The big Borderlands 4 beginners guide

Borderlands 4 Vault Hunters posing — (Image credit: Gearbox)

Jump to:

The basics
Characters
Missions

So you just got Borderlands 4 and want to know how to turn the robot off. I'm just kidding, you can't. He's there for the duration. What I can help you with is this guide that collects together everything four different writers learned while playing. So now you can benefit from their combined know how, with help on characters, combat and just some good old fashioned tips to point you in the right direction.

The basics

Claptrap from Borderlands 4 raising his arms in front of a banner that says "Welcom Recurits" — (Image credit: 2K)

Is Borderlands 4 on Game Pass?

Bad news on the Borderlands 4 Game Pass front because it's not on Xbox's service just yet. It might be sometime but don't get your hopes up just yet.

If you haven't even started yet, or barely pulled a trigger, then our Borderlands 4 tips will help you settle in. That covers a wide range of combat tips, exploration help, and should get you comfortable with the new world of Kairos super quick.

Depending on your tastes you might want to fiddle with the Borderlands 4 FOV to get things just how you like, and if you're on PC you can look into Borderlands 4 cheats to really mess about with the game.

And, finally, don't forget to check out the Borderlands 4 Shift Codes for free loot you can claim.

Characters

How does elemental damage work?

Whatever character you go with mastering the various Borderlands 4 elemental damage types is really important. You'll do a lot more damage once you master and capitalize on enemy weaknesses.

Obviously the different Borderlands 4 characters you can play as are a big part of the game. There are four in total, offering a range of abilities and skills that will shape the game depending on who you pick. Vex, Amon, Rafa, and Harlowe are, very roughly, magic, tank, soldier and gadgets respectively. There's a lot more to it than that obviously, with the series having a history of uniquely unusual takes on the traditional character classes.

We've got specific breakdowns for each below that go into far more detail on their specific skills, and how best to use them:

While you can't change your character once you've selected them the Borderlands 4 respec option lets you freely redo your skill choices as much as you like. So you can tweak and change for as long as you're playing.

Missions

Borderlands 4 Amon Forgeknight build onslaughter action skill — (Image credit: 2K)

If you're curious about how long Borderlands 4 is then our Borderlands 4 mission list will give you a good idea. There's a complete breakdown of all 21 main mission across the game's four regions. And if you think that doesn't sound like much there are 98 side missions to keep you busy as well.

We've not got guides for everything for obvious reasons but these three early missions seemed to have caused the most problems for people just getting started: