Borderlands 2 News

[p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Nothing says "power fantasy" like wiping out waves of enemies with a combination of crowd-control abilities and area-of-effect annihilation—both of which happen to be the specialty of Harlowe the Gravitar, one of the four all-new Vault Hunters wreaking havoc on Kairos in Borderlands 4! Using her collection of combat-ready inventions, Harlowe can dominate any space by nuking the battlefield with Cryo and Radiation damage, or protect herself and co-op allies with enhanced shielding and more.[/p][p]Check out the Harlowe Gameplay Overview video above to see her scientific brilliance applied in the field to deadly effect. Whatever hypotheses and variables she's testing in a given firefight, the results are sure to be joyously bloody.[/p][p]Check out the full rundown of her abilities and three skill trees on the Harlowe Vault Hunter page nested within the Game Info page. Here's a high-level overview of the core Action Skills that Harlowe has access to:[/p]

• [p]CHROMA Accelerator: Fire off an Unstable Energy Pocket that creates a sphere of Cryo damage which passes through enemies, then detonate it for an explosive finish of Radiation damage that'll fry any surviving targets. With the Capstone abilities of her Creative Bursts skill tree, Harlowe can engineer the Unstable Energy Pocket to bounce between foes or gain multiple charges.[/p]
• [p]Zero-Point: Turn aggressive enemies into defenseless targets by isolating them in a zero-gravity Stasis bubble created by Harlowe's HALO Accelerator, which slams them to the ground when the Stasis effect ends. Longtime Borderlands players will recognize this as a spin on an iconic Siren skill, now with added Augments that can cause bullets to ricochet off targets in Stasis, store damage on bubbled enemies to create living Cryo bombs that detonate on impact, and more. [/p]
• [p]Flux Generator: Drop a repositionable Flux Generator that creates a sizable Energy Field, freezing enemies with constant Cryo damage and empowering nearby allies with Overshield. Through the use of Augments, you can amplify or add to the effects that hinder foes and help allies while they're in the Energy Field.[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Harlowe's always-on Trait Entanglement is where her area-of-effect, crowd-decimating strengths really come into focus. Whenever Harlowe uses her Action Skill on enemies, they become Entangled, indicated by a chromatic glow. Entangled enemies share a portion of Gun Damage and Skill Damage, effectively spreading the hurt across multiple targets to make quick work of even the toughest groups.[/p][p]With the debut of Harlowe's full suite of abilities, you can now browse the skill trees for Borderlands 4's all-new Vault Hunters on the Vex Vault Hunter, Rafa Vault Hunter, Amon Vault Hunter, and Harlowe Vault Hunter pages. Let the theorycrafting commence as you try to decide which of these badasses you'll embody in your fight against the Timekeeper; it's also a very acceptable plan to play as all four because you can't choose just one.[/p][p]Borderlands 4 is now available for pre-purchase. We're so excited that you'll all be crash-landing on Kairos soon; stay tuned for more reveals ahead of launch![/p][p]
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[p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]If you love running headfirst into battle, soaking up damage and dishing it out in equal measure, you'd do well to check out Amon the Forgeknight, one of the four all-new Vault Hunters wreaking havoc on Kairos in Borderlands 4! In addition to being a resilient frontliner, Amon has a mechanically complex set of Action Skills with primary and secondary functions that'll tickle the cortexes of even the most experienced players.[/p][p]Watch the Amon Gameplay Overview video above to watch Amon tear his enemies asunder with an arsenal of Forgeweapons, which take form via the Forgedrones stored within Amon's cybernetic-enhanced beefcake body. Amon can attack or defend as needed, ready to pulverize enemies with a Forgehammer, slice them in twain with Forgeaxes, soak up damage with a Forgeshield, and much, much more.[/p][p]Check out the full rundown of his abilities and three skill trees on the Amon Vault Hunter page nested within the Game Info page. Here's a high-level overview of the core Action Skills that Amon can unleash:[/p]

• [p]Crucible: Wield the elemental might of fire and ice with Amon's twin Forgeaxes, which deal Incendiary or Cryo damage by default, have multiple charges, and can be picked up to reduce their cooldown. The Forgeaxes make any damaged target Primed, causing them to explode in a damaging, bloody mess when killed.[/p]
• [p]Scourge: Charge headlong into the fray as Amon summons his Forgeshield, which will soak up incoming damage and fill up a Vengeance Meter. Once you've absorbed the brunt of the incoming hurt, you can return the favor by firing back a Forgewave that consumes Vengeance to deal freezing Cryo damage.[/p]
• [p]Onslaughter: Wallop your foes in the face with Amon's Forgefist, which dashes to your target to unleash an explosive Rocket Punch. The force of this Incendiary Melee Damage impact will Stagger most enemies, leaving them dazed so you can finish them off with a flurry of bullets.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Amon's Trait Forgeskill is where things really heat up, as it grants a secondary Action Skill depending on his equipped core Action Skill. Forgeskills have their own cooldown separate from their respective Action Skill, adding an extra layer of complexity to Amon's damage output as you master his cooldown rotations during battle. Here are Amon's Forgeskills, all of which can be transformed by the Capstone abilities at the end of his skill trees:[/p]

