Borderlands 4’s Most Difficult Challenge Is Officially Impossible

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Okay, so I’m a completionist, and let me tell you, *Borderlands 4* is really testing my patience. The game has these collectibles called phosphenes – basically shiny versions of legendary weapons – and there are supposed to be 69 of them, one for every legendary gun. There’s even an achievement for getting them all, called “Shining the Brightest.” But I, and a ton of other players on Reddit, Discord, and YouTube, have spent *hundreds* of hours hunting, and we’re still missing a few! It feels like the jar is almost full, but not quite, and it’s driving us crazy. It’s like they might have accidentally messed something up with the collection, or maybe it’s just a really cruel joke!

The “Shining the Brightest” challenge, which started as a test of dedication for committed players, has become virtually impossible to complete. While the idea is simple – more playtime should increase your chances of finding rare shiny weapons – many players are finding that even after dozens or hundreds of hours, they can’t finish the challenge. Certain shiny weapons in *Borderlands 4* appear to be bugged or unavailable, and some can’t be obtained from the correct sources. This leaves dedicated players feeling like their efforts will never pay off.

Shining the Brightest May Be Borderlands 4’s First Truly Broken Challenge

The rare, colorful weapons in *Borderlands 4* were intended as a special reward for the game’s most dedicated players, but they’ve become a source of frustration. For players who don’t have a lot of time, these weapons are essentially unattainable. Getting one is incredibly difficult because they only appear on already-rare legendary weapons. Players have reported spending hundreds of hours trying to find them, with some only finding one or two after repeatedly defeating bosses. While a tough challenge can be enjoyable, many believe the difficulty isn’t just bad luck, but a problem with how the game is designed.

Players are reporting a bug in the game where the number of phosphene weapons they collect doesn’t match what the game tracks. One player had 58 but the challenge only registered 46, while others are stuck at 66 or 67 out of 69, unable to progress further despite repeated attempts. It seems certain weapons, like the Bloody Lumberjack, Complex Root, and some of Moxxi’s guns, are never appearing in phosphene form, leading players to believe they may be permanently undroppable.

Players are encountering a frustrating issue in *Borderlands 4* where unlocking a special weapon skin on one character doesn’t register on others, even though it’s meant to be available across all accounts. This also prevents progress from counting towards a specific challenge, making it impossible to earn the associated achievement. It’s a roadblock for players, but many believe it’s a bug that the developers can fix quickly.

Gearbox Hasn’t Confirmed the Problem, But the Evidence Is There

Gearbox hasn’t officially said that any of the special weapons in *Borderlands 4* are bugged or impossible to get. The game’s creative director, Graeme Timmins, has dismissed ideas that there are secret penalties or rigged drop rates, stating that everything relies on random chance. However, random chance alone doesn’t explain why certain weapon types don’t appear in challenges, or why the challenge tracker doesn’t update even when players get new special weapons. Right now, there’s too much evidence to completely rule out a problem.

Efforts to improve performance in *Borderlands 4* have been ongoing since the game launched. There are still some issues to resolve, and it’s likely Gearbox will soon acknowledge and fix the problem with the game’s weapons in an upcoming patch.

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2025-10-06 23:18