If you have been grinding through Kairos in Borderlands 4, there is a fresh reason to load back in. 2K and Gearbox Software have released the Version 1.8 update, and a big part of it costs nothing.
The update brings new endgame content, quality-of-life upgrades, and a paid story add-on. The headline for most players: the new raid and a returning fan-favourite mode are free for everyone who owns the game. Version 1.8 also switches on Cross-Platform Saves, so you can carry a Vault Hunter between any platform where you own Borderlands 4.
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Free for every player
The Takedown at Hadron Abyss is a new endgame raid, free for all players and reachable from any major hub Raid Board once you have finished the main campaign. It sends Vault Hunters into Hadron Abyss, a submerged research station, to face a final boss called the Child of Terramorphous. Enemies scale to your party size, and you can raise the stakes with Mayhem levels or a one-life Hardcore mode. Clearing it can drop a new Pearlescent weapon (the Shark Bait shotgun), nine pieces of legendary gear, and five new class mods.
Bounty Pack 3: A Zane to Kill For
On the paid side, Bounty Pack 3 adds the repeatable A Zane to Kill For mission, set inside a neon-noir arcade game where you investigate who killed Zane's digi-clone backup. It comes with a new boss, two mini-bosses, and new high-tier gear. Vault Card 3 sits alongside it, letting you earn 24 cosmetic items and four pieces of rerollable gear through play. Both are available to buy on their own.
Circle of Slaughter returns
The wave-based Circle of Slaughter mode from Borderlands 3 also comes back, free for all players. You survive five rounds of three waves each, with a boss arriving on the third wave of every round. After each round you choose to cash out for loot or push on for tougher fights and bigger rewards. Downed co-op players drop into a penalty box, where they can help or troll teammates until a revive.
What is next for Borderlands 4
Gearbox has mapped out more. Bounty Pack 4: Murders & Acquisitions arrives on 30 July with the Version 1.9 update, and early September brings Bounty Pack 5 and Story Pack 2, which adds a new playable Vault Hunter, Loveless the Hacker. Owners of the Super Deluxe Edition already have the Bounty Pack Bundle and Vault Hunter Pack, while the Deluxe Edition includes the Bounty Pack Bundle.
The takeaway
If you stepped away after the campaign, Version 1.8 is a low-cost reason to return: the raid and Circle of Slaughter are free, and the paid packs are there if you want more story to chew through.