‘BORDERLANDS 2’ To Get New Character Class; Pre-Orders Get For Free. Plus! Customization.

This is getting a bit confusing. This weekend at PAX the minds behind Borderlands 2  dropped a reveal. There’s a new character class coming to Borderlands 2. Okay, awesome. People who pre-order it will get it for free. Wait, fuck that. It’s coming after the game’s release — but dropping for both regular people and pre-orders at the same time. Oh and did I mention character customization?

Wait, slow down.

Kotaku:

In a panel at PAX East, Gearbox Software just revealed that  Borderlands 2  will add a new class–the “Mechromancer” sometime after the game releases this October. The class is in the conceptual stages only and will be developed once the game goes into its certification stages later this year. Concept art for the character was shown during a Gearbox Software panel at PAX.

To clarify confusion regarding our original wording, while preorders will receive the Mechromancer for free, the content will release to all players at the same time. That date is not set but a Gearbox representative said it would be 60 to 90 days after the game releases.

Furthermore, those who did play the first game (and still have their gamesave, of course) will be given a custom character skin and a unique head as a thank-you, Gearbox said at the same panel.

Some of the game’s special edition premiums–which the studio had put up to a suggestion box last year–also were revealed. There will be two tiers of special editions. The “Deluxe Vault Hunters Edition” at $99, gets a Marcus Kincaid bobble head. He’s the weapons supplier with the lothario accent who narrates the first game. The second, an “Ultimate Loot Chest Edition” (pictured above) delivers you a stylized  Borderlands  loot chest with all the goodies packed inside. It doesn’t open up with hydraulics–it’s more like a jewelry box, but it matches a community suggestion as best it could. More goodies and premiums in both editions will be announced later.

Game Informer:

During their PAX East panel today, members of Gearbox announced that Borderlands 2 will be adding a Mechromancer class and character customization to the massive shooter. Rather than a stock assortment of gear and costumes, players will have to earn their new wardrobes.

New gear, costume pieces, and even custom heads can be acquired by completing missions and challenges, as well as ranking up. In addition, players of the original Borderlands will immediately be rewarded with an exclusive head and skin.

This is shades of balls for those who don’t pre-order the game. I know it isn’t hard to go about doing so if you intend on picking the title up, but really? Cutting out an entire class? What is this, a BioWare title? I’m going to be an asshole and get the Deluxe Vault Hunter Splosion Time rig. I need it.