Nerf day has arrived, but it seems to have landed with a bit more impact than anticipated. The eagerly awaited Borderlands 4 patch notes, which Gearbox has been teasing for several weeks, have finally been unveiled, coinciding with the launch of the Horrors of Kairos Halloween event. The patch primarily addresses some of the “unintended interactions” that had resulted in outrageous damage scaling and boss-melting builds. While there are a few buffs and performance enhancements included, one particularly disappointing change—one that hindered players’ ability to speed-farm bosses for lucrative loot—was confirmed by Gearbox to be unintentional and will be reverted.
For those looking to farm legendary weapons in Borderlands 4, repeatedly battling specific bosses is often the most effective strategy, especially when targeting particular drops from their loot tables. Gearbox has streamlined this process with Moxxi’s Big Encore machines, allowing players to respawn bosses instantly. Traditionally, players could also reset their character’s skill cooldowns by simply interacting with a vendor, but the recent update disrupted this convenient tactic.
After the latest patch, players quickly noticed that the vendor trick had ceased to function. While it may appear minor, the inability to refresh abilities promptly can significantly slow down boss encounters. Fortunately, associate creative director Grant Kao has confirmed that this change was unintended, stemming from a fix related to camera movements, and the cooldown reset feature will soon be reinstated.
However, not all changes are as fortunate. The likes of Vex’s Bloodletter passive, Amon’s Seeing Red, and Harlowe’s Neutron Capture have faced more severe adjustments. The Siren’s bleed effect can no longer trigger itself, effectively halting those previously outrageous damage loops. Meanwhile, the Forgeknight’s stacking buff retains its power gain from kills while Berserk, but the duration is now capped at four seconds for all ranks, making it more challenging to sustain over longer periods.
The Gravitar’s Neutro Capture passive, which previously amplified her gun damage alongside the potency of her Chroma Accelerator ultimate, now only applies to gunshots, rather than all damage instances. Gearbox assures players that it will still be “one of the best (if not the best) damage scalars in the game,” although its power level will now align more closely with their expectations. For those who have been eyeing the next Harlowe build, this news is certainly encouraging.
In addition to these adjustments, the patch notes reveal a significant reduction in the cost of specialization respects, dropping from 5,000 Eridium to a more manageable 1,500. Improvements have also been made to the Lost Loot machine’s logic, prioritizing the acquisition of superior gear, alongside buffs to several underperforming passives and weapons. Gearbox has indicated that players can expect ongoing stability improvements, as the development team continues to enhance overall performance.
As of now, new Borderlands 4 Shift codes are available, so players should check the updated list to collect as many Golden Keys as possible. For those ready for a fresh adventure, a selection of the best co-op games in 2025 awaits. Additionally, players are encouraged to visit the PCGamesN Discord to share stories about their favorite builds, luckiest loot drops, and thoughts on the Halloween event. While enthusiasm for the event may vary, many players are still finding enough enjoyment in the game to regard it as a delightful bonus.