THIS WEEK ON KAIROS

[p]Hey Vault Hunters! Welcome to “This Week on Kairos” - a weekly post where we share everything happening across the world of Borderlands 4, from developer updates to community highlights and beyond.[/p][p]Every week, we’ll be here with the latest news, fan creations, dev spotlights, helpful resources, and anything else we think you’ll want to see. Whether you're looking to catch up, dive deeper, or just see what your fellow players are up to, this is the place.[/p][p][/p][h3]Our Latest Update Notes:[/h3][p]In case you missed them, here are the March 5th Minor Update notes:[/p][p]https://borderlands.2k.com/borderlands-4/update-notes/[/p][p][/p][p]A guide on how to submit a ticket can be found here: [/p][p]https://steamcommunity.com/app/1285190/discussions/2/673972930559959886/[/p][p][/p][p]When you submit a ticket, please remember to attach your DxDiag or MSinfo file. If you need assistance with doing that, here’s a walkthrough:[/p][p]https://support.borderlands.com/hc/en-us/articles/44564441894291-PC-How-do-I-attach-a-DxDiag-and-MSinfo-file[/p][p][/p][p](Note: This section is going to be structured the same each week, so although it looks the same, rest assured it’s being updated weekly!)[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]ICYMI: Drop Rates Have Been Adjusted[/h3][p]Following the release of Bounty Pack 2: Legend of the Stone Demon last week, we introduced a couple of changes in the Minor Update yesterday.[/p][p]For Pearlescents: Eigenburst was dropping a bit more than we were aiming for, and we saw that Pearlescents in higher Ultimate Vault Hunter levels were scaling at a different rate than what the team was trying to hit.[/p][p]With the addition of this new rarity now appearing in the wild, we also updated how bosses drop their loot to make things simpler. Bosses in the base game (including Invincibles) and all Bounty Packs now use the same drop rate for their dedicated items. This change does not impact Phosophene drop rates. [/p][p]The team also saw feedback around the Ordonite Canisters being a little more unpredictable in their flight path and hard to see. Yesterday's update makes them heavier and brighter![/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Weekly Big Encore Boss: Vile Prototype[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Steam Community Photopalooza[/h3][p]As you take photos and drop them in Steam, we’ll round up a few of our favorites for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy the beauty of chaos - er, I mean, Kairos![/p][p][/p][p]Legendary Star for this INCREDIBLE shot by micky:[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][h3]Behind the Team: LeRoy Strauss, Borderlands 4 Principal Character Artist[/h3][p]Every week, we’re spotlighting one of the minds behind the mayhem. You’ll get to learn about folks from both Gearbox and 2K, and how each person who touches the game both influences and is influenced by Borderlands 4. This week, we're talking with LeRoy Strauss, Gearbox’s Principal Character Artist:[/p][p][/p][p]How do you help establish or evolve the character art style for a game?[/p][p]LeRoy: It's a balance between creative vision and technical reality. I like to start by understanding the constraints we have to work within, like what’s feasible from a performance standpoint, and what might be possible given production time and resources. [/p][p]From there, I spend time gathering and studying a wide range of references from films, illustrations, comics, games, and individual artists to find inspiration and help identify things to avoid that don't work so well. [/p][p]I’ve been fortunate to work with incredibly talented concept artists throughout my career. I especially enjoy receiving a concept that is both inspiring and intimidating, as it challenges me to faithfully translate a 2D vision into a 3D character. A big part of my focus is preserving and even enhancing the silhouette and core shapes established in the concept. When working on stylized content, I often attempt to push shapes beyond my initial comfort zone to find the right balance of not too realistic yet not too cartoony either, unless the style calls for it.[/p][p]Years ago, I remember watching some video game cinematics and wondering if we would ever be able to achieve that level of quality in real-time one day. Seeing that gap close year after year continues to motivate me, and informs how far I try to push character art within the evolving capabilities of the medium.[/p][p][/p][p]What first inspired you to pursue character art professionally?[/p][p]LeRoy: I’ve been in the game industry for quite a while, and it wasn’t until the early 2000s when teams began growing and specialization became more common that I really narrowed my focus. At the time, I was torn between character art and environment art, since I was doing both and enjoyed each for different reasons.[/p][p]I’ve always loved the modeling and texturing phases in particular. But what truly sealed it for me was seeing the characters come to life once the Animation team worked its magic. There’s something incredibly rewarding about watching talented animators bring personality, movement, and emotion to a model I created.[/p][p]That feeling was thrilling then, and it still is today.[/p][p][/p][p]What’s a tiny character detail you obsess over that players may never consciously notice?[/p][p]LeRoy: That’s an interesting question. These days it feels like almost everything gets noticed, but I’m very particular about a character reading well both up close and from a distance. If a design becomes too busy, I’ll simplify or remove elements to maintain a strong visual balance. That applies to both the sculpted forms and the texture work.[/p][p]I also avoid mirroring textures down the center of a character, even when the design is symmetrical. When I’m playing games, I tend to notice mirrored textures immediately. I understand why it’s done for optimization and production efficiency, but it’s something I personally try to avoid when possible. Similarly, I make sure every part of the character has adequate texture space to prevent pixel stretching, even in small areas or parts that are rarely seen unless you're looking at a certain frame of specific animations.[/p][p]If I’ve done my job well, ideally the player never consciously notices any of it—they just feel that the character looks right.[/p][p]

[/p][h3]Community Creative Corner[/h3][p]Our community members aren’t just gamers—many of you are also artists. Whether it’s cosplay, digital art, or some yet-to-be-invented medium, we’re your biggest fans. Check out this week’s hand-picked fan creations:[/p][p][/p][p]Oniryukyu on Reddit[/p][p]
[/p][p][/p][p]rubicudus[/p][p][/p][p]That’s it for this week—with more updates, more chaos, and maybe a few surprises coming next Friday. Until then: keep your ECHOnet tuned and your loot luck high.[/p][p]Happy Hunting,
Erin from The Borderlands Community Team[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p]
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