Gearbox has plans to release at least five new heroes as DLC for hero shooter Battleborn. The first, Alani, will be released on May 31st. She’s technically free but needs to be unlocked via a hefty sum of 47,500 credits (earned in-game). If you own the Digital Deluxe version or bought the Season Pass, you can unlock her instantly using a Hero Key. You can also access her a week earlier on May 24th during her full reveal.

Here’s the official description of the water-monk Alani:

A member of the Eldrid faction who was raised as a healer, but forced to be a warrior, Alani is all that remains of her order after Rendain’s Jennerit Imperium stole the oceans from her world. As a warrior from a planet with vast seas, Alani’s attacks and abilities revolve around her power to control water to dish out pain, or heal her fellow Battleborn.

Hero Keys are a way for Gearbox to reward their Digital Deluxe and Season Pass holders. A new key will be given with each new DLC hero. These keys can actually be used to unlock any in-game hero, including some of the more difficult characters I rarely see used like Ghalt. As an added bonus, Hero Keys are reusable. Subsequently unlocking the hero via its objectives will refund the Hero Key. Everyone who participated in the PlayStation 4 Open Beta will also receive an extra Hero Key.

To celebrate, developer Gearbox is hosting its first Double XP event. Beginning today and lasting through Wednesday, earn double experience for both Command and Character Rank on all platforms. It’s probably no coincidence that May 24th sees the release of the next big hero shooter, Blizzard’s Overwatch.


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Eric has been writing for over nine years with bylines at Dicebreaker, Pixelkin, Polygon, PC Gamer, Tabletop Gaming magazine, and more covering movies, TV shows, video games, tabletop games, and tech. He reviews and live streams D&D adventures every week on his YouTube channel. He also makes a mean tuna quesadilla.