It seems that one of the most hated characters in the Borderlands series was cut from Borderlands 4, according to the names of Datamined files published online.
As published by Epicnng, a creator of Borderlands content and Dataminer who previously directed an archive effort for the deceased MMO Chinese Borderlands, files exist in Borderlands 4 who explicitly name a character called Ava. This character, introduced during Borderlands 3, turned out to be completely conflicting when fans of the series met her for the first time in 2019.
These borderlands 4 files, published in screen form on X by Épicnng, include assets apparently linked to her bubble (a siren capacity she had had in Borderlands 3), as well as moments of the game when she accompanies Zane throughout history.
These files indicate that ASA may have been completely replaced by another character: Amara. In particular Amara is presented to the room alongside Hermès (Ava’s Pet of Borderlands 3), and by the crushed sanctuary ship of Borderlands 3. So, such inferences based on the breadcrumbs left in the files are not without foundation.
It should be noted that these small datamin files of the game are the only evidence available that Aa was at a given time of Borderlands 4. There were no discovered model or audio files.
If Ava was originally intended to be part of the Borderlands 4 story as these datamin files suggest, this would mark a fairly substantial turnover for the game during development. Gearbox CEO, Randy Pitchford, asked the community about a year ago what players thought of Ava and obtained a passionate response from those who did not like the character and those who are ready to give him a second blow.
Likewise, Gearbox added a Sound Claptrap cursor to the game, because many fans found that the character was a bit the network to listen to. An intelligent decision, because the option itself is a good joke that borderlands fans could appreciate.
Ava has not yet been confirmed as a character back in the next DLC, so it could very well be the closest it appears in Borderlands 4. Or maybe it will make a comeback to a later date. The fact that she was considered indicated that there was an appetite to bring her back a few years in the universe after her great introduction.
