Just a couple weeks before launch, Borderlands 4 has announced its post-launch roadmap for free updates and paid DLC throughout the next six months and it’s a lot. But one of the smaller details fans were surprised to see is the return of Pearlescent weapons and shields from Borderlands 2.
The rundown of Borderlands 4‘s end-game arrived alongside a developer panel at PAX West walking fans through how the XP-based loot grind will work this time around. The game’s first paid bounty pack arrives in the fall with new missions, a new boss fight, and a slew of Legendary gear and fresh cosmetics. There will also be Vault Cards that let players grind to unlock extra rewards, including gear that can keep being re-rolled until players find the version that fits their build.
Gearbox Entertainment
But the big update is Borderlands 4’s first paid Story Pack coming in early 2026. It’ll feature a new Vault Hunter, a mini-story campaign, new area to explore, and another trove of collectibles. It’s a cosmic-horror-themed expansion based around Mad Ellie, a Pandoran mechanic who happens to be Moxxi’s daughter. Some other past characters will be returning as well, with a second Story Pack following later in the year.
Borderlands 2‘s Pearlescent drops are back
There are plenty of free updates sprinkled in between each DLC, but the biggest will arrive alongside Bounty Pack 2 in early 2026. It adds the Pearlescent rarity to the game, something fans have been begging to be brought back from Borderlands 2 after it was dropped for Borderlands 3.
These drops are essentially like ultra-rare drops with unique gimmicks. When they arrived in Borderlands 2 they didn’t make or break builds. There were more like Shinies from Pokémon than Diablo’s Uniques, sought after as prizes rather than the deadliest tools in the game. Borderlands 4 might change that this time around, however. “Pearlescent gear drops will be incredibly difficult to find, but their power level will match their coveted rarity,” writes Gearbox.
Where are Borderlands 3‘s Takedowns?
A returning feature the studio hasn’t mentioned yet are Takedowns. These free updates for Borderlands 3 were raid boss-adjacent end-game modes that were designed to push squads of players to the breaking point with their difficulty. Gearbox hasn’t mentioned them by name yet, thought it has mentioned Invincible Bosses coming in a future free update for Borderlands 4.
“Think of them as bosses on steroids: new unique mechanics, massive health pools (not literally invincible, but close to it), extremely lethal attack damage, and other new modifiers that can make quick work of any unprepared Vault Hunters,” the new announcement reads. The first of these will drop before the end of 2025. Weekly big encore boss fights, wildcard missions, and Maurice’s Black Market Machine are all coming after launch as well.
If Borderlands 4‘s base campaign can deliver a better story than Borderlands 3 and the promised variety, variability, and build-crafting depth of the new Vault Hunters, the post-launch roadmap definitely looks like it will be showering players with all of the content they’ll want in the end-game. Those are two big ifs. But with Destiny 2 currently spiraling and Diablo 4 still awaiting its next big expansion, I’m as primed for some fresh, smooth-brained loot chasing as I’ll ever be.