Borderlands 4 Balance Patch October 2025

Borderlands 4 has reached its first major balancing update, marking an important step in the game’s post-launch support. The patch introduces wide-ranging adjustments to Vault Hunter skills and passives, with each of the four playable characters receiving changes that alter how they perform in combat. Gearbox Software has emphasized class improvements over early nerfs, aiming to expand viable playstyles and encourage greater build variety.

The update also addresses technical concerns, including a fix intended to improve PC performance stability. Alongside these changes, the usual weekly activities have rotated, keeping the game’s live-service elements fresh. With additional seasonal events, free updates, and new content already on the horizon, the latest patch signals the beginning of a steady stream of ongoing support for the looter-shooter.

Borderlands 4 Update Patch Notes for October 2, 2025

Rotating Weekly Challenges

The weekly boss encounter has shifted to a harder version of an existing foe, offering a more lucrative loot pool for those who take it down.

The rotating mission has also been refreshed. These tasks guarantee a Legendary item drop and can be repeated until players secure the roll they want.

Maurice’s vending machine has relocated and now stocks a different selection of items. Each player’s machine inventory differs, so trading information with others may help in finding specific gear.

System and Performance Tweaks

A new feature now clears out outdated shaders when the game updates. This prevents shader buildup from slowing down performance on some PCs.

Combat Balance Updates

The latest patch focuses on improving underused skills and enhancing overall build diversity. Each Vault Hunter received targeted buffs across their skill trees, passives, and capstones.

Harlowe

Action Skill Adjustments – Zero-Point

• Stasis Slam damage boosted by 30%.
• Stasis Immune damage increased by 14.7%.

These changes give Harlowe’s stasis-focused playstyle more reliable burst damage in both crowd control and boss encounters.

Rafa

Action Skills – APOPHIS Lance

• Base damage raised by 10%.

Capstones – People Person

• Project: Raiju damage scaling per second increased to 12% (up from 10%).
• Project: Basilisk direct damage up 15%.
• Project: Basilisk hazard damage up 25%.
• Project: Gorgon damage increased by 17%.

Passives – People Person

• El Catrín: Critical hit bonus raised to 8% per point (was 7%). Shock damage bonus also 8% per point (was 7%).
• Per My Last: Double damage chance increased to 6% per point (was 5%).

Action Skills – Arc-Knives

• Melee strike damage increased by 12%.
• Dash attack damage increased by 5%.

Passives – This Year’s Gimmick

• Handshake Deal: Melee bonus raised to 9% per point (was 7%).
• To the Last: Skill damage increased to 8% per point (was 6%).
• El Paragus: Splash damage bonus up to 9% per point (was 7%).
• Liquidation: Damage bonus increased by 50%.
• Collaborative Ignition: Damage bonus raised to 8% per point (was 6%).
• Sinergia: Duration extended to 14s (was 12s). Melee bonus raised to 4% per point (was 3%).
• Empuje: Action skill duration bonus raised to 7% per point (was 6%).

Rafa’s melee, splash, and skill damage scaling have all been significantly enhanced, making hybrid melee and skill builds much more effective.

Vex

Action Skills – Incarnate

• Phase Explosion damage raised by 16.6%.
• Eldritch Blast damage increased by 9.5%.

Augments – Vexcalation

• Energy Vampire damage bonus up by 25%.

Capstones – Vexcalation

• Heartpiercer damage increased by 22%.
• Desecration hazard damage boosted by 50%.
• Desecration airborne burst damage up 48%.
• Geistwave damage increased by 41%.

Passives – Vexcalation

• Radiant Attunement: Splash damage raised to 7% per point (was 6%).
• Dreadlight: Hazard damage doubled (+100%).
• Ars Arcana: Skill damage bonus increased to 9% per point (was 8%).

Action Skills – Phase Phamiliar

• Trouble health increased by 10%.
• Trouble damage increased by 21.9%.

Augments – Here Comes Trouble

• Violent Outburst damage up 12.5%.
• Vorpal Fang damage increased by 34%.

