Battleborn's post-launch 'vision' detailed

Battleborn Incursion 3P Shock-Turret 01

Development on Battleborn is all wrapped up (until the tidal wave of patches and balance tweaks begins at least), so Gearbox has taken the opportunity to set out what's in store in the weeks and months after launch.

Going live with 25 heroes, five more will be added for free over an unknown timescale, starting with Alani, a hybrid healer and warrior who attacks like a water-bender from Avatar. We're told to expect her release date nearer to launch.

Alani Battleborn Cropped

The new heroes will be joined by free maps, modes and "other features". Battleborn publisher 2K seems very keen to stress the 'free' part—Evolve's tangle of DLC may be weighing heavily on its mind.

As far as paid DLC goes, five add-on packs are lined up, steering clear of balance-altering online components. Each will cost $5 in isolation or $20 for the season pass and include a new Story Operation and unique hero skins and taunts. The story component is playable (highly replayable, apparently) solo or in co-op.

To my mind, it's a light-touch, inoffensive approach to DLC, and the extra heroes and maps should keep fans well fed in the months after May 3.

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