New Haven

Lore & Background

New Haven was founded during the events of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, following the Vault Hunters' discovery of a military artificial intelligence named Felicity within a Lost Legion base. Jack enlisted Gladstone, a Hyperion scientist, to construct an army using Felicity and his prototype robot, the Constructor. With this force, Jack and the team traveled to Elpis to build New Haven as a strategic base. However, trust among the group eroded quickly; Jack began suspecting his own scientists of being spies, leading him to kill Gladstone and his team. The settlement's fate was sealed when Wilhelm, transformed into a cybernetic minion under Jack's command, destroyed New Haven entirely. This act marked a turning point in Jack's character, illustrating his willingness to sacrifice allies and communities for power.

In Their Own Story

The story of New Haven is told through flashback, recounted by Athena after being interrogated on Sanctuary. Following the crash-landing on Helios, the Vault Hunters were guided to Elpis via moonshot rocket. There, they aided Jack in building his robot army and establishing New Haven as a forward base against the Lost Legion. But as tensions rose, Jack's paranoia grew; he executed his own scientists and ordered Wilhelm to eliminate New Haven. In the credits sequence, it is revealed that Wilhelm carried out this order, obliterating the settlement while Nisha was made sheriff of Lynchwood and Athena fled Elpis. The destruction of New Haven symbolizes the final break between Jack and his former allies, setting the stage for his transformation into Handsome Jack.

Reader's Guide

New Haven is not a player-accessible area in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel but is mentioned as a key location in the narrative. It appears only in story context, described as a settlement built by Jack's robot army on Elpis before its destruction by Wilhelm. Players cannot explore or interact with New Haven directly; instead, its significance lies in its role as a plot device that highlights Jack's descent into tyranny and the fracturing of his alliance with the Vault Hunters. The settlement serves as a backdrop for understanding the events leading to Handsome Jack's rise and the subsequent conflicts on Pandora.

Did You Know?

• New Haven was built by Jack and the Vault Hunters using a robot army constructed with the help of Felicity, an AI who became the Constructor's controller.
• Wilhelm destroyed New Haven after being transformed into Jack's cybernetic minion, marking a pivotal moment in his character arc.
• The settlement existed only briefly before its destruction, serving as a symbol of Jack's growing paranoia and ruthlessness.
• New Haven is mentioned exclusively through story recollections and credit sequences, never appearing as an explorable location in the game.