Gearbox giveth, and Gearbox taketh away. Those higher drop rates in Borderlands 4 are being temporarily rolled back, according to the developer, and fans aren’t pleased about the fluctuation after getting used to the greater riches.
On Twitter, a player responds to the latest patch notes from the official Borderlands account asking if they can "conclude that the increased drop rates are staying?" Sadly not, as confirmed in a reply from Gearbox. "The drop rates are back to their pre-holiday event percentages!" says the post.
"That said, the team saw the positive reception and are investigating a longer-term increase," Gearbox adds. Despite the second part indicating this is not the last we'll see of more forgiving drops, this isn't going down well.
The drop rates are back to their pre-holiday event percentages! That said, the team saw the positive reception and are investigating a longer-term increase.January 8, 2026
"'Positive reception' then takes it away. Way to keep the game alive guys," says one reply on Twitter. "I'm sad to understand that the drop rates went back to their original state. The increased drop rates felt really good and rewarding," says another.
The general sentiment is quite negative, as it seems counter-intuitive to introduce something to make vault hunting more pleasurable, only to then roll it back for whatever reason. From Gearbox's words, it sounds like the rates aren't where the devs would like them to be, and things are being reverted in order to roll-out the change in a way that works for the overall complexion of the shooter.
Ki11er Six, a noted Borderlands streamer and YouTuber, expresses their frustration in pointed fashion. "This is a massive fumble," they state. "These people really need to do better for all those people who don't have the time to spend 400 hours playing this damn game," adds a top response. Gearbox may want to try get this longer-term plan sorted sooner rather than later.
