By Jacob Miller | Apr 20, 2026
This datamined information has become exciting news following the recent launch of the first-story DLC titled "Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned" and an additional new Vault Hunter by the name of C4SH, who will be available for play during the game.While Gearbox Software, the developers behind Borderlands, have confirmed that they have a second DLC and additional Vault Hunters in development, unfortunately, they have not provided any specifics available to the public. Therefore, this data-mined information has generated much excitement among Borderlands loyal fans!
Where Was This Discovery Made?
A Reddit user by the name of "jakobsestate" conducted a thorough datamine of the subtitle files from Borderlands 4, returning some very interesting subtitles! Specifically, the user's findings included a character called Loveless, who has appeared multiple times throughout many subtitle files (including unused dialogue). Furthermore, each of Loveless' appearances has been positioned in a context that provides ample evidence that this character is being developed as a playable character (or Vault Hunter).
Although it cannot be guaranteed that datamined materials will find their way into a final released version of Borderlands 4, the amount of reference information to Loveless and the way in which those references were grouped have convinced many Borderlands fans that Loveless is a very real and wanted character. Dialogue Became the Source of Speculation.
The name "Loveless" first made a memorable appearance in the game through the Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned content. One of the game's characters, Mancubus, says to players/characters who play as the different Vault Hunters (Rafa, Vex, et al): "It appears that you have experienced an infinite loop in recursion, Mistress Loveless." After this statement was made, many players assumed that the statement was referring to the currently existing Vault Hunter called Vex. However, new datamined content of previously unknown audio/language indicates that Loveless could very likely be a completely new character yet to be released in-game.
Mancubus has delivered similar one-liners in-game relating specifically to each of the Vault Hunters present, so the fact that Loveless received her own specific one-liner gives credence to the speculation that she's going to be a future playable character.
Unused Dialogue Also Supports This Theory
There is a growing amount of evidence that points towards the legitimacy of the Loveless theory due to the fact that this instance of Loveless dialogue is not an isolated incident, but in fact is part of a larger occurrence discovered within datamined subtitle files. Reddit user jakobsestate has an image in which one of the lines of dialogue states, "Yes! This is Loveless. We are Vault Hunters.", in very close proximity to another line of dialogue which states, "Yes! This is Rafa, I'm a Vault Hunter." The fact that each line is constructed in a similar manner and conveys the same general message makes it very difficult to dismiss as a coincidence.
Loveless had another line in the wonky found writings that says: "We are Loveless. I'm searching for a woman named Ellie." While it appears to mix its pronouns and may suggest Loveless is still being developed as a full character (i.e., he or she has both a voice and story), this line suggests he/she/they has been assigned a clear and unique storyline separate from the others in BL4.
What does the "we" mean?
Fans of the Borderlands 4 community have loved debating the decision by Loveless to refer to themselves as "we." While most think it suggests Loveless has some form of a communal existence, either as a part of a larger group of "hive" minds, splitting one entity into multiple physical forms of life through the use of a 'collective consciousness' -- many others speculate that Loveless might be an Eridian vault hunter similar in lore to all the previous titles of the franchise before it--due to Eridian lore being so heavily entwined within the lore.
An Eridian vault hunter would create a significant deviation in the development of playability and character development to BL4 and would represent a bold step for the franchise.
The "Royal We"
Some fan theory proponents have suggested that Loveless' usage of "we" isn't a reference to some supernatural or science fiction difference nor any other species but merely a reference to their use of the "royal we." When referring to themselves in the royal sense, those in positions of authority (monarchy) or social status historically used the plural form of the word to denote higher social status.
Loveless might be an elite or aristocratic vault hunter, allowing them to have the same traits as Aurelia Hammerlock from Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. Aurelia had a cold, self-absorbed personality characterized by her sharp wit and snobbish disposition; a similarly aristocratic vault hunter would round out the other characters already available in BL4 well.
What Are Fans Saying?
The community within the Borderlands 4 gaming realm has positively responded to the discoveries related to Loveless via the datamined lines. Most posts to the Loveless subreddit about Lovelessijanz have seen hundreds of comments related to fans putting together what they believe Loveless is, how abilities will correlate within gameplay, or what they think the role of Loveless will be in the storyline of DLC2.
The lines associated with Loveless, using the "we" to refer to themselves and searching for a woman named Ellie— a character already known within the Borderlands universe — are allowing fans to create lots of "what-ifs." Some fans hope that DLC2 will help expand existing lore in the franchise or reveal new and/or different aspects of existing lore previously unknown to fans through the character of Loveless in the DLC2 storyline.
