Gaming News

Borderlands 4 Reveals Loot, Co-op, and Quality-of-Life Changes

On May 11, 2025 9:38 pm, by NuclearCoffee

Summary

Borderlands 4 changes include cooldown timers for grenades, fast-travel to friends, and level scaling for co-op convenience.
Gearbox Software revamped the co-op lobby for easier navigation and introduced instanced loot to prevent weapon conflicts.
State of Play revealed Borderlands 4 will have a new map, movement options, and lower legendary drop rates to make rare weapons feel special.

Fans got another look at Borderlands 4 at PAX East, and they have some big improvements to look forward to. While the third installment of the iconic looter shooter was met with largely positive reviews, fans and critics alike found plenty of areas where it could improve. So far, it seems like Gearbox Software has listened to the feedback, with Borderlands 4 showing off a handful of changes to its loot, co-op, and more.

The recent Borderlands-focused State of Play showed off several noteworthy fan-requested changes to the series. It revealed Borderlands 4‘s grenades and launchers will use cooldown timers instead of ammo and won’t take up a weapon slot, gave fans a look at new movement options, and offered a brief but promising peek at its new-and-improved map. There was a lot to take in, but it seems that’s not all Gearbox has up its sleeve.

Some Borderlands 4 Fans Will Get to Play the New Game Months in Advance

Gearbox reveals how some Borderlands 4 fans will be able to play the upcoming game months before its release date.

As reported by PCGamesN, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford announced that the team behind Borderlands 4 has completely revamped the co-op lobby. Navigating the menu should be easier than ever, and when players want to join a party that’s already gotten started, they can drop in at any point at any time instead of needing everyone to meet up at a specific location. It’s great news for those playing together online, but couch co-op players don’t need to worry, either. Gearbox had previously confirmed that Borderlands 4 will have split-screen multiplayer, a hallmark of the series.

Borderlands 4 Has Revamped the Franchise’s Co-Op and Loot Systems

The game is also introducing a fast-travel to friends option. Anyone who gets separated from the party can teleport back to them, no matter where they are. Considering how Borderlands 4 will have a massive but not-quite-open world, that feature should come in handy. Getting separated from the group may easily put lots of distance between players if there’s enough for somebody to stray off and explore. Being able to fast-travel to the rest of the party would save a lot of time in that case.

Another co-op convenience comes in the form of level scaling, which ensures players won’t get overwhelmed when teaming up with higher-level friends. Instanced loot will also prevent party members from taking weapons that would be a better match for their teammates. As mentioned in the State of Play, Borderlands 4 is lowering its legendary drop rates and scaling how quickly and often players encounter high-level loot. The change should make better weapons actually feel rare and avoid throwing too many mechanics at players all at once. All in all, there’s a lot to look forward to when Borderlands 4 drops this September.