With Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands just over a month away from launch, fans have a good grasp over what will be featured in the Dungeons and Dragons-themed spin-off. An overworld map will allow players to move between areas in a unique way, a multi-class system will let gamers have more control over how their character plays, and spells will be shaking up combat in some significant ways.
Alongside the exciting new features, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands will see the eponymous dungeon master creating some never-before-seen characters for players to interact with. A few of these characters have been revealed, with Izzy the bartender likely to be a big hit with fans. However, Izzy being a great character would come with a major downside, and it is one that will extend to any of Tina’s other original creations.
The Downside of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ New Characters
Izzy has been described by Gearbox as warm and inviting, with a unique Minnesota accent serving as an in-game gag. With Tina running out of accents for her fictional game, jokes about this Minnesota accent will apparently be prevalent. Izzy’s pub will also be inhabited by a poet that recites new pieces of writing when players find collectible pages in the game’s various locations.
It is easy to imagine both Izzy and this poet being a big hit with fans, as both sound like likable characters. Unfortunately, players might only get to see them in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. Unless Borderlands becomes more ridiculous than ever and somehow brings Tiny Tina’s creations to life, Izzy, the poet, and any other new characters will remain trapped in Tina’s game.
This is a bit of a shame, as the Borderlands series has thrived off bringing back characters like Lilith, Brick, and Mordecai. If the spin-off produces an iconic character, the only way this character could come back is through a future Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands game or a Tina-focused DLC. Considering that the focus will likely return to the main Borderlands series after Wonderlands has been released, more Tina-led spin-offs seem unlikely for the time being.
Figures like Will Arnett’s Dragon Lord already seem to be a big hit with fans, so it is a bit of a shame that they could be going away after this game. After all, players have spent hours with characters like Tannis, as she has been able to send players on missions since the very first Borderlands game released in 2009. For Izzy the bartender and all of Tina’s other original characters, players will likely have a lot less time with them. While there is a chance that this could not matter for some new figures, as it is unlikely that every fresh face will be popular, Tina’s personality ensures that there will at least be a few lovable additions to the Wonderlands cast. For the characters that do end up being a hit with fans, a one-off appearance could end up feeling like wasted potential.
On the bright side, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ Frette and Valentine could be featured in future games. Both have been shown playing the game with Tina in the real world, so it can be assumed they aren’t just figments of her imagination. However, when it comes to the new characters players come across when exploring in-game, players should make sure to cherish all the time they have with them. Based on the premise of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, they are unlikely to appear in Borderlands 4, regardless of how interesting they end up being.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
