Borderlands 4 is no stranger to incredibly powerful character builds, often leveraging what developer Gearbox calls “unintended interactions” to deal colossal damage, even against the game’s toughest bosses on the highest difficulties. The notorious ‘knife build’ is a prime example, which Gearbox has acknowledged but isn’t planning to nerf immediately. Now, prepare to add another incredibly destructive boss-melting strategy to the growing list.
Gaming YouTuber NickTew, already famous for uncovering the original knife build, embarked on a mission to create a truly “nerf-proof” character for Vex. What he stumbled upon, however, was something far more extraordinary: a method to unleash such overwhelming damage from a single gun magazine that the game displayed a never-before-seen “total existence failure” message on the boss health bar. It seems even the game engine couldn’t handle the sheer devastation!
In his latest video showcasing this phenomenon, NickTew had to deliberately slow down the footage just to let viewers glimpse the ‘total existence failure’ message, as boss health bars vanished literally in the blink of an eye. The video also included a screenshot of the “total existence failure” message on a boss’s health bar.
This extraordinary interaction relies on a specific weapon setup: a gun equipped with the Torgue Licensed Sticky Magazine and the Taser alt-fire mode. The Torgue Sticky magazine allows the weapon to fire “gyrojets” – sticky projectiles that cling to enemies and detonate for immense damage when you reload or switch firing modes, such as to the Taser.
NickTew illustrates how players can saturate an enemy with gyrojets using an SMG, thanks to its rapid fire rate and large magazine. Then, just before reloading, switching to the underbarrel taser causes all the attached gyrojets to explode simultaneously, dealing far greater damage than a regular reload. As he perfectly summarizes, this build allows you to “snap the boss out of existence.” Crucially, this powerful strategy is effective on any character and doesn’t rely on the previously popular knife exploit.
The only hurdle to replicating this havoc is finding an SMG with both the Torgue Sticky and Taser alt-fire modes – a rare combination that will require some dedicated farming. However, for those lucky Vault Hunters who already possess such a weapon, untold destruction awaits.
Even NickTew isn’t entirely certain why this particular combination unleashes such devastating power. Is it a clever bug, or a hidden numerical synergy within the game’s mechanics? Given Gearbox’s previous statements, it certainly smacks of an “unintended interaction” and might not last long before a patch intervenes.
In related news, Gearbox recently confirmed its immediate strategy: prioritize buffing underperforming gear and skills rather than nerfing overpowered builds. This means game-breaking setups like this new discovery are safe for now. Borderlands 4 creative director Graeme Timmins addressed the ongoing community discussion around “builds that use unintended interactions and/or the knife” on social media.
He released the following statement:
“We’ve seen the discourse about builds that use unintended interactions and/or the knife. We’re not going to act on those immediately, instead, we’re looking at our first round of buffs. Those will get addressed but we’re going to start with underperforming gear/skills first.”
While there’s no official timeline for Borderlands 4’s next major patch, the studio has shared insights into upcoming developments. Improving PC performance is a stated “top priority,” and console players can look forward to the addition of a much-requested Field of View (FOV) slider.
Console players are also eagerly awaiting a patch to resolve several significant technical issues. Digital Foundry, respected tech analysis experts, recently reported a noticeable decline in framerate during extended play sessions, even on powerful consoles like the PlayStation 5 Pro and Xbox Series X. Their analysis, presented in a new video, showed performance degrading within 30 minutes to an hour of continuous play, which they described as “too intrusive on the overall experience, too regular an interruption.” Even a fresh game boot doesn’t fully eliminate these persistent framerate dips.
Gearbox development chief Randy Pitchford has also acknowledged the performance problem on social media, promising future improvements. As a temporary solution, Pitchford controversially suggested console players simply quit and restart Borderlands 4. While Digital Foundry’s Tom Morgan verified that this indeed restores performance, he sharply criticized the notion, stating that “resetting the game every hour should really not be an expected solution for players.”
Meanwhile, Creative Director Timmins has also publicly expressed his watchfulness over “cricket jumping” — an exploit that allows Borderlands 4 players to traverse vast sections of the map with unprecedented ease.
For those diving deep into Borderlands 4, ensure you’re equipped with the latest hourly SHiFT codes. We also offer a comprehensive interactive map and a powerful Borderlands 4 planner tool, courtesy of our friends at Maxroll, to optimize your Vault Hunter. Don’t forget to check out our expert players’ diverse recommendations for character choices (they couldn’t agree on just one!).
Wesley Yin-Poole is the Director of News at IGN.