Gearbox has released the first major Borderlands 4 balance patch, supplying a broad set of buffs across all four Vault Hunters to promote greater build diversity, and for now, the changes are exclusively positive with no nerfs.
What changed
The studio says the update focuses on “adjusting underperforming skills,” with special attention on Amon, who was brought closer in line with the other Vault Hunters’ power levels. Vex summons and Rafa’s melee options were boosted to make them more viable in the late endgame, and Harlowe received a couple of targeted increases to make Stasis more meaningful.
You can read the full patch notes on the official update page.
Amon – the big winner
Half the patch reads like a thesis on Amon. Action skills, augments, capstones, and passives across all three of his trees were buffed substantially. Fellfrost damage was increased by 71%, Fulminating Fist damage by 69%, and Eternal Winter Massive Forgewave now deals 100% more damage. Cooldowns were shortened, scalings improved, and restoration mechanics were strengthened, which collectively makes Amon a much stronger pick.
Rafa and Vex adjustments
Rafa received a mix of damage and passive buffs. Apophis Lance action skill damage was increased by 10%, Arc-Knives action skill got 12% melee damage and 5% dash damage, and several capstones and passives in the People Person line were improved.
Vex saw more than summon tweaks. Energy Vampire, Eldritch Blast, and Phase Explosion damage were improved to give her action skill more impact. The Vexcalation capstones also garnered attention. Phase Familiar health was increased by 10% and its damage by 21.9%.
Harlowe and future fixes
Harlowe’s changes are minimal but targeted. Stasis Slam damage was increased by 30% and Stasis Immune Damage was raised by 14.7% to make Stasis feel more rewarding for players who invest in it. Gearbox also states that it is investigating statistics and behaviors related to Class Mods, Rep Kits, Shields, and Firmware, and plans to address several unintended interactions that currently trivialize certain content. The studio frames those fixes as a way to protect meaningful build diversity, rather than simply nerfing things that are meant to feel powerful.
For players who have been tracking which builds one-shot enemies or sail through supposed challenges, this patch is a reminder that the team sees those issues and plans follow-up work to correct exploit-like behaviors.
If you play Amon, Rafa, Vex, or Harlowe you probably already have an opinion on how much these changes matter. Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X and Bluesky.
