Gearbox, the developer behind the popular looter shooter Borderlands 4, has just released its first major update. This patch aims to significantly improve game stability and smooth out player progression, though it notably does not include any balance changes yet.
“This update improves stability on PC, smooths out progression, and updates the Gilded Glory Pack loot and rewards for a more seamless experience,” Gearbox announced on the 2K Borderlands website. They also advised players to restart their game to ensure the update applies correctly and to prevent any matchmaking issues.
In addition to this core update, Borderlands 4 will continue to receive minor weekly updates. These will cycle through different Weekly Big Encore Bosses and Wildcard Missions. Maurice’s Black Market Vending Machine will also move to new locations weekly. The Weekly Big Encore Boss offers a tougher challenge and a more rewarding loot pool, while Weekly Wildcard Missions introduce new traits to existing missions, guaranteeing a Legendary drop that players can farm for ideal rolls.
Regarding Maurice’s Black Market Vending Machine, the official description reminds players: “Go in search of where the Black Market Vending Machine has moved to and discover what’s available in your game every week. Remember, while the location is the same, your vending machine items are different from other players, so ask around to see if someone has the item you’re looking for!”
Borderlands 4 currently holds a mixed rating on Steam, with many negative reviews pointing to PC performance issues. Tech experts like Digital Foundry have reported significant stuttering problems on PC, recommending against the ‘Badass’ graphics setting. This suggests there are indeed underlying issues with the Unreal Engine 5 title. The current patch seems primarily focused on addressing crashes rather than broader performance concerns. Gearbox recently stated that PC performance is their “top priority,” so further improvements are likely on the horizon.
To assist PC players in the meantime, Gearbox has published an Nvidia Optimization guide on Steam. This guide offers advice on optimizing graphics settings for better performance and framerates when using the Nvidia app, though player results have been varied.
Gearbox also offered a crucial piece of advice to PC gamers, seemingly to curb hasty reactions to performance changes: “Please note that any time you change any of your graphics settings, your shaders will need to recompile. Please keep playing for at least 15 minutes to see how your PC’s performance has changed.”
While this update targets the PC version, there’s no specific mention of console performance improvements. Console players have reported declining performance during extended play sessions, indicating a potential memory leak. Randy Pitchford, Gearbox’s development chief, has acknowledged they are investigating this issue, particularly on the PS5 Pro, but a definitive fix isn’t yet available.
For those who love breaking the game, there are still no balance changes in this update. This means your overpowered builds are safe for now, allowing you to continue dominating with those game-breaking strategies!
Borderlands 4 September 18, 2025 Update Patch Notes:
Stability
- Addressed crashes related to animation states, audio, and collision checks.
- Addressed various GPU-related crashes.
Gameplay & Progression
- Resolved an issue where the Reward Center could become unresponsive after claiming Gilded Glory Pack rewards.
- Addressed a progression blocker in the mission “Talk to Zadra,” which could occur if players exited and relaunched mid-dialogue.
- Corrected instances of incorrect “Doesn’t own DLC” warnings appearing on non-DLC gear.
- A fix for this issue on consoles is expected in the coming days.
Loot & Items
- Updated loot pools to ensure Gilded Glory Pack guns no longer appear in standard chests.