Borderlands 4 Releases New Update for January 2026

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So, Borderlands 4 just got a new update, and while it’s not huge, it’s definitely helpful. They’ve boosted two of the Vault Hunters and tweaked the rates for legendary drops, which is awesome. Honestly, the game had a lot of hype before it launched on September 12, 2025, but it didn’t quite hit the numbers Take-Two was hoping for – they called the launch a bit slow. But Gearbox is still working hard, pushing out updates and new stuff, which is good to see. Hopefully, these changes will keep things interesting!

Players recently expressed frustration with Borderlands 4 after the popular Seasons Lootings event ended. During the holidays, Gearbox boosted the rate at which rare and powerful gear dropped, giving players a great chance to find awesome loot. When the event concluded on January 8th, the drop rates returned to normal, which upset many fans who enjoyed the increased rewards. Gearbox acknowledged the positive feedback and said they were exploring ways to permanently increase drop rates, but couldn’t share any specifics yet.

Good news for players – the update on January 15th permanently boosted the chances of getting legendary items! However, the details are limited, and it’s unclear if the new rates match those from previous seasonal events. While players have already discovered the drop rates aren’t as high as hoped, it seems the increase is only slight, and lower-tier items haven’t changed at all. Even the very rare “shiny” weapons only have a 0.2% higher chance of dropping. It’s important to remember these numbers aren’t official, so they might not be completely accurate.

Beyond changes to how often items drop, this update significantly improves Harlowe and Amon. For Harlowe, several of her abilities are now more powerful. Her Freeze Frame skill does 20% more Cryo damage and can stack up to 5 times. Endothermic Reaction now adds 6% more damage through her Endothermic Aura, and her Concurrence Action Skill lasts 5% longer. Additionally, Harlowe’s Control Group Kill Skill recharges a little quicker when she defeats enemies she’s entangled.

Forgeknight Amon, the Vault Hunter, has received significant improvements. The damage from his Forgeaxe and Forgehammer Detonation attacks is up by around 72%, and the impact damage of Hour of the Hammer has increased by about 59%. A bug affecting Blade Tempest’s cooldown has been fixed, and it now launches 5 swords with each attack. The skill Get the Lead Out now increases Amon’s reload speed by 5%, and Freezer Burn adds a 9% bonus to Cryo and Incendiary damage. Lastly, using an Action Skill to deal damage now grants Amon a 5% boost to his Overshield thanks to the Armor of Contempt.

Image via Gearbox

This update doesn’t include any changes to Vex or Rafa, as they remain as they were before. Both characters have been very popular with players, largely thanks to some incredibly effective builds discovered for them. Vex, in particular, had a powerful build centered around her Critical Knife that allowed her to quickly defeat bosses by stacking bleed damage – making many fights much easier with the right equipment. While that specific build was adjusted to be less powerful, players are still enjoying success with Vex and Rafa thanks to their other strong abilities.

Borderlands 4 January 15, 2026, Update Patch Notes

Gameplay

  • A permanent increase to Legendary drop rate chance has been added
  • The Phosphene variant of Daedalus Legendary Assault Rifle Bloody Lumberjack has been added to the Foundry Freaks loot pool

Vault Hunters

Harlowe:

  • Concurrence: Action Skill Duration increased to 5%
  • Control Group: Killing an Entangled enemy now restores 6% of Harlowe’s Action Skill Cooldown and Action Skill Duration
  • Freeze Frame: Bonus Cryo Damage increased to 20%, Max Stacks are now 5
  • Endothermic Reaction: Harlowe’s Endothermic Aura bonus damage increased to 6%
  • Heat Sink: Action Skill Cooldown Rate increased to 10%

Amon:

  • Forgeaxe and Forgehammer Detonation damage increased by ~72%
  • Get the Lead Out: Amon’s reload speed increased to 5%
  • Hour of the Hammer: Increased Forgehammer Impact Damage by ~59%
  • Freezer Burn: Increased Cryo and Incendiary bonus damage to 9%
  • Armor of Contempt: Amon now gains 5% Overshield when doing Action Skill Damage
  • Blade Tempest: Now fires 5 swords per barrage, and addressed a reported issue that could cause a change in cooldown duration

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2026-01-16 17:34