The shooter series “Borderlands” is known for a certain kind of humor that is sometimes rough and alludes to current trends on the internet. However, nowadays such references can quickly become outdated, as time is becoming ever more fast-paced. This emphasis might change with Borderlands 4. A question from a gaming journalist made Borderlands 4’s director, Sam Winkler, reflect.
What was the question? The gaming journalist Paul Tassi (Forbes) asked if Borderlands 4 would feature a weapon called “Hawk 2A.” This is a reference to the so-called “Hawk Tuah” girl, a TikTok phenomenon (via Spiegel).
An employee from Gearbox apparently took the question seriously and forwarded it. Sam Winkler explains this on X.
I don’t want to say there are no toilets, but if the word “skibidi” appears in the game under my watch, I will cry real tears. Paul Tassi joked that we will have a weapon called Hawk 2A, and a colleague asked me if that was real, and I wanted to stick my hand in the garbage disposal.
Skibidi refers to an internet trend from February 2023. At that time, short clips of toilets with singing heads were a huge trend on YouTube. The trend is seen as something that older people do not understand and shake their heads at, while members of a younger generation find it amusing.
Less short-lived references than before in Borderlands
What does that mean? Borderlands has always been known for its humor, which was exuberant and engaged with current developments.
Apparently, they want to move away from that and save references to fleeting trends or crude “toilet” humor. The trailer already suggests that Borderlands 4 is to have a more serious direction than earlier installments in the series.
Regarding the question about the “Hawk 2A” weapon, which really sounds like the unfortunate “Hawk Tuah” girl who is currently embroiled in a scandal, Sam Winkler seems to draw a line. This time, they want to choose a different path that is not quite as silly as earlier parts of the series.
Why is this happening? The 2019 game “Borderlands 3” was criticized for being superficially vulgar enough to no longer be considered as “edgy” as earlier parts of the series.
PC Gamer wrote that the game feels like it came from the late 2000s: back then, memes on the internet were relevant for months. But today, they are often only relevant for days. Earlier, such humorous references were still new – but now they feel exhausting.
Apparently, this “Hawk Tuah” weapon is the kind of humor that Borderlands would have made in earlier installments, and is something that the developers today would cringe at: Fans are not satisfied with the new Vault Hunters from Borderlands 4, but are willing to overlook it for other things
