Borderlands 4: Gearbox Revives a Feature Players Have Been Demanding for 6 Years
Just days before its worldwide release, the developers of Borderlands 4 have unveiled a post-launch roadmap that’s as rich as it is ambitious. With free content, story-driven DLCs, and the triumphant return of a fan-favorite feature long requested by the community, Gearbox is pulling out all the stops.
The Texas-based studio took advantage of PAX West 2025 to lift the curtain on the future of its upcoming looter-shooter. And it’s safe to say that the months following the launch of Borderlands 4 on September 12 promise to be explosive. Expect new Vault Hunters, nightmarish bosses, seasonal events… and above all, the thunderous return of Pearlescent weapons and shields, absent since Borderlands 2. Pandora has never looked so dangerous—nor so irresistible.
Image credit: Gearbox
Ambitious Story Content on the Horizon (Paid)
Launching on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2, Borderlands 4 will offer a solid foundation from the start—but it’s the post-launch content that’s stealing the spotlight. The official roadmap, available here, outlines a flood of new additions planned through 2026.
Story Packs will serve as the backbone of this strategy, with two major paid expansions slated for 2026. The first, expected in Q1, is evocatively titled “Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned” and plunges players into a cosmic horror narrative centered around Ellie, Pandora’s beloved mechanic and Moxxi’s daughter. These paid Story Packs (included in the Super Deluxe Edition or sold separately) will deliver substantial new content, including:
- A new Vault Hunter with three unique action skills
- A narrative mini-campaign with main and side missions
- New areas to explore on Kairos
- A full arsenal of new legendary gear
- A collection of exclusive cosmetics (heads, skins, vehicle paints)
Bounty Packs: Smaller but Affordable Paid Content
Alongside these, Gearbox is offering a more modular approach with paid Bounty Packs (four included in the Deluxe and Super Deluxe Editions). These more compact yet flavorful add-ons introduce new narrative missions focused on the NPCs of Kairos. The first pack will spotlight Rush, the charismatic leader of the Outbounders faction.
The real innovation lies in the Vault Cards system—progression cards that accompany each paid Bounty Pack. These themed cards allow players to unlock:
- 24 unique cosmetics per card
- 4 gear pieces that can be re-rolled infinitely until the perfect stats are achieved
- Daily and weekly challenges to speed up progression
- Extra loot and XP while the card is active
Free Updates to Keep the Adventure Fresh
Beyond paid expansions, Gearbox has planned a series of free updates designed to keep players engaged long after the main campaign ends. These updates will deliver ever-tougher challenges and exclusive rewards for the most dedicated Vault Hunters.
Confirmed additions include:
- Invincible Bosses (arriving late 2025), massive titans with unique mechanics and brutal difficulty.
- Permanent weekly challenges, featuring the Big Encore Boss and Wildcard missions to push your builds to the limit.
- Maurice’s Black Market, moving weekly with a rotating stock of unique legendary weapons.
- Limited-time seasonal events, such as “Horrors of Kairos” in October, bringing special weather, exclusive loot, and a chilling atmosphere.
- Regular updates to Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode, adding new difficulty tiers for the most relentless loot chasers.
This post-launch strategy underlines Gearbox’s ambition to keep Borderlands 4 at the forefront of the gaming scene for months to come.
The Glorious Return of Pearlescent Weapons (Free Too!)
The real surprise in this roadmap, however, is the return of Pearlescent weapons, that mythical rarity missing from Borderlands 3. Better yet: this update will be entirely free, rolling out alongside Bounty Pack 2 in Q1 2026.
Unlike in Borderlands 2, where they were more collector’s items than viable gear, Gearbox promises that this time “their power level will match their coveted rarity.” A promise that hints at truly game-changing weapons capable of redefining even the most optimized builds.
While waiting for release day, you can already get a taste of the coming chaos with the Borderlands 4 gameplay trailer—the perfect way to pass the time before launch:
