikus, Galilea, Kelvin, Boldur, ISIC, Toby, and Montana.
• Support: Shields, heals, and still more firepower – Miko, Reyna, Kleese, and Ambra can help the team in the fight.

PS4 players, remember: you’ll have Open Beta access to the adorable penguin in a mechsuit, Toby! Toby will not be unlockable on PC or Xbox One during the Open Beta but he will be unlockable on all platforms in the retail version.

PROGRESSION SYSTEMS: Experience Battleborn’s multiple progression systems during the Open Beta. Playing either Story Mode or Competitive Multiplayer Modes will earn you XP towards temporary Helix augmentations as well as persistent Command Rank and Character Rank levels.

• Helix: During a single Competitive match or Story episode, each level you gain activates a new Helix augmentation opportunity - all the way to level 10. Each level has two augmentation choices and a character’s Helix resets at the beginning of a new match or episode, meaning you can tailor your character’s abilities to the situation at hand.
• Character Rank: Each character ranks up the more you play them, up to rank 15. The Character Rank levels persist across all Modes, and unlike Helix augmentations, this experience does not reset at the end of a match or mission. Increasing Character Rank unlocks Mutations, which are extra Augments that become available on the Helix Menu. The higher the Character’s Rank, the more Helix augmentations, taunts, titles, and skins you can unlock for that character.
• Command Rank: Command Rank persists across all Modes and all characters played. Every Competitive match (excluding bots) and Story episode grants XP towards your player Command Rank. Rising through the ranks in Open Beta will unlock characters, new Gear options, titles, and more up to Command Rank 100.

WHAT TO BUILD: On every map and in every Mode, you’ll find strategically located, buildable tactical structures. These buildables can purchased – and upgraded – using Shards found throughout each level. Here are a couple samples of what you can build over the course of any given match.

• Automatic Turrets: Turrets have different types of offensive armaments and will attack any foe in sight, enemy minions and Battleborn alike.
• Healing Station: The Healing station will regenerate health over time in an area around the station for the team who purchases it.
• Accelerators: Accelerators give a speed boost to friendly Battleborn and minions when passing next to them.
• Super Minions: Super Minions can be purchased in the team’s base and are well worth the Shards. Their ability to sustain and deal more damage than other minions adds additional firepower to your team.

Other Information:

• Is there an NDA? Nope – it’s an Open Beta which means you can stream, record video, and play Battleborn to your badass heart’s content!
• Can I stream or record video of Battleborn? Hell yes!  Tweet at @Battleborn and let us know you’re streaming Battleborn live!
• Do I need a SHiFT account for the Open Beta? Nope!
• Will there be any kind of maintenance scheduled during the Beta? No, there is no planned downtime or maintenance during the Open Beta. If something comes up and maintenance is necessary, we will let you know on the Battleborn Twitter channel or in the Gearbox Open Beta Forums. 
• Will my progress carry over to the retail game? No, Open Beta progress will not carry over to the retail game. 

Key Features:

• Playable Heroes: Battleborn has a deep roster of 25 playable heroes and no two heroes are the same. For example, Rath is a samurai sword-wielding melee specialist. Oscar Mike fires an assault rifle and plays like a familiar space marine. Thorn is a dangerous archer who can also deal damage through magical attacks. There are many, many more battleborn heroes, and each has unique weapons, powers, and personalities that, through the accelerated character growth system, can be fully experienced in a cooperative campaign mission, or over the course of a single competitive multiplayer match.
• Cooperative Campaign: Battleborn’s team-based cooperative campaign is a narrative experience playable with up to four other friends online, and through splitscreen, much like Borderlands. Player profile experience is earned during cooperative campaign play, will cross over to competitive multiplayer matches and vice versa.
• Competitive Multiplayer Modes: Battleborn’s team-based competitive multiplayer action can be experienced by up to 10 players online in 5v5 matches, and includes three distinct multiplayer modes.
  • Incursion: Teams of heroes defend their base from waves of AI-controlled minions while working together, alongside their own minions, to destroy their opponents’ base;
  • Devastation: Teams of heroes face off in a fast-paced death match and must capture and hold objectives on the map to win;
  • Meltdown: Teams of heroes protect their minions as they march to their death at the center of the map. Points are scored for minions who throw themselves into the incinerator, and the team with the most points wins.
• Persistent Progression System: All experience points, whether earned through playing Battleborn’s Story Mode or Competitive Multiplayer modes, contribute to leveling up individual Character Rank, as well as player profile Command Rank.
  • Character Rank: Each hero can permanently rank up from 1 to 10 outside of missions and matches, allowing players to swap out augments in their helix skill tree, as well as unlock skins.
  • Command Rank: Players can rank up their own player profile, unlocking badges and titles to impress friends, and loot that can be used to benefit any hero the player chooses to command.

Battleborn will be available for $59.99.