Borderlands 3's new update lets players skip to max level in the funniest way possible: starting at the final boss with garbage gear

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It's not all bad news, though

Borderlands 3
(Image credit: Gearbox)

Borderlands 3's great new feature of letting you skip to the shooter's endgame if you've already got a max-level character comes with a caveat - you're placed in front of the final boss with garbage loot.

Last week, Gearbox announced that Borderlands 3 was getting its second update of 2024, and that it would come with a great new feature. If you already had one max-level character, you could start a new game with a new character, and immediately propel your new character up to the shooter's maximum level, effectively reaching the endgame immediately.

What Gearbox didn't reveal is that you'd have to beat Borderlands 3's final boss with your new character and that you'd be given some pretty lacking tools to do so. One Reddit player discovered this the hard way, writing that when your new level 72 character goes up against the final Tyreen fight, they're merely given green-grade gear to get the job done.

That's pretty harsh. You're not given any Legendary, Epic, or Rare guns whatsoever - just Uncommon gear. You're also not given any personal upgrades like an expansion to your inventory slots, or any Artifacts that significantly boost certain attributes of your character. 

Mercifully, it turns out the final boss is merely level 46, compared to your level 72 character, so even if you don't have great gear, it's still a walk in the park, relatively speaking. Unfortunately, the video below reveals that Trails, which are basically mini dungeons with big final boss showdown, aren't unlocked when you start a new game at max level.

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So the max-level skip does work in Borderlands 3, just not as you might have thought it would. Gearbox's CEO has just been teasing a new Borderlands game, which might potentially be Borderlands 4, while simultaneously posting through the Borderlands movie's absolutely dismal opening week at the box office.

If you're thinking of delving into a new character, check out our Borderlands 3 Moze skill tree or our Borderlands 3 FL4K skill tree guide for the best abilities to unlock first. 

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer
Freelance Writer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.