Gearbox Software has finally swung the nerf hammer at Borderlands 4’s infamous Crit Knife build, and instead of letting the change land quietly, the studio decided to have some fun with it. A tongue-in-cheek tribute video shared by Gearbox sparked laughter (and mild mourning) across the community—but surprisingly, most players aren’t too upset about it.
The second major Borderlands 4 update, which rolled out alongside the Horrors of Kairos seasonal event, introduced a sweeping list of gameplay tweaks and balance changes. Among these, the Crit Knife build—particularly favored by Vex mains—was finally addressed.
For months, this build had been melting even the toughest bosses thanks to an “unintended interaction” between bleed effects and recursive critical hits, creating a self-feeding damage loop that trivialized end-game content. After multiple developer warnings, the day of reckoning arrived.
The result? A notable reduction in the Jakobs crit knife’s critical chance to 30%, effectively ending its reign as the go-to boss killer. Gearbox accompanied this with an “In Memoriam”-style video montage celebrating the Crit Knife’s destructive glory days—a lighthearted farewell to a fan-favorite exploit.
When the nerf was first announced, the community braced for backlash. After all, Borderlands 4 is a PvE-only looter shooter, where overpowered builds usually harm no one but the game’s balance. Yet the response to Gearbox’s humor-infused video was unexpectedly positive.
Prominent content creators like Moxsy and EpicNNG noted that while the Crit Knife no longer hits the absurd numbers it once did, the build remains viable for end-game farming. Some players even admitted the change made boss encounters more engaging, forcing experimentation with underused skills and weapon combinations.
That’s exactly what Gearbox wanted. Associate creative director Grant Kao and creative director Graeme Timmins both emphasized that balance adjustments aim to expand build diversity, not stifle it. As Timmins put it, the studio wants future content—like the upcoming Invincible boss encounter—to feel truly challenging.
Big Patch, Bigger Fixes
Beyond the Crit Knife adjustments, the October 23 “Day 30 Update” delivered a substantial list of improvements. Players creating new level-30 characters after completing the main campaign can now access unlocked Faction Towns and Fast Travel points, sparing them from unnecessary backtracking.
Other highlights include:
- Reduced respec costs at the Specialization Respec Machine
- Loot logic updates to the Lost Loot Machine, ensuring better gear prioritization
- Fixes for numerous co-op and mission bugs
- Adjustments to class mods and melee damage scaling
And yes—despite the nerfs, Gearbox actually buffed several melee and class-mod stats, encouraging new build experimentation.
New Event, New Loot
The patch coincided with Horrors of Kairos, a limited-time Halloween-themed event running through early November. Players can earn new legendary weapons, try out a seasonal weather variant, and unlock a pumpkin-head cosmetic to show off their spooky spirit.
After that, the game’s roadmap looks packed. Bounty Pack 1 is expected in November with a new boss and mission, while a new Vault Hunter named C4SH will debut in early 2026—introducing luck-based abilities and more side missions.
In short, Borderlands 4 isn’t slowing down; if anything, it’s hitting its stride with a steady mix of quality-of-life upgrades, new events, and a more balanced end-game ecosystem. Play Now!
Read More:
- Borderlands 4 October 2025 Update – Full Patch Notes, Weapon Buffs & Vault Hunter Fixes
- Borderlands 4: The Falling Wall Mission Walkthrough and Safehouse Guide
- Frank the Furnace Borderlands 4 Boss Guide – Location, Strategy & Legendary Drops
- How to Unlock the Rift Incompatible Achievement in Borderlands 4
- Borderlands 4 Side Mission List – All 98 Side Quests, Locations & Rewards
