Borderlands 4 Nerf Cannon Holstered Until Next Week as Crit Knife Chaos Continues

Borderlands 4 is getting a big balance pass, just not this week. Gearbox is pushing the Day 30 update a few days to make sure it lands clean, which is fair, even if it means a short wait.

What got delayed (and why)

The studio confirmed on Twitter on October 16 that the Day 30 update is moving into early next week. The pitch is simple: take a few extra days now to avoid scrambling with hotfixes later. Honestly, I will take a delayed patch over a patch-and-pray situation every time.

"Our Day 30 Update, which includes balance adjustments, performance and stability improvements, and some new quality-of-life features, will be hitting early next week. We took a few extra days to help ensure a great experience for you."

What is actually in this thing

It has been about a month since launch, and some builds are running away with the meta. The update is meant to rein things in and widen the viable options. Expect a sizable patch, because there are a lot of knobs to turn.

• Balance adjustments to weapons and loadouts (nerfs are coming to the obvious outliers)
• Performance and stability improvements
• Quality-of-life tweaks

The elephant in the loot room

One standout target is the so-called 'crit knife' — the Vampiric Vivisecting Throwing Knife. It can create temporary crit spots wherever it sticks, which is absurdly good for boss re-runs and loot farming. Players have been leaning on it hard, and that is exactly the kind of thing this patch aims to curb. If you live by the crit knife, maybe enjoy the glory while you still can.

What the devs want from this

Both Grant Kao (associate creative director) and Graeme Timmins (creative director on Borderlands 4) have been clear about the goal here: fewer mandatory combos, more viable builds. Timmins put it plainly on Twitter that any changes are meant to expand build diversity, not crush it.

Timing and expectations

The Day 30 patch is now due early next week. The delay is only a few days, and the tradeoff is fewer emergency fixes afterward. Given how many edges need sanding in a looter-shooter a month post-launch, this tracks.

Meanwhile, about the story...

On a separate note, Randy Pitchford sounds pretty pleased with how the story has gone over. His takeaway: the biggest complaints this time are not about the narrative. In Borderlands land, that is... notable.