Borderlands 2 is getting a surprise new release that adds more playable Vault Hunters to the roster, and they're all familiar faces. Borderlands 2 launched almost exactly 14 years ago on September 18, 2012, quickly becoming one of the most beloved shooters of all time. The game remains so popular that many fans consider it superior to its sequels, with its 89 Metacritic score sitting above the 81 earned by both Borderlands 3 and Borderlands 4.

Despite receiving several DLC expansions in 2012 and 2013, including the hugely popular Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep, Borderlands 2 received another major release in 2019 with Commander Lilith and the Fight for Sanctuary, which served as a tie-in to Borderlands 3.

The franchise remains active today, with Borderlands 4 recently receiving its Bounty Pack 4 and rumors pointing toward a potential Year 2 roadmap. For fans feeling nostalgic, however, a new release for Borderlands 2 could soon provide another reason to return to Pandora.

Popular Borderlands content creator JoltzDude139 shared a short video on Twitter showing an upcoming Borderlands 2 mod that adds Nisha from Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel as a playable Vault Hunter. The mod features Nisha's character model and skill trees, with JoltzDude139 revealing that modder LJBreeze is working on the project.

The current plan is to add every Vault Hunter from The Pre-Sequel, including its DLC characters, before potentially expanding the roster with additional characters from across the franchise or entirely custom creations.

A playable version of Nisha already exists, although the mod is still unfinished and does not yet have a confirmed release date.

The Borderlands 2 Vault Hunters remain some of the most popular characters in the franchise, with several eventually returning in smaller roles throughout later games.

Axton and Salvador, for example, appeared as hosts for Borderlands 3's Arms Race mode. However, The Pre-Sequel's Vault Hunters have developed their own following thanks to their highly synergistic skill trees and distinctive playstyles. Adding them to Borderlands 2 could give longtime fans a fresh way to experience one of the series' most celebrated entries.

The idea is particularly interesting because Borderlands 2 already has many of the systems that made its Vault Hunters so enjoyable to build around, alongside arguably some of the strongest bosses, loot and DLC content in the franchise.

Bringing characters like Nisha and Claptrap into the game could create entirely new combinations for players to experiment with while retaining the gameplay that made Borderlands 2 such a fan favorite.

For fans looking to revisit the series, another beloved Vault Hunter is also returning soon. Borderlands 4's FL4K and the Last Resort Story Pack 2 are scheduled to launch on September 10, bringing the iconic beastmaster from Borderlands 3 back into the spotlight.

The expansion will also introduce Borderlands 4's second DLC Vault Hunter, Loveless, The Hacker, an assassin equipped with powerful cybernetic implants. While Gearbox has already released an official teaser for Loveless, more details about the character's gameplay are still to come.