A legendary weapon has been spotted in Borderlands 4 by an eagle-eyed fan, providing players with a hint as to how these orange color-coded treasures will appear in-game. Borderlands 4 developer Gearbox Software has gradually teased new details about the game over time, but this is the first glimpse of a legendary weapon players have received prior to its September 12 release date.
If there's one thing the Borderlands series is known for, it has to be the sheer number of guns and weapon possibilities in each entry. The newest installment in the looter-shooter franchise is no different, with the number of new weapons and gear in Borderlands 4 numbering in the billions. The absurd volume of possibilities should ensure players rarely, if ever, encounter the exact same piece of loot twice in a single playthrough. With such a massive pool of weapons and accessories, finally uncovering a legendary item in Borderlands 4 will surely be an immensely rewarding experience.
Borderlands Games Are Getting Review Bombed
Games from the acclaimed action role-playing game series Borderlands are currently being review-bombed by gamers looking to express an opinion.
A Redditor with the username Winter_Ad_2618 shared a screenshot of Borderlands 4 that shows a legendary sniper rifle known as the Vestigial Complex Root. The Complex Root previously made an appearance in the Borderlands 3 DLC "Bounty of Blood: A Fistful of Redemption." According to the weapon's description, the Maliwan-manufactured rifle spawns additional projectiles that travel in random directions along the path of each shot. Players of previous Borderlands games might notice that similar information was not made readily available for legendary weapons before. Thanks to Winter_Ad_2618's screenshot, it's been revealed that the descriptions of legendary weapons and items in Borderlands 4 will explain the rare gear's unique abilities.
The Complex Root Sniper Rifle Makes Its Return in Borderlands 4
In their post, Winter_Ad_2618 notes that the Complex Root appears to have two separate parts: its licensed Maliwan part and its legendary part labeled Sierpinski. From what Gearbox has revealed about how weapons and manufacturers in Borderlands 4 work, the new Licensed Parts system will allow players to mix-and-match the unique abilities of various weapon manufacturers for a single gun. In previous Borderlands games, a weapon's title or prefix — the "Vestigial" part of Vestigial Complex Root, for example — was determined by the random manufacturer assigned to the weapon when it spawned. With the new Licensed Parts system, it may be possible to alter the additional properties of legendary weapons, expanding the zany possibilities for making the most of specific character builds.
With more and more new mechanics like the Licensed Parts System making their way into Borderlands 4, the newest addition to the looter-shooter franchise could prove to be the breath of fresh air the series needs. When working in tandem with certain gameplay tweaks, such as lowering drop rates for legendaries in Borderlands 4, the changes should encourage players to be more creative when building a character. More options for players means more replay value, of which Borderlands has never been in short supply.
Borderlands 4
-
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
WHERE TO PLAY
Borderlands 4 brings intense action, badass Vault Hunters, and billions of wild and deadly weapons to an all-new planet ruled by a ruthless tyrant.
Crash into Kairos as one of four new Vault Hunters seeking wealth and glory. Wield powerful Action Skills, customize your build with deep skill trees, and dominate enemies with dynamic movement abilities.
Break free from the oppressive Timekeeper, a ruthless dictator who dominates the masses from on high. Now a world-altering catastrophe threatens his perfect Order, unleashing Mayhem across the planet.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes - all platforms
- Prequel(s)
- Borderlands 3, Borderlands 2, Borderlands
- Franchise
- Borderlands
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unsupported
- PC Release Date
- September 12, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- September 12, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- September 12, 2025
- Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
- October 3, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- Local Co-Op Support
- Yes
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
