The Borderlands 4 PAX East 2025 panel detailed exciting improvements to the game's loot and cooperative features. Discover the reasoning behind these system changes and the surprising removal of the traditional mini-map.
Key Details from the Borderlands 4 PAX East Panel
Loot and Co-Op System Overhaul
At PAX East 2025, Gearbox Software's panel, including CEO Randy Pitchford, unveiled significant upgrades to Borderlands 4's loot acquisition and co-op gameplay. The developers have actively incorporated player feedback from Borderlands 3 to enhance the experience.
Cooperative play is now more seamless. Players can jump in and out of a session at any time without needing to reach specific story checkpoints. With the game's expansive map, a quick fast-travel function allows you to instantly join your friends' locations.
The level-scaling system returns, letting players of any rank join a lobby and have their power adjusted appropriately. Crucially, loot is now instanced, meaning each player receives their own unique rewards from defeated enemies, eliminating competition over drops.
The loot system itself has been refined for better clarity and impact. While the overall number of legendary items has been reduced, each one is designed to feel more powerful and special. Furthermore, not all gear is random; key mini-bosses and major enemies now guarantee specific, desirable rewards, making every challenging encounter worthwhile.
For those who love replaying content, the new Moxxi’s Big Encore mode lets you revisit missions and bosses to farm for gear, removing the outdated need to manually reload old save files.
Why The Mini-Map Was Removed
A notable revelation from the panel was the decision to remove the traditional mini-map. Given the game's massive scale, fans questioned this choice. Randy Pitchford encouraged players to experience the game firsthand to understand the new Heads-Up Display (HUD) design.
He explained, "We built an incredibly vast world. While some activities are local, many objectives and opportunities are miles apart. A local mini-map isn't effective for navigating between distant goals simultaneously. A compass system better facilitates this large-scale exploration."
Pitchford emphasized a philosophy of "playing the game, not the map." The new compass is intended to guide players through the world organically. "Experience the game and the scale of the world for yourself," he stated. "You'll understand why immersing yourself in the environment is more rewarding than constantly checking a small map."
Following a successful State of Play presentation and an announcement moving the release date two weeks earlier, Gearbox feels confident heading into launch. The studio plans to showcase more of Borderlands 4 at upcoming events like Fan Fest, Bilibili World, and Gamescom.
Borderlands 4 launches on September 12, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. For all the latest updates, explore our coverage below.
