Should You Destroy the Mind Swirl Machine in Borderlands 4?

After completing the Angry Mob mission for the Boss in Terminus Range, players will unlock a new side mission in Borderlands 4 located at The Scrap Heap, Tandem Access Memory. This quest, unlock the others, is non-repeatable, meaning players have only one opportunity here to make their moral decision matter. The quest itself is rather simple, as it just requires players to kill some Order enemies and collect their Bolts to deliver them to Pickett Fenster, but should you place bolts on the desk or destroy the Mind Swirl machine?

Should You Place Bolts on the Desk OR Destroy the Mind Swirl Machine?

At the end of Tandem Access Memory, players are presented with a choice to place the bolts on the desk, or destroy the Mind Swirl machine. The decision ahead does not impact rewards or relationships with the members of the Thirst Scrap, and the decision players will make is purely based on morality. They will get the same Cash and the same XP regardless of the choice they make. There are also only subtle differences in the mission choice itself:

Place bolts on desk — The Vault Hunter will comment that it's none of their business, and walk away, proving they'll do anything if the cash is right.
Destroy Mind Swirl machine — The Vault Hunter will release the drug-addicted citizens from their mind prisons, while Pickett Fenster just assumes the machine malfunctioned and was not the Vault Hunter's fault.

We decided to destroy the Mind Swirl machine, which can be done by shooting the red panel at the east wall. The reason we destroyed the Mind Swirl machine was to prevent an outbreak of drug addiction in Kairos, and despite the cruelty of the planet and its oppressive regime of the Order, we felt that it was best that people find new vices that won't have them trapped in addiction, and a mind prison, that could make them puke and bleed to death. However, it's worth mentioning again, that this is purely a moral decision and does not impact the game in any way.

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OpenCritic Reviews: Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 88%

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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