Gearbox Focuses on Balance in Borderlands 4, Aiming to Preserve Players’ Hard Work: “I Want to Avoid Disrupting Their Farming Efforts”

Gearbox is gearing up for a significant update for Borderlands 4 following a recent minor refresh, and associate creative director Grant Kao reassures players that there are currently no nerfs planned.

Kao responded to a query on X/Twitter about the potential for a mix of buffs and nerfs, stating, “Avoiding nerfs at the moment. We’re expanding the pool of new gear pretty dramatically going into the next couple content drops, and I wholeheartedly want to avoid ruining someone’s countless hours of farming. The Bod is an example where we can ‘fix’ the bonus but won’t.”

The Bod is a legendary shotgun that also functions as an assault rifle, sniper rifle, pistol, and submachine gun, allowing it to take advantage of various weapon bonuses and skill triggers. While it currently has some unintended scaling interactions that make it a bit overpowered, Gearbox is opting to keep it as is for the sake of enjoyment. In fact, they’re making it easier to obtain: “It’s being moved from the low % tier to the primary drop tier to help players farming for the unique gun,” Kao explains.

The Borderlands series, particularly Borderlands 3, has had its share of balance issues, as many players would attest. Nerf complaints were a common theme during Borderlands 3’s launch, and similar discussions arose recently for Borderlands 4 after a drop rate adjustment following an event. It turns out that loot goblins don’t like to go backwards, and nerfs in a PvE game can be tough to accept, even when they might be necessary for maintaining game balance.

Kao’s rationale—allowing players to enjoy the loot they’ve worked hard for and addressing any major issues later—seems sensible. The Borderlands games are designed to be chaotic, and it can be frustrating when balance patches hit just as you finally snag your dream weapon after battling RNG. However, there comes a point when balance can feel skewed, limiting the variety of builds and potentially diminishing the fun.

In a separate update, Kao mentioned, “One change I can speak to is an increase of multiple percentage points for dedicated loot drops scaling with [Ultimate Vault Hunter] levels.” This suggests that targeted loot will become more accessible in the future, especially for those on the UVH path, which is likely the case if you’re farming for specific loot. These changes are part of “some large adjustments” expected at the end of January.

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