Released in September 2025, Borderlands 4 did not get off to the meteoric start hoped for by its publisher. If fans were expecting a revival of the looter-shooter formula, many were disappointed by the content and balancing of the game at launch. But Gearbox is not giving up. With the latest update released on January 15, the studio offers a series of adjustments that could well make a difference, including a much-anticipated improvement in the rate of obtaining legendary items.
The two Vault Hunters Harlowe and Amon also benefit from significant buffs, while others like Vex and Rafa are left out, probably due to their current popularity.
Legendary loot (finally) more accessible?
The main new feature of the update concerns the rate of obtaining legendary items, revised upwards. A modification requested since the launch of the game, as player feedback reported ungenerous rewards.
However, Gearbox remains vague on the extent of the change. “It does not provide any additional details, including whether this rate is equivalent to that of Seasonal Drops or slightly lower,” we can read in the update report. Some observations indicate a minimal increase – as little as 0.2% for some shiny weapons – leaving players torn between hope and skepticism.
Harlowe and Amon, two Hunters brought up to date
The rebalancing clearly places emphasis on two characters: Harlowe And Amonwho see their skills strengthened.
For Harlowe:
- The damage of Instant gel increase by 20%, with up to 5 stacks.
- The skill Endothermic reaction earns a 6% bonus.
- The duration of the skill Competition increases to an additional 5%.
- Group Control reduces its cooldown when killing a frozen enemy.
On Amon’s side:
- The damage of the Forgeaxe and of Hammersmith are boosted by 72%.
- Hour of the Hammer increases 59% in impact damage.
- The skill Bladestorm fixes a cooldown bug and now fires 5 swords per salvo.
These changes aim to make both Hunters more competitive against the current stars of the meta.
Vex and Rafa untouchable for now
Great absence from this update: Vex And Rafatwo of the most popular Hunters, receive no changes. A logical decision according to player feedback, as their configurations are currently dominant.
“Vex’s Critical Knife setup was so effective that it allowed him to annihilate bosses with infinite stacking bleed damage,” reads the article. Although this strategy has been nerfed, their power remains intact, warranting a pause in their rebalancing.
A strategic adjustment to revive the dynamic
This January update is nothing revolutionary, but it could lay the foundations for a comeback. By playing on improving the rewards and diversifying the viable characters, Gearbox shows that it remains attentive.
If future updates continue in this direction, Borderlands 4 could well find a second life – provided we keep the focus on balancing and post-launch content.