Unlike past games in the series, Borderlands 4 is open-world, so when you wash up from the totalitarian prison complex onto the shores of Clap-Trap paradise (read: hell), it might be a bit overwhelming.
Don't worry about it too much, though. This is still a Borderlands game through and through, with an emphasis on shooting everything that moves until you become an unstoppable loot goblin with a treasure trove of shiny toys to play with. But to help you navigate the early hours and get used to all the key changes, here are some vital tips to keep in mind.
Don't Explore Until You Get Your First Vehicle
It might seem tempting to wander off the beaten path almost immediately, but it's better to follow the main quest until you at least complete Down and Outbound.
This mission rewards you with your first Faction Town and digistruct vehicle, which can be summoned at any point by pressing right on the D-pad or X on a keyboard: there's no need for Catch-A-Ride stations on Kairos.
Having a vehicle makes getting around a lot easier, and it can even glide on water, so it's worth getting before you go exploring. Otherwise, you'll spend a lot of time hoofing it on foot.
Your Repkit Does More Than Just Healing
Borderlands 4 introduces a new way to heal: the 'Repkit', which is a stim that you inject yourself with to get a quick boost of health.
Like with your guns and shield, you can find new Repkits that come with additional perks. For instance, some Repkits boost your reload speed or even have additional charges, giving them far more utility beyond just healing. It's worth keeping an eye out for these boons as they can synergise well with the rest of your toolkit, adding a whole new layer to builds.
Grenades Have A Cooldown Now
Likewise, grenades have undergone a major overhaul in the form of 'Ordnances'. Not only does this new slot include traditional grenades, but throwing knives and heavy weaponry, like the Fermionic Monsoon pictured above.
What's even better, you don't need to loot ammo to replenish your Ordnance, as you did with grenades in past games. Instead, they have a cooldown timer after your charges have been depleted.
You Can Go Fishing With Your Grappling Hook For Free Guns
Borderlands 4 might not be a cosy game, but you can go fishing in Kairos. Yes, even Gearbox is jumping on the trend.
There are fishing spots scattered across the map where you can see splashes in the water. Using your grappling hook, you can then grab and pull junk and weapons towards you.
It's a handy way to get some gear between gunfights, which you can always pawn at the vending machine for some quick cash.
The Radar Is Disabled By Default
Borderlands 4's compass is a handy way to keep track of where objectives are in its vast open world, but when you're crammed in a tight area with a lot of enemies, it can be hard to pinpoint exactly where they are.
Thankfully, there's still a radar, it's just disabled by default. To turn it on, open your options menu and navigate to the 'Gameplay' tab, and at the bottom, you'll see 'Toggle Radar Display'—simply set it to 'Radar'. You'll still have a compass, but with a radar besides it.
Boss Rematches Reward Better Loot
Another new addition to Borderlands 4 is the ability to rematch boss fights, which can be done at Moxxi's Big Encore machines. For a small fee, you can reset story quest, side quest, and world activity bosses, earning you even more XP and loot.
You can also queue for boss rematches on the main menu via the Matchmaking tab.
You can also go back through the quests themselves via the 'Replay' tab in the Missions menu, though there's plenty of XP to be had exploring and finding other side quests, so it's only really handy if you missed any optional objectives.
Upgrade Your Backpack ASAP
Several utilities, like cosmetics, have been moved to the player menu in Borderlands 4. One of these is the SDU, which can now be accessed at any time without having to visit a vendor.
From this tab, you can upgrade each weapon type's ammo capacity, as well as your inventory limit, bank size, and how much lost loot is saved, all with tokens that are earned by finding collectables and completing challenges.
Starting ammo capacity is quite high anyway, so it's worth investing your hard-earned tokens into the backpack to start with, given the sheer amount of loot thrown at you. Otherwise, you'll be sifting through your inventory for most of the early game.
The Hover Pack Lets You Dodge
In one of the very first missions in Borderlands 4, you're given a hover pack, which does exactly what you'd expect. But what the game doesn't tell you is that you can use it to dodge.
On PC, this is done by pressing the shift button and a directional key, and on console, by tapping the B/Circle button while moving sideways, forwards, or backwards. Traversal is a lot more varied in Borderlands 4, and this is another vital part of that toolkit, which will help you stay alive longer in gunfights, so it's worth getting a handle on it as soon as possible.
Respeccing Is Cheap And Easy, So Do It Early
If you find that you're not enjoying your build, you don't need to restart the game. Respeccing is unlocked after completing Down and Outbound, and the fee is dependent on how much cash you have at hand, so it's not a hugely expensive endeavour.
In the early game, with how readily available cash is, don't be scared to tinker with skills and abilities until you find something that best suits your playstyle. That way, when you find your groove, you can start focusing on the best loot to complement your build.
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Like Follow FollowedBorderlands 4
Looter Shooter Action Adventure RPG Systems OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 85/100 Critics Rec: 97% Released September 12, 2025 ESRB Rating Pending Developer(s) Gearbox Software Publisher(s) 2K Engine Unreal Engine 5 Multiplayer Online Co-Op, Online MultiplayerWHERE TO PLAY
DIGITAL
