Borderlands 4 may have been fairly well received when it launched, but it has struggled to keep players hooked since its release. Its open world makes for an engaging first playthrough, but going back through all the side activities becomes a bit of a slog on repeat playthroughs. Divisive balance changes, disappointing events like Horrors of Kairos, and a fairly flat post-game experience have all contributed to the game’s fall-off. Fortunately, Q1 of 2026 (January-March) is bringing the first Borderlands 4 expansion and, more importantly, the new Vault Hunter C4SH, which will hopefully win back some lapsed fans. And in addition to this major content, one fun side activity could make a big difference.
Currently, information on C4SH is somewhat limited, but what’s there is interesting. The new Borderlands 4 Vault Hunter is a mysterious robot like FL4K with a cowboy-like aesthetic. His kit is designed to be deliberately unpredictable, with players gambling on dice rolls for increased action skill power. FL4K sounds like another attempt at a Claptrap-like character, making him the second-ever luck-based character, but unlike Claptrap he will seemingly have more of a positive upside if luck is on players’ side. But perhaps what is most promising about this new character is that, prior to becoming a rebel on Kairos, C4SH was a casino dealer. This opens up the door for Gearbox to re-introduce a simple mechanic that fans have sorely missed: slot machines.
What’s So Great About Borderlands’ Slot Machines?
Like many other great mechanics in the Borderlands series, slot machines debuted in the beloved Borderlands 2. They returned in both the Pre-Sequel and Borderlands 3, functioning similarly across the three games. For a simple offering of money, players could spin the machines, and if they got three matching symbols, they would have a chance at some of the following items:
- Piles of money
- Eridium
- Character skins
- Weapons of all rarity levels
- A grenade that will instantly down players if they stand too close
Obviously, getting a Legendary weapon from the machine was incredibly rare. According to the Borderlands wiki, the chances of such a drop were.02%, which made it a big deal if anyone ever managed to pull one of Borderlands’ best guns from the slot machine. That chase was thrilling, though, and it was just as satisfying to get a skin for one’s Vault Hunter from the machines. While they may not seem like a must-have feature, for many, they’re a defining part of Borderlands’ hub areas. There was a real sense of disappointment when reaching Moxxi’s bar on Kairos and finding out that only the tip jar had made a return. Though this jar is also iconic, having two unique activities in Moxxi’s establishments ensured they were always worth visiting. It doesn’t take long to get her two exclusive guns through the tip jar, so having something else to chase would be welcome.
With Borderlands 4’s co-op and loot-heavy gameplay, it’s great to have something to do when a player in the group needs to sort out their loot or take a quick break. Slot machines have always been an ideal timekiller, as players can spin the machine a few times whenever they’re waiting for their friend to get ready for another fight. Yes, Borderlands 4’s open world focus makes it so that players aren’t trapped in a hub like Sanctuary and can shoot and loot while their partners in crime are away, but that doesn’t mean slot machines shouldn’t be a part of the game anymore. They’re a clear case of fun RNG and a nice change from the normal gameplay loop.
Borderlands 3’s Borderlands Science machine was another excellent way to kill time, with the puzzles and their unlockable rewards being something else worthy of a comeback.
C4SH’s arrival is a Perfect Avenue for Borderlands 4 to Introduce Slot Machines
It’s hard to think of a more perfect storm for this particular Borderlands staple to make a comeback, as a character with a past involving casinos is set to come to the game very soon. Perhaps Gearbox just drops some slot machines into Moxxi’s Kairos bar (and the other hub areas) for a thematic update that suits C4SH. Alternatively, maybe C4SH has a key to a room in each area that lets him unlock access to the slot machines, or maybe he can canonically digistruct slot machines given his past. No matter how they’re introduced, though, it would be great to see them come to the game alongside C4SH, as gambling is a part of not just the new Vault Hunter’s identity, but Borderlands’ identity too.
Borderlands 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- September 12, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
