Use your favourite features in-game with our Desktop AppHitting the level cap in Borderlands 4 is not the end of the journey. In many ways, it marks the start of a whole new one. This guide will walk you through things to tick off your list and the best ways to dive into the endgame.
If you'd prefer a video format of this guide, check out the embed on the side. Thanks to Termx for the information in this guide
The first thing to do once hitting max level is to complete your Ultimate Vault Hunter challenges to unlock the hardest difficulty. This isn't just for the increased challenge - this increased difficulty also comes with increased loot drops and exclusive firmware, key for the most powerful of builds.
You can start this by talking to Lilith in Moxxi's bar. This process will see you completing a series of missions including killing bosses and completing World Events which will conclude with you once again dealing with The Timekeeper.
It's a relatively long task but well worth it. Make sure to take a look at our in depth guide that will walk you through every step of the process.
Once you're set up to find the best gear possible in UVH5 it's time to get back out in to the big bad world of Kairos.
The Weekly Activities are a great place to start. There are three to complete every week, each with great rewards including guaranteed Legendary Weapon drops.
Storage Deck Upgrades (SDUs) vary from quality of life improvements, such as increase Backpack size, to build-required game changers, such as increased SMG ammo capacity.
Maxing out your SDUs can be time consuming. The straight-forward way to go about it is to simply go over your map and complete all unfinished side activities. The fastest method is to prioritise the following activities:
Each of these award 40 SDU tokens, the max you can receive. Once you've run out of the above, Propaganda Speakers and Auger Shrines are an excellent alternative as they're quick to complete and offer 20/15 SDU tokens respectively.
There are plenty of side activities in Borderlands 4. Some award you SDU tokens, some fast travel points, but the most important unlock their associated bosses.
If the SDU tokens themselves weren't enough to entice you to delve into the depths of the Order Bunkers or brave the onslaught of Ripper Drill Sites, the loot might just be.
Some of the best weapons in the game are locked behind bosses located in these areas, such as the Hot Slugger shotgun from the Callous Harbinger of Annihilating Death in the Craven's Nook bunker.
It's not just dungeons on the map you need to keep your eye on. Side Quests also often house important bosses than can drop equally important loot.
If you want access to the best gear in the game, you'll need to clear your path to get there.
Each zone has its own Vault boss locked away in a secure position only accessible by a Vault Key. These keys are formed by collecting their fragments scattered across the map.
There are 3 fragments per key. You'll get notifications on the map when you're near one but they're hidden away in some often hard to reach spots. Fortunately we have an extensive guide on where they are and how to find them!
Firmware is a new mechanic introduced in Borderlands 4. Firmware can be obtained and applied to your gear for various set bonuses, maxing out at 3 pieces.
Firmware cannot exist on weapons, only your Shields, Ordnance, Repkits, Enhancements, and Class Mods.
The stats provided from the Firmware set bonuses can be crucial for optimising your endgame builds. Farming for gear is tough enough, however, and the prospect farming this gear with the hopes of rolling the correct 1-in-21 Firmware is unimaginable.
Fortunately, you don't need to do this. Firmware can be transferred from one equipment to another, albeit for the price of eridium, cash, and destroying the original piece of gear in the process. This transfer is limited between equipment types - Repkits can only be used for other Repkits and so on - and can only be done once. If you want to transfer to yet another piece, you'll have to farm that Firmware again.
For this reason stockpiling the Firmware you find is a great idea to future proof your builds, and very much worth doing once you reach the endgame.
Once you reach max level you cannot obtain anymore Skill Points, but this doesn't mean your character stops developing altogether.
Specialisations unlock once you beat the campaign for the first time and allow you to invest points into generic stat boosts with extra passive bonuses once you hit certain milestones.
If you're unsure where you allocate your points, a good rule of thumb is to stick 20 points into each category so you unlock all the perks. After this, start putting points where you think your character (or playstyle) needs it the most. The most popular choices are the Runner tree as it Movespeed, and the Brute tree which gives Gun Damage.
You may have hit max level but thanks to Specialisations that doesn't mean the leveling stops. If you're interested in getting those extra stat boosts, here's the best way to get XP at max level:
For a more in-depth on these leveling methods, check out our dedicated guide here
What's the point of furious mayhem if you can't look good doing it?
Borderlands 4 has a robust Cosmetics system allowing you to mix and match your Head, Body, Weapon, Vehicle, and Echo-4. These customisation options are listed in the menu and to acquire them you'll need to do Missions and Challenges.
If Kairos has become a little too serious for your liking and you want a bit of time off, consider grabbing the pursuit of glorious fashion!
When it comes to your Digirunner's customisation It's not just all about looking pretty. Vehicle customisation includes different Hover Drives which affect factors such as its speed and handling.
These Hover Drives are directly tied to the various manufacturers in the game: Daedalus, Jakobs, Maliwan, Order, Ripper, Tediore, Torgue, and Vladof.
Each manufacturer's Hover Drive improves alongside your loyalty to them. The more you use their weapons, the higher level their Hover Drives will be. It might be a good idea to swap up your weapon type if you want to use a specific Hover Drive, or, conversely, check the customisation tab to see if you could be using a better option then you have currently equipped!
This one's for the completionists out there: In the missions tab on your character screen you'll find a list of challenges. By browsing through these you can see what challenges you still have yet to do and, most importantly, what kind of rewards you can get for doing them.
Challenges award XP, cash, eridium, even cosmetics. They may not be the best method for obtaining any one of these things but they are a great way to break up the mundanity of your XP and Weapon grinds.
Borderlands is ultimately about blowing stuff up spectacularly and quickly. The best way to do that, and the core endgame activity, is to find a build that works for you a get grinding on its loadout.
Browse the plethora of builds on Mobalytics to help you choose what is right for you and your playstyle!
