It's clear that Gearbox Software is dedicated to keeping Battleborn going. The game may have not been as critically well-received as the studio would have hoped, but there's still a dedicated community out there - and, if you choose to play Battleborn this weekend, you'll get a bit of a bonus for sticking around.

Battleborn's first Double XP weekend starts today, and is set to last all the way through Wednesday, May 25. Even better, the experience boost isn't limited to a single mode - it doesn't matter if you prefer the single-player story or want to tear it up in PvP, you'll still receive the XP boost.

That's not the only good news: Gearbox has also revealed when Season Pass owners and Open Beta participants will be able to access the game's first piece of DLC. On May 24, players will be able to unlock Alani - though you may have a bit of work to do before you can actually start playing with her.

There are two ways to unlock Alani: first, you can spend the 47,500 in-game credits required to unlock her, or you can use a Hero Key. These special keys will be given to anyone who picked up the Season Pass or Digital Deluxe edition of the game - and, if you manage to complete Gearbox's special challenges, you'll get the key back for use on another character.

For anyone wondering just who this Alani character is, Gearbox's official synopsis will get you all caught up:

"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."

Don't worry, you won't need the Season Pass to unlock Alani - you'll just have to wait a bit longer. Battleborn's first DLC character will be available to everyone starting on May 31. You'll still have to shell out the credits to unlock her, though - time to start saving up!

For more on Battleborn, make sure to check out our in-depth review.