Borderlands 4 Expands Build Diversity with BG3, PoE-Inspired Passives

Borderlands 4 is revolutionizing its build customization by drawing inspiration from Baldur's Gate 3 and Path of Exile. Discover how the development team enhanced the game's RPG mechanics through its redesigned passive skill system.

Borderlands 4's Expanded Skill System

More Passive Options Than Entire Franchise History

Borderlands 4 introduces an unprecedented number of passive skills, surpassing the combined total from all previous games in the series. In an exclusive August 15 interview with Polygon, Lead Character Designer Nick Thurston discussed the newly revealed Vault Hunter, Amon the Forge Knight, and how the game emphasizes deep RPG elements.

While Amon appears at first glance to be a traditional tank character, his gameplay revolves around weapon forging through cybernetic drones - a concept Thurston describes as "sci-fi viking."

This innovative fusion of technology and physical combat reflects the team's broader approach to character design. The philosophy extends to the game's overhauled skill tree system, offering players more build diversity than ever before.

Thurston elaborated: "Our Augment and Capstone systems require meaningful choices that dramatically alter gameplay. Just this creates more build variety than we've ever offered. But we've also included more passives than all previous Borderlands titles combined - Amon alone has 87 passive abilities, with most Vault Hunters averaging around 80."

This extensive customization system complements Borderlands' signature weapon generation system, allowing players to craft truly unique loadouts tailored to their preferred playstyle.

Learning from RPG Masters: BG3 and PoE

Beyond its looter-shooter roots, Borderlands 4 significantly expands its RPG elements. Thurston, a self-described "min-maxer," drew inspiration from his experiences with Baldur's Gate 3 and Path of Exile when designing the new systems.

"In previous franchise entries, characters often specialized in specific roles," Thurston explained. "For Borderlands 4, we wanted each character to support multiple viable builds while ensuring distinct playstyles emerge from different choices."

The team focused on creating meaningful specialization choices that would make each playthrough unique. "We want situations where four players using the same Vault Hunter could have completely different builds," Thurston emphasized.

With major improvements including seamless open-world exploration and enhanced endgame content, Borderlands 4 promises to be the most ambitious entry in the franchise. Scheduled for release on September 12, 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.