• [p]Double-Edge (Crucible Action Skill equipped): Throw a twinned Forgeaxe, dealing Cryo  Damage to enemies it passes through and returning to Amon, dealing Incendiary Melee Damage on the way back.[/p]
• [p]Firewall (Scourge Action Skill equipped): Deploy a Firewall that absorbs enemy projectiles, and grants friendly projectiles that pass through it increased damage and velocity. Absorbed damage is converted into Vengeance if Scourge is active, and enemies near Firewall get burned with Incendiary damage over time.[/p]
• [p]Molten Slam (Onslaughter Action Skill equipped): Slam a Molten Forgehammer into the ground, dealing Incendiary damage to enemies in a large area.[/p]

[p]If you haven't seen them already, make sure to peruse the Vex Vault Hunter and Rafa Vault Hunter pages with all of their Action Skill and skill tree information, then keep your eyes peeled for the Harlowe Vault Hunter pages in the coming weeks.[/p][p]Borderlands 4 is now available for pre-purchase! We're so excited that you'll all be crash-landing on Kairos soon; stay tuned for more reveals ahead of launch![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p]
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[p][/p][p]If you've already pre-purchased Borderlands 4 or plan to get the game on PC, you'll be able to dive into the chaotic world of loot, mayhem, and Vault Hunters via the power of cloud gaming with NVIDIA GeForce NOW on launch day.*** While you wait to experience the next explosive chapter in the Borderlands saga, Borderlands Game of the Year Enhanced, Borderlands 2, Borderlands 3, and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel are available now on the NVIDIA GeForce NOW service for gamers who own any of these titles on PC.[/p][p][/p][p]Enjoy the series' over-the-top action, signature humor, and intense looter shooter gameplay at GeForce RTX quality, streaming to a variety of devices. Even if you don't have the latest hardware, you can stream each adrenaline-pumping adventure to your living-room TV or your phone/tablet while on the go. Upgrading to a paid GeForce NOW Ultimate membership**** lets you take advantage of increased performance and fidelity, up to 5K resolution and 120 FPS, powered by the all-new GeForce RTX 5080-class GPUs in the cloud - no downloads or high-end hardware needed to play the games on your machine.[/p][p][/p][p]Visit the official NVIDIA GeForce NOW page for more details on membership benefits and supported devices.[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]***Note: You must already own or purchase titles to play them on GeForce NOW. Your performance is dependent on device type, settings, network quality, and more. View all features or visits visit our System Requirements page for more info.[/p][p]****Billing for GeForce NOW starts immediately upon sign-up for any current membership plan. Paid membership plans will be billed monthly, bi-annually or annually, depending on the selected plan, and will automatically renew based on the selected membership plan billing cycle. Memberships will terminate upon cancellation. Users can cancel GeForce NOW at any time and continue to play until the end of the current billing period. Memberships are billed in full for the entire period at the time of purchase, with cancellations reflected at the start of the next billing period. All membership pricing plans are subject to taxes and fees, where applicable. GeForce NOW Performance and Ultimate Day Pass benefits are effective immediately upon checkout, and expire after 24 consecutive hours. New members without a recurring subscription will revert to a Free membership once the Day Pass expires. Existing Performance members will have their membership paused for the duration of Ultimate Day Passes purchased, extending their next billing date by that duration. Performance and Ultimate Day Pass purchases cannot be combined in the same transaction.[/p][p] [/p][p]© 2025 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, and GeForce RTX are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.[/p][p]
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[p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]Classes based around the 'elite soldier' archetype are a staple of Borderlands, acting as a great gateway for FPS players to acclimate to the unbridled mayhem of the series' frenetic combat. Rafa the Exo-Soldier is here to continue the franchise lineage of the battle-ready combat veteran class, making his debut as one of the all-new Vault Hunters breaking free in Borderlands 4.[/p][p][/p][p]Check out the Rafa Gameplay Overview video above to see how he masterfully wields the cutting-edge weaponry stored in his Deadframe exo-suit. This former Tediore trooper is ready for fights at any distance, whether he's slicing through enemies at melee range with his twin Arc-Knives, perforating midrange targets with his Peacebreaker Cannons, or blasting holes through multiple enemies with charged-up rounds from his APOPHIS Lance.[/p][p] [/p][p]Here's a high-level overview of the core Action Skills that Rafa has at the ready:[/p]

• [p]Arc-Knives: Cut down anyone stupid enough to stand in your way with these twin energy blades. When activating Rafa's Arc-Knives, your perspective shifts from first-person to third-person, giving you maximum spatial awareness as you slash, dash, and slice your way through hostile crowds. The finishing touch on any melee carnage spree is Rafa's Blade Fury ability, which ends the Action Skill with a Shock Damage-infused whirlwind strike.  [/p]
• [p]Peacebreaker Cannons: Amplify your damage output with an extra gun over each shoulder, as the Peacebreaker Cannons seek and destroy any targets in front of you. You can modify the Peacebreaker Cannons to fire all kinds of ammunition via Rafa's passive skills, and even turn them into a stationary turret via the Insta-Fort Battle System Augment.[/p]
• [p]APOPHIS Lance: Convert Rafa's arm into a full-blown cannon with the APOPHIS Lance, with a default firing mode that unleashes orbs of pure plasma, piercing through enemies and reducing them to a red paste. You get multiple charges with each activation, so take your pick between firing off a volley of blasts or charging up devastating projectiles depending on the situation.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Rafa's always-on Trait, Overdrive, incentivizes you to keep using your Action Skills on cooldown, buffing your movespeed and damage whenever an Action Skill is active. Once you've found the rhythm of using your favorite Action Skill multiple times in each skirmish, you'll be tearing through the opposition with ease.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]In case you missed it, be sure to check out the Vex Vault Hunter page, detailing all of the Siren's supernatural Action Skills and skill trees. Stay tuned for full reveals of the Amon and Harlowe Vault Hunter pages in the coming weeks. [/p][p][/p][p]Borderlands 4 is now available for pre-purchase! Ahead of Borderlands 4's launch on September 12, 2025, make sure you're caught up with the latest Story Trailer. Then get behind-the-scenes insights from Gearbox developers with the ongoing Beyond the Borderlands video series, including "Making a Vault Hunter" and "Welcome to Kairos," with more on the way![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Sirens are one of the most iconic classes in all of Borderlands, with supernatural Phase abilities that augment their run-and-gun expertise. It's high time we formally introduced you to Vex the Siren, one of the four all-new Vault Hunters who are wreaking havoc on Kairos in Borderlands 4! In the Vex Gameplay Overview above, you can witness Vex's destructive Phase energy in action, whether she's blasting enemies to bits with elemental orbs, summoning an entourage of aggressive Phase Clones, or letting her adorable (and deadly) feline Phase Phamiliar, aptly named Trouble, tear the opposition limb from limb. If you're generally a fan of companion classes or like to rack up kills with elemental damage, Vex is a great choice. [/p][p][/p][p]Here's a high-level overview of the core Action Skill abilities Vex has at her disposal: [/p]

• [p]Dead Ringer: Use multiple charges to spawn in a posse of Phase Clone Minions, which can be melee-slashing, enemy-taunting Reapers or immobile, turret-style Specters. These Minions aren't long for this world as they continually lose health the moment they spawn in, so enjoy their murderous tendencies while they last.
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• [p]Incarnate: Unleash devastating area-of-effect damage with Incarnate's initial Phase Explosion, decimating nearby aggressors and fully healing Vex in the process. She then enters a temporary powered-up state (peep that skeletal wingspan) which has faster movement and the ability to fire off blistering Eldritch Blasts.
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• [p]Phase Phamiliar: Invite Trouble to show off what a good boy he is, particularly when it comes to chomping down on enemies or fatally smacking them to bits with his tail. When it's time to take out a high-priority target, Trouble can teleport on top of them with an instantly damaging blast before taking on an even more Badass form.[/p]

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[/p][h2]Skill tree fundamentals[/h2][p]
Every Vault Hunter has access to three unique Action Skills, but only one can be equipped at a time. They also have three distinct skill trees, each stemming from an Action Skill.

By investing points into a skill tree and unlocking its deeper layers, you'll gain access to Augments that provide secondary bonuses to your Action Skills, and Capstones which modify or override specific Action Skill functionalities. Augments and Capstones can only be slotted into the Action Skill for that respective skill tree. Only one Capstone can be equipped at a time, and the same is typically true for Augments.

You can use Action Skills from other skill trees even if you haven't invested any points into them, but you won't be able to equip the powerful Augments or Capstones from one skill tree onto the Action Skill of a different skill tree. Committing Skill Points to the skill tree that will properly synergize with your favorite Action Skill is key!

Each Vault Hunter also has their own Trait: an always-on passive effect that doesn't require any skill points. Vex's Trait is Phase Covenant, which attunes her Action Skill and melee damage to the same Elemental Type as the gun she's currently wielding. Elemental damage types are critical for taking down tougher enemies on higher difficulty levels, so Phase Covenant is a gift that keeps on giving while you level up, incentivizing you to curate a loadout with differing elemental damage guns that ensure you're ready for anything.

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Above, you can watch Vex's new Character Short "Purple Friday," featuring Vex's retelling of the events that set her down the path to becoming a Vault Hunter.

[/p][h2]More to come[/h2][p]
We'll also be rolling out dedicated Vault Hunter pages for the remaining crew members Rafa, Amon, and Harlowe, each with their own Gameplay Overview and Character Short, so stay tuned for those!

Borderlands 4 is now available for pre-purchase! Ahead of Borderlands 4's launch on September 12, 2025, make sure you're caught up with the latest Story Trailer. Then get behind-the-scenes insights from Gearbox developers with the ongoing Beyond the Borderlands video series, including "Making a Vault Hunter" and "Welcome to Kairos" with more on the way![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]