You have already finished the story in Borderlands 3? No worries! Here are some tips on what comes after the story and what content the endgame consists of.
The story in Borderlands 3 is filled with wild moments, exciting planets, and plenty of boss battles. But it also ends eventually – and now?
Just because you have completed the story or reached the max level does not mean you need to shelve Borderlands 3. There is still a lot to do on Pandora and the other planets. Our guide to the endgame of Borderlands 3 shows you the possibilities.
1. Play the endgame modes
These are the endgame modes: Logically, once the endgame is reached, it makes sense to first tackle the content provided by the game. For example, the Mayhem mode!
This is the Mayhem mode: After completing the story, you can activate the Mayhem mode at a terminal in Sanctuary. This mode not only introduces random elements into your game but also adds new difficulty levels.
You can choose between Mayhem levels 1 to 3. The higher the level, the tougher the enemies. Various modifications can also make your foes even more powerful or weaken your attacks. However, you will be rewarded with better loot, cash, or XP – although the loot has been slightly reduced. It is advisable to start with Mayhem 1 and then increase the difficulty. Once you activate Mayhem, the other endgame modes become harder as well.
This is the Circle of Slaughter: In the Circle of Slaughter, you can face waves of enemies in arena fights. Anyone who falls cannot be revived. You need to master five consecutive rounds. Additionally, there are extra objectives to fulfill that should particularly impress the audience. Then there are rewards – here you can repeatedly attempt difficult challenges, just like in the proving grounds.
This is the proving grounds: The proving grounds represent specific zones where you need to complete tasks set by the “Guardian.” You will receive a time limit and a goal – if these are met, there is a loot chest! By fulfilling bonus objectives, you can improve the rewards. Proving ground tasks, just like the Circle of Slaughter, can be replayed multiple times.
2. Make your character even stronger
These are the Guardian Ranks: Once you have finished the story, you can first try to get your character to max level. But even if you have achieved that, you can continue to optimize your character.
The Guardian Ranks are basically the new version of the well-known Badass Ranks from Borderlands 2. They include small and large stat improvements that you unlock by gaining XP – even if you have already reached the highest level. Additionally, there are “Guardian Rewards” at various levels. These are larger bonuses, such as increased damage in the “Fight for Your Life” mode. With the Guardian Ranks, your characters can become even stronger.
3. Start again as a “True Vault Hunter”
This is the True Vault Hunter mode: If you have had enough of the endgame modes and would rather take another look at the story, the “TVHM” may be the way to go for you. It represents the “New Game Plus” of Borderlands 3. This means you carry your skills and weapons into a new run, where the enemies are harder and the rewards are better.
4. Change your build
This is how you can change builds: Has your character become too monotonous? No problem! Try a completely different skill build. All four characters bring three skill trees and different abilities. Changing the skills can bring about a completely new gaming experience.
At the fast-travel station in Sanctuary, you can not only change your appearance but also redistribute your skill points. This way, you can quickly create a new build. If you lack inspiration, you can take a look at these builds:
5. Get all legendary weapons
These are legendary weapons in Borderlands 3: Legendary weapons are the weapons with the highest rarity in Borderlands 3. They are usually extremely powerful or have some special feature. The “Firesale Long Musket,” for example, is a flamethrower inspired by the Elon Musk flamethrower.
So far, fans have found 122 legendary weapons. If you want to collect them all, you’ll likely be busy for a while – especially since many guns can only be obtained randomly. Others, however, are exclusive to certain bosses like Katagawa Ball or specific quests. So, obtaining them all is not exactly easy.
6. Find all Easter eggs
These are Easter eggs in Borderlands 3: Not only legendary weapons need to be found in Borderlands 3. The developers have hidden an incredible number of references in Borderlands 3 that you can discover. More and more Easter eggs are being discovered – like these here:
- A weapon that shoots exploding hamburgers with every shot
- The fire flower from Mario in weapon form
- A weapon that produces other weapons!
- The “One Punch Man” gun
- And “Rick and Morty” are also included
- Streamer Summit1g is also immortalized
7. Farm bosses in the endgame
This is how you farm bosses: Once you have tackled the main story, you will have already encountered the most important bosses. Some are hidden in side quests – but you should have defeated most of them at least once.
However, this may not be the last time you face those bosses. Most bosses can be challenged multiple times. Once a boss’s questline is complete, you can return to the place of action and take on the boss again. This can be easily and repeatedly done with nearby spawn points.
This is why you should farm bosses in the endgame: Many bosses are tough to beat, but give you extremely good loot. Especially in combination with the Mayhem modes, you can significantly increase the rewards, making a repeat battle worthwhile. However, be aware that the difficulty also increases when you turn up the Mayhem level. Especially at level 3, the modifications can really cause problems.
Here are two bosses you can face again to collect loot:
- Katagawa Ball, which you encounter on Skywell-27
- Graveward, which is considered the best farming spot
8. Complete all side quests
These are the side quests: Borderlands is full of side activities that you can undertake. Outside the main story, there are some odd tasks to complete. The developers have ensured that the side quests in Borderlands 3 are more attractive than before – not only in terms of rewards.
The side quests often include a laugh or two. For example, on Promethea, Lorelei urgently needs a cup of coffee, which turns into a full-blown skirmish with Maliwan soldiers around a coffee cup. Entertaining!
In the Mayhem mode, the loot is also worthwhile. What you didn’t manage to collect during your first run can still be gathered later.
This also applies to the crew challenges, such as searching for scrap Claptraps or completing Zero’s objectives. So, there is still plenty to work on aside from the story.
9. Try out a new character
These are your options: If you are already tired of your character despite all the content, you can simply start a new game with a different character. The four classes are so different that the replayability of Borderlands 3 is extremely high.
So if you have completed everything with FL4K