Disclaimer: Gearbox and 2K have not announced a mission called “Meat is Murder.” The following is a fan-made concept based on Borderlands’ humor and gameplay style. Treat all details as unofficial speculation, not confirmed game content.
Borderlands’ trademark chaos meets biting corporate satire in “Meat is Murder,” a speculative mission designed to showcase loot-driven combat and irreverent humor. Picture a quest that forces players to juggle crowd control, resource management, and quick decisions under pressure—all while navigating a storyline as sharp as its puns.
Mission Briefing and Unlock Concept
Dr. Vega Cross, a rogue scientist, leaks intel about a black-market synth-protein cartel operating in the Boneyard Flats coldworks. Your task: infiltrate Butcher’s Row, expose the supply chain, and derail shipments before the enforcer, The Charcutier, floods Pandora with contraband cuts. Expect patrol drones, ammonia purge traps, and conveyor belts that double as death traps.
Primary Objective: Breach the coldworks and secure shipment manifests
Secondary Goals: Tag vats, destroy distribution nodes, and extract a “Red Gristle” sample
Approach: Choose stealth through ventilation or go loud via loading bays
Boss Concept: The Charcutier wields cleaver-arc shockwaves and cryo traps—mobility and shock resistance are key
Suggested Level Range: 18–20 for balanced challenge
Recommended Fan-Build Loadouts
- Assault Core: Jakobs crit revolver + Torgue sticky launcher for burst DPS
- Elementalist: Maliwan beam SMG with fast element swaps + Cryo pistol for crowd control
- Lane Anchor: Dahl DMR for long lanes + Vladof underbarrel shotgun for emergencies
- Splash Control: Tediore chuck SMG + COV rocket for AOE wipes
Use incendiary against flesh enemies, corrosive for loaders, shock for shields, cryo for rush control, and radiation to chain-kill clustered mobs.
Speculative Route and Boss Flow
Enter through the collapsed loading bay, ride conveyor bursts to flank enemies, and disable red Bleedline Breaker vents for alternate paths. Prioritize Shock Drones to drop enemy shields, Cryo butcher-bots to kick into grinders for quick clears, and kite forklift bruisers into hazards.
Boss Phases:
- Phase 1: Destroy Capacitor Hooks to drop The Charcutier’s shields—avoid red beacon sweeps.
- Phase 2: Switch to corrosive for armored form—hop conveyors cross-grain to dodge Grease Fire lanes.
- Phase 3: Break tether drones to prevent enrage, use Cryo to control movement, and finish with incendiary bursts.
Hidden Objectives and Farming Ideas (Fan Concept)
- Silent Floor Sweep: Clear a line without alarms to spawn a bonus chest
- Valve Puzzle: Drain slurry pits for a hidden relic
- Caged Fauna Release: Free pens to summon a mini-boss with unique loot
- Butcher Logs: Scan hidden audio knives for XP and cosmetics
Farm efficient loops by anchoring at a fast travel hub, hitting guaranteed chests, and resetting after five minutes for consistent drops—just like a typical Borderlands grind.
Why It Fits Borderlands
The humor, loot-centric combat, and environmental hazards mirror Borderlands’ DNA: puns and absurdity wrapped in bullet-storm chaos. If Gearbox ever crafted a mission like this, it would blend tactical play with tongue-in-cheek satire, rewarding players who listen for environmental cues, exploit elemental matchups, and balance risk against rewards.