Capstones – Here Comes Trouble

• Trouble Bubble damage increased by 33%.

Passives – Here Comes Trouble

• Blood is Magic: Action skill damage bonus raised to 8% per point (was 7%).
• Claw and Bang: Melee bonus raised to 8% per point (was 6%).

Passives – The Fourth Seal

• Fell Inscriptions: Melee bonus raised to 7% per point (was 6%).
• Recurrence: Melee bonus per stack increased to 0.2% (was 0.16%).
• Haruspex Phase: Dagger damage increased by 11.7%.

Vex’s kit now delivers stronger elemental and melee synergy, with major boosts to both pet survivability and spell-like action skills.

Amon

Action Skills – Scourge

• Maximum Vengeance capacity increased by 50%, improving both damage absorption and Forgewhip output.
• Forgewhip damage boosted by 27%.

Augments – Vengeance

• Blastchill damage increased by 45%.
• Molten Rebuke damage increased by 86%.
• Eternal Winter: Forgewave damage doubled (+100%).
• Stormlance base damage increased by 52%.
• Stormlance detonation damage up 10%.

Capstones – Vengeance

• Glacial Rapture cooldown reduced to 60s (was 70s).
• Glacial Rapture Forgewhip bonus damage up 16%.
• Glacial Rapture fissure damage increased by 41%.
• Wrathfall damage boosted by 46%.

Passives – Vengeance

• Scorched Kairos: Ordnance bonus raised to 6% per point (was 5%).
• Battleborn: Gun damage bonus raised to 4% per point (was 3%).
• Scar Tissue: Health and healing bonus raised to 9% per point (was 8%).
• Eternal: Action skill duration bonus raised to 5% per point (was 4%).
• Worldbreaker: Damage bonus increased by 50%.
• Winter’s Kiss: Damage dealt bonus raised to 10% per point (was 8%).
• Strike The Anvil: Damage return raised to 15% per point (was 12%).

Action Skills – Crucible

• Forgeaxe damage increased by 12%.
• Double-Edge’s Twinned Forge Axe damage increased by 10%.

Augments – Cybernetics

• Axe and Stones: Cooldown and ordnance restoration both raised to 40% (was 33%).
• Endless War: Gun damage taken per Prime stack increased to 20% (was 15%).
• Hour of the Hammer: Forgehammer damage boosted by 14%.
• Blade Tempest: Forgesword base damage up 13%; detonation damage up 4%.

Capstones – Cybernetics

• Snowmaul damage increased by 38%.
• Storm Surge impact damage up 10%; Forgestorm damage up 60%.
• Conflangarang: Fire trail damage doubled (+100%).

Passives – Cybernetics

• Gathering Storm: Elemental bonus raised to 3% per stack (was 2%).
• Executioner: Critical hit bonus raised to 4% per point (was 3%).
• Destruction Engine: Forge skill damage up 6% per point (was 5%); detonation damage up 8% (was 6%).
• Tempered Pyre: Forge axe damage increased by 19%.
• Tempered Ice: Forge hammer damage increased by 18%.
• Masterwork: Forgedrone damage bonus raised to 10% per point (was 7%); duration bonus up 8% per point (was 5%).
• Tempered Lightning: Forge sword damage increased by 13%.
• Lightning Rod: Elemental bolt now deals 40% of dealt damage (was 30%).
• Escalation: Forgedrone speed bonuses raised to 5% per point (was 3%).
• Honed Point: Forgedrone critical hit chance increased to 5% per point (was 4%).
• Heat Exchange: Cryo and incendiary bonuses raised to 8% per point (was 7%).

Action Skills – Onslaughter

• Shield regeneration increased to 15% per second (was 10%).
• Rocket Punch damage boosted by 78%.
• Molten Slam cooldown reduced to 60s (was 80s).

Amon’s changes stand out as the most extensive, greatly improving both survivability and offensive scaling across his Forge-based kits.