Can Tannis be trusted?
A new clue discovered via morse code embedded in Battleborn DLC could hint at potential information about Gearbox Software’s Borderlands 3.
Members of the Battleborn subreddit and official Battleborn forums have discovered strange signals being emitted from portals that would spawn in Battleborn DLC operations. The combined message that players found, collected from six operations, reads:
“Visit Prometea, Children of the Vault, We Are Not on Pandora Anymore, Tannis Is Not What She Seems, Do Not Open the Vaults”
Battleborn Creative Director Randy Varnell chimed in on the forums and Reddit to confirm the players who had decoded the message — which required reversing audio in some cases — were correct in their methods.
“Prometea” is not a known name in the Borderlands universe, but the decoded word is one letter off from Promethea, a harsh planet in Borderlands lore where the Atlas corporation discovered and then used alien technology to improve its ships and weapons.
A reading of the morse code Easter egg message, via Reddit
Tannis is the surname of Borderlands character Patricia Tannis. An expert on the alien race of Eridians and the franchise’s Vaults, Tannis is a key figure in the first Borderlands’ campaign and also appears in Borderlands 2 as a member of the Crimson Raiders. Some of those involved in the Easter egg hunt have theorized the message comes from the Eridians as a warning to players about Tannis.
Earlier this week, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford showed off an early tech demo of Borderlands 3.
Pitchford also previously this year said that Borderlands 3 won’t likely come to the Nintendo Switch after discussions with Nintendo “stopped for some reason.” Gearbox previously said last year that Borderlands 3 nods would be included in Battleborn’s DLC, and Varnell believes all of the Easter eggs released so far have been found now.
The last entries in the franchise to be released were Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, which took place between the first and second main games, as well as Telltale Games’ episodic Tales from the Borderlands.
Gearbox said it was ready to start developing Borderlands 3 in 2015 and later confirmed that work had begun at PAX East last year.
Jonathon Dornbush is an Associate Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter @jmdornbush.