Gearbox Software confirmed that Borderlands 4 will contain 4 brand-new playable Vault Hunters at launch. In this overview, I’ll inform you about everything we know about these game characters, like their Abilities and Action Skills, GBX’s vision for these heroes, and my perspective.
Table of contents
Playable Vault Hunters
The four playable Vault Hunters in Borderlands 4 are Amon, Harlowe, Rafa, and Vex. Learn more about these character classes on their dedicated pages.
Amon: The Forgeknight
Warrior and only survivor of the Vault Monster attack on a worshipping cult.
Harlowe: The Gravitar
Former Maliwan combat scientist who brings new tech and gadgetry to the battlefield.
Borderlands 4 Character Design Intent
Gearbox developers shared insights about the playable characters during the Gearbox Main Theater Show at Pax 2024. Their goal is to create 4 new playable heroes that offer new (gameplay) experiences. The example the Creative Director, Graeme Timmins, gave was that they might want to create another Soldier Class but instead of leveling up the class in a linear progression, like they did going from Rolands (BL1) to Axton (BL2), they want to add a new twist to that class like with Moze (BL3) as the turret first became a Giant Mech.
Borderlands 4 Creative Director, Graeme Timmins, also spoke about providing a variety of abilities within each playable class. He used Amara (BL3) as an example here, as she has these “fire & forget” abilities, but with the Designer’s Cut DLC, they gave Amara a “management” ability. They want to do this with the Borderlands 4 characters as well, where you have these different types of skills that offer various experiences and play styles.
New Character Abilities
- Grappling:
- Characters can use an energy beam to lash onto anchor points and reach new heights. Grapple jumps allow you to hang in the air a bit longer than a normal jump, and you can glide out or slide sideways.
- You can use the Lash to grapple objects in the environment and throw them at enemies.
- You can fish things out of the water.
- You can capture animals by binding their legs together when they are weak.
- You can pull certain objects to move them around or out of the way.
- Gliding: You can glide through the air for a short time.
- Bigger Skill Trees: Borderlands 4 Vault Hunters will have the biggest Skill Trees in the franchise to date.
- Digi-Struct Vehicles: You can summon a vehicle at almost any place in the world.
- Double Jump: Characters can now jump mid-air
- Dash: Characters can quickly dash in multiple directions
- Swimming: Characters can now go underwater.
- Oxygen geyser spotted on Elpis. Will Oz Kits return and also function underwater?
Skill Trees
Borderlands 4 will feature the deepest and most diverse Vault Hunter skill trees of any Borderlands title yet, giving players an unprecedented level of expression through their builds. Paired with the most expansive loot chase yet, players will have all the tools they need to seek out and perfect the build that best matches their style.
Gearbox Software & 2K Games
The Borderlands 4 Vault Hunters will have broad skill trees that also work well while playing co-op because there will always be synergies between the characters, no matter which Vault Hunters you pair up.
| Game | Trees | Skills | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Borderlands | 3 | 21 | 105 |
| Borderlands 2 | 3 | ~33 | ~130 |
| Borderlands the Pre-Sequel | 3 | ~35 | ~128 |
| Borderlands 3 | 4 | ~51 | ~170 |
| Borderlands 4 | 3 | ~87 | ~387 |
Skill Trees and Branches
Each Vault Hunter has 3 Skill Trees at their disposal. Every Skill Tree consists of a wide trunk at the top containing the core skills and 3 smaller branches at the bottom containing specialized skills.
The Tier 1 Skills are available at the start, and you will unlock new Tiers with every 5 Skill Points you spend. The Tier 4, 5, and 6 Skills are divided across 3 branches, and each specialized branch requires its own point investment. This means that spending 10 points in branch 1 doesn’t unlock the skills in branches 2 and 3.
You can swap your Action Skill, Augment, and Capstone on the fly, but a full Skill Tree reset needs to be done at one of the HUBs on Kairos.
Vault Hunter Traits
Each Vault Hunter has a unique trait that augments their capabilities. Vault Hunter Traits work on all Action Skills.
| Vault Hunter | Trait | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Amon | – | – |
| Harlowe | – | – |
| Rafa | Overdrive | Whenever Rafa activates an Action Skill, he enters Overdrive, gaining increased Move Speed and dealing increased Damage with all sources. |
| Vex | Phase Covenant | Vex is Attuned to the Elemental Type of her current Gun, converting all Action Skill and Melee Damage into that type. |
Action Skill
Vault Hunters have 3 main Action Skills at their disposal, which sit at the top of each Skill Tree. These main abilities can be augmented throughout their Skill Tree. You can only equip 1 Action Skill at a time, and you can swap them whenever you like.
Note: Action Skills always deal Action Skill Damage even if it only say it deals melee damage (source)
Augments
Augments are specialized Skills that enhance the capabilities of your Action Skill by adding a new interaction to the ability.
The upper skill tree has 2 Action Skill Augments, and each branch has 1 Augment, providing a total of 5 Action Skill Augments per Skill Tree. This means that there are a total of 15 Augments per character because you have 3 Skill Trees.
You can only have 1 augment Skill active in your build at a time. They don’t consume a Skill Point, and you can swap them whenever you like.
Capstone
Capstone Skills are the most powerful Skills in your Skill Tree; they alter or enhance the capabilities of your Action Skill.
Each specialized branch contains 1 Capstone Skill, providing a total of 3 Capstones per Skill Tree. This means that there are a total of 9 Capstones per character because you have 3 Skill Trees.
You can only have 1 Capstone Skill active in your build at a time, and you can swap them whenever you like.
Class Mods
Class Mods invest additional Skill Points into your Skill Tree. These free points are indicated by the Class Mod Icon at the top left of the corresponding Passive Skill.
Upgrades
- Glide Pack Upgrade: Faster Regen. Obtained from Primordial Vault: Fadefields
FAQ
No statement about the level cap in Borderlands 4 has been made. Borderlands games traditionally start with an LVL 50 as their initial cap, and that number can be seen during gameplay footage; however, it’s not the confirmed level cap.
Gearbox has pledged to support Borderlands 4 with both free and paid post-launch content following release, including two new playable Vault Hunters and extended story content.
Gearbox Software announced a hands-on gameplay reveal in June. It’s possible they will also reveal details during other major game events like; PAX and Summer Games Fest.
Changelog
| Date | Notes |
|---|---|
| May 1, 2025 | Created dedicated character pages Added Gliding as a new ability DLC Vault Hunters Announced |
| Apr 5, 2025 | Added Mechanic Deep Dive video |
| Mar 29, 2025 | Added Brute Deep Dive video |
| Mar 22, 2025 | Added Siren Deep Dive video |
| Mar 18, 2025 | Added Assassin Deep Dive video |
| Feb 13, 2025 | Added details from the Launch Date Trailer |
| Jan 28, 2025 | Added fan predictions about the character possibilities |
| Dec 29, 2024 | Added Skill Tree Synergies info <Famitsu Interview> Added FAQs |
| Dec 20, 2024 | Added Doube Jump and Dash to the Character Abilities <Gamestar Interview> Added Gliding to the Grapple <Famitsu Interview> |
| Dec 17, 2024 | Added Vault Hunter Profile Images |
| Dec 15, 2024 | Added Skill Tree info |
| Dec 13, 2024 | Replaced class predictions with facts from the Borderlands 4 reveal trailer. Replaced the featured image with a screenshot of the Vault Hunters. Added New Character Abilities Section. |
| Oct 29, 2024 | Added class projections based on interviews and franchise history |
| Oct 11, 2024 | Initial publication |