What to know

  • The best XP comes from bounty contracts and drill site activities.
  • Certain safehouses give faster access to repeatable bounties.
  • Story missions unlock better XP sources, so don’t skip them entirely.
  • Resetting boards and replaying drill sites saves time and boosts XP.

Borderlands 4's level grind from 30 to 50 can be time-consuming but streamlined with the right strategy. The core approach centers around bounty farming, especially the purple/vile bounties encountered in the Makeshift Chalet safe house in Carcadia Burn.

These bounties give between 18,000 and 21,000 XP each, and resetting these by saving and quitting at the bounty board allows efficient repetition. Players report reaching level 50 in about 4 to 5 hours, starting from level 30, by focusing on these bounty runs.

How to prioritize the best XP sources

Bounty contracts
  • Once unlocked, “vile” bounty contracts give some of the highest XP in the game.
  • Pick safehouses that sit close to multiple bounty targets to reduce travel.
  • The Makeshift Chalet in Carcadia Burn (region Lopside) is a strong option because many contracts are nearby.
  • List of vile bounties to try:
    • Tetanus Shot
    • Smelliott Ness
    • Orubulus Reform
    • Beacon
    • Count Habsburg of the Lip
Drill site activities
  • Drill sites spawn waves of enemies and mini-bosses, making them perfect for XP farming.
  • Use Big Encore machines or save-and-quit resets to replay them continuously.
  • Recommended zones include Foundry Freak, The Pitted Stain, and The Prospects near Someday Rise in the Fadefields.
Story progression
  • Advancing the story unlocks better bounty tiers and scaling XP activities.
  • Blend story missions with XP farming to avoid being under-leveled or missing efficient activities.

How to optimize your leveling speed

  • Minimize downtime by fast traveling to safehouses that place you near objectives.
  • Reset boards once you’ve cleared their contracts to keep XP flowing.
  • Choose gear that clears mobs quickly — splash, AoE, or chain-effect weapons shine here.
  • Play smart: don’t waste time chasing gear upgrades when speed is more important.

Solo vs multiplayer strategies

Solo leveling
  • Focus on safehouses with clustered bounties to cut downtime.
  • Build for survivability plus mob clear speed — shields and AoE gear help keep you moving.
  • Reset boards often; you’ll need to farm the same content multiple times without teammates.
  • Drill sites can be tougher alone, but use cover and kiting to complete them safely.
Multiplayer leveling
  • Split farming is powerful because they have different players pick up different bounties to cover more ground.
  • Co-op makes drill sites much faster, since enemies scale but can be melted with combined damage.
  • Support roles get one player running heals or shield buffs, making farming smoother.
  • Communication saves time so decide whether to reset boards together or rotate farming zones.

Example leveling route

PhaseWhat you doLevel target
Early game (1–20)Focus on story missions, add side quests you pass. Use early bounty boards when possible.Mid-20s
Mid game (20–35)Prioritize bounty contracts and drill sites. Use efficient safehouses. Gear for mob clear.Around 40
Late game (35–50)Farm only high-value drill sites and vile bounties. Reset often. Co-op farming speeds this up dramatically.50

Efficiency is the key!

Reaching level 50 quickly in Borderlands 4 comes down to efficiency. Stick to the story until you unlock better XP activities, then rotate between bounty contracts and drill sites while minimizing downtime. Whether you’re playing solo or in co-op, the goal is the same: clear content fast, reset smartly, and stay focused on XP instead of distractions.