Only a couple weeks earlier than launch, Borderlands 4 has introduced its post-launch roadmap free of charge updates and paid DLC all through the subsequent six months and it’s so much. However one of many smaller particulars followers have been stunned to see is the return of Pearlescent weapons and shields from Borderlands 2.
The rundown of Borderlands 4‘s end-game arrived alongside a developer panel at PAX West strolling followers via how the XP-based loot grind will work this time round. The sport’s first paid bounty pack arrives within the fall with new missions, a brand new boss struggle, and a slew of Legendary gear and recent cosmetics. There may even be Vault Playing cards that allow gamers grind to unlock additional rewards, together with gear that may preserve being re-rolled till gamers discover the model that matches their construct.
However the huge replace is Borderlands 4‘s first paid Story Pack coming in early 2026. It’ll function a brand new Vault Hunter, a mini-story marketing campaign, new space to discover, and one other trove of collectibles. It’s a cosmic-horror-themed growth primarily based round Mad Ellie, a Pandoran mechanic who occurs to be Moxxi’s daughter. Another previous characters might be returning as properly, with a second Story Pack following later within the yr.
Borderlands 2‘s Pearlescent drops are again
There are many free updates sprinkled in between every DLC, however the largest will arrive alongside Bounty Pack 2 in early 2026. It provides the Pearlescent rarity to the sport, one thing followers have been begging to be introduced again from Borderlands 2 after it was dropped for Borderlands 3.
These drops are basically like ultra-rare drops with distinctive gimmicks. After they arrived in Borderlands 2 they didn’t make or break builds. There have been extra like Shinies from Pokémon than Diablo’s Uniques, wanted as prizes relatively than the deadliest instruments within the sport. Borderlands 4 would possibly change that this time round, nonetheless. “Pearlescent gear drops might be extremely troublesome to seek out, however their energy stage will match their coveted rarity,” writes Gearbox.
The place are Borderlands 3‘s Takedowns?
A returning function the studio hasn’t talked about but are Takedowns. These free updates for Borderlands 3 have been raid-boss-adjacent endgame modes that have been designed to push squads of gamers to the breaking level with their issue. Gearbox hasn’t talked about them by identify but, thought it has talked about Invincible Bosses coming in a future free replace for Borderlands 4.
“Consider them as bosses on steroids: new distinctive mechanics, large well being swimming pools (not actually invincible, however near it), extraordinarily deadly assault harm, and different new modifiers that may make fast work of any unprepared Vault Hunters,” the brand new announcement reads. The primary of those will drop earlier than the top of 2025. Weekly huge encore boss fights, wildcard missions, and Maurice’s Black Market Machine are all coming after launch as properly.
If Borderlands 4‘s base marketing campaign can ship a greater story than Borderlands 3 and make good on the promised selection, variability, and build-crafting depth of the brand new Vault Hunters, the post-launch roadmap positively appears to be like like will probably be showering gamers with all the content material they’ll need within the endgame. These are two huge ifs. However with Future 2 at the moment spiraling and Diablo 4 nonetheless awaiting its subsequent huge growth, I’m as primed for some recent, smooth-brained loot chasing as I’ll ever be.
