If you’ve already sunk 30+ hours into Borderlands 4 beating the main campaign, grinding Proving Grounds, and chasing rare legendaries, you’re probably wondering what’s next. That’s where our deep dive into Borderlands 4 post launch plans and hidden unmarked content comes in. I’ve been grinding the game since day one, and even tested the first limited-time event on the public test server, so I’ve uncovered all the secret quests, loot rooms, and confirmed upcoming drops that Gearbox has teased so far. You don’t have to waste hours scrolling through disjointed patch notes or random Reddit threads to find the good stuff — we’ve laid it all out for you right here, whether you’re playing solo or running co-op with three friends.
Confirmed Borderlands 4 Post Launch DLC and Content Roadmap
Gearbox released its full 12-month content roadmap a week after launch, and there’s a lot to be excited about if you’re planning to stick around Pandora for the long haul. Three major paid story expansions are planned, with the first one, “Wasteland of the Forgotten”, dropping three months after launch. It will follow Vault Hunters as they travel to an unexplored moon of Pandora to track down a rogue Atlas scientist experimenting with eridium to create super soldier variants, with 15 hours of new story content, two new raid bosses, 30 new legendaries, and an extra skill tree for each base character. The best part? No paid season pass lock for core quality of life updates — all bug fixes, balance changes, and event content will be free for every player, no purchase required. You can also expect free monthly limited-time events including the return of fan favorites like Bloody Harvest and the Cartel, plus new event types that introduce exclusive loot you can’t get anywhere else.
Hidden Post Launch Content You Can Unlock Right Now
Most players don’t realize there’s already a ton of unmarked post launch content in the game that isn’t tied to paid DLC. These hidden unlocks are easy to miss if you only stick to marked main and side quests, but they give some of the most powerful gear and unique cosmetics in the game right now. I spent weeks testing every possible trigger for these secrets, so you don’t have to waste your time guessing:
- The Golden Key Vault: Enter the code “VAULTHUNTER4” in the main menu social tab to get 5 golden keys that unlock rare loot in Sanctuary’s golden chest, valid for the first 6 months post launch. The chest drops gear scaled to your current level, so you can save the keys for endgame if you want higher power drops.
- Secret Raid Boss “The Eater of Worlds”: Beat all 3 Proving Grounds on Mayhem 10 difficulty without dying once to unlock a hidden portal in the Voracious Canopy that spawns this boss. It drops exclusive elemental legendary weapons with 20% higher base damage than any other drop in the base game.
- Custom Vault Hunter Skins: Complete 20 co-op missions with random players to unlock the “Friend of the Vault” skin set for all 4 base game characters, no DLC required. The skins have animated eridium glow effects that don’t appear on any other base game cosmetics.
I spent almost 8 hours trying to trigger the Eater of Worlds spawn before I figured out the no-death requirement for Proving Grounds, so don’t make the same mistake I did. Bring a shield with high corrosive resistance if you plan to take it on, because its area of effect acid attack melts through standard shield builds in seconds. If you’re playing solo, a Moze build with 150% increased damage against large enemies makes the fight manageable even on Mayhem 10, or you can bring a Fl4k phasewalker build for fast revives if you’re running with a squad.
Post Launch Quality of Life Updates You Might Have Missed
Gearbox has already pushed three small patches in the first two weeks after launch, fixing most of the major bugs players reported during early access, and adding a bunch of highly requested features that didn’t make it to the initial release. The most useful update by far is the lost loot auto-save feature that saves any legendary or unique gear you leave on the ground after a mission, so you don’t have to panic if you forget to pick up a rare drop before fast traveling. The lost loot box is located next to the quick change station on Sanctuary, and it holds up to 10 items at a time, so you don’t have to check it after every single mission. Another update added free skill point respecs at any quick change station, which was a top request from players during the beta, so you can test out new builds without wasting in-game cash. They also increased max inventory space from 50 to 75 slots, which cut my post-mission inventory cleanup time in half. The only downside is that you still can’t sort your inventory by weapon element, but Gearbox has confirmed that feature is coming in the next monthly patch. Crossplay support for all platforms also rolled out in the first post launch patch, so you can now play with friends on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Switch without any restrictions, and the bug that caused co-op players to lose mission progress if the host left early has also been fixed.
How to Prepare for Upcoming Post Launch Expansions
If you’re done with all the current base game endgame content, there are a few simple things you can do right now to get ready for the first major DLC drop, so you don’t fall behind when the new higher difficulty content goes live. First, farm for Mayhem 10 level legendary gear because the first DLC will introduce Mayhem 11 difficulty, with enemies scaled to 20% higher power than current Mayhem 10 foes, so you’ll need high-level, well-rolled gear to keep up. You should also make sure you’ve maxed out your character’s loyalty rank with all four weapon manufacturers, because the DLC will add exclusive manufacturer-specific weapons that only unlock if you have max loyalty with that brand. Save all your golden keys until the DLC drops too, because the golden chest on Sanctuary will start dropping DLC-exclusive gear as soon as the expansion goes live, so you’ll get way more value from your keys if you hold onto them. Don’t waste your eridium on base game cosmetic skins right now either, because the DLC will add new cosmetic packs that cost 50% less eridium than the current base game options, so you’ll be able to get way more skins for the same amount of currency. If you’re playing as Zane, I recommend farming for the “Double Agent” class mod from the Traunt boss on Athenas right now — it gives you a 30% damage boost when you have both your digi-clone and barrier active, which will be extremely useful for the new high-difficulty DLC content.
Whether you’re a casual player who only logs in for limited-time events or a hardcore grinder chasing every legendary weapon and hidden secret, the Borderlands 4 post launch content slate has something for everyone. We’ll keep updating this guide as new patches drop and more content is announced, so check back regularly if you want to stay on top of all the latest unlocks and tips. If you find any hidden content or tricks we missed, drop a comment below to share with the rest of the Vault Hunter community.