Borderlands 4’s Big Patch: Performance, Progression, and Vault Hunter Overhaul

What to know

• Update improves stability, fixes crashes, and brings visual upgrades for all platforms.
• Adds Field of View (FOV) slider for consoles—previously a highly-requested PC-only feature.
• Rewards and progression rebalanced, with fixes to unintended skill points and trophy unlocks.
• Significant Vault Hunter reworks: critical bug fixes and passive tweaks for every playable character.

The September 25, 2025 update for Borderlands 4 aims to stabilize performance, introduce fresh weekly content, correct reward and progression bugs, polish UI/visual/audio elements, and provide balance adjustments to Vault Hunter skills. Gearbox notes that even with this patch, further improvements are under investigation, and a separate balance update (especially for broader Vault Hunter buffs/nerfs) is expected soon. Here are all the details about what's new and patched with the new 11GB update.

Performance and stability

Players should now experience fewer crashes, less hitching, and improved frame rates across all platforms. Noteworthy fixes include:

• Smoother character animations and reduced character loading delays.
• Resolved black screen and infinite loading issues, especially on Xbox and during crossplay sessions.
• Ongoing monitoring and future fixes planned for any remaining memory leak- and stutter-related issues.

The update also enhances menus and user interface fluidity, with shored-up visual and audio elements for a cleaner user experience.

Field of View: FOV slider for consoles

Console players can now access a FOV slider from the settings menu, a feature previously restricted to PC. Scene framing can be adjusted according to preference, but note that higher FOV settings may slightly impact performance.

• Applies to both user screens in splitscreen mode.
• A long-standing request from console players, enhancing fairness for crossplay.

Rewards and progression fixes & improvements

Significant fixes and balance changes aim to ensure fairer, more stable rewards progression:

• Weekly Activities refreshed: tougher Weekly Big Encore Boss variants, new Wildcard Missions, and a new Black Market Machine location.
• Addressed issues with missing/extra skill points, inconsistent enemy spawning, and region trophies unlocking too early.
• Prevented DLC content from appearing in unintended places and improved clarity around reward eligibility and DLC warnings.
• Improved Rewards Center reliability and prevented already-claimed cosmetics from showing.
• Changed timing on progression so players advance properly from Ultimate Vault Hunter 4 to 5 after completing the required mission.

Vault Hunter changes

Every character—Gravitar, Forgeknight, Siren, and Exo-Soldier—received either bug fixes or passive adjustments:

In addition, developers teased even more buffs and balance changes in a forthcoming update—too many Vault Hunter buffs existed for this patch to safely include them all.

Gear and UI refinement

• Visuals: Improved weapon/projectile VFX, character/NPC pathing, and critter spawns.
• Gear: Major fixes to augment targeting/damage and consistency, plus tweaks to fan favorites like Hellwalker and Tediore weapons.
• UI: Enhanced clarity in menus and rewards, D-pad navigation support, and refined inventory management.

The update responds directly to widespread fan requests and feedback since Borderlands 4’s launch, especially toward endgame reliability and crossplay fairness. However, some users are aggrieved that the performance improvement update does exactly the opposite of what it claims.

Developers continue to monitor performance, with more major balance and reward updates due soon.

The issues, however, may not be universal. On the whole, the update looks good, solidifying technical polish and starting a larger series of Vault Hunter reworks. For returning and new players alike, gameplay is now smoother, fairer, and more rewarding—paving the way for the next round of content and fixes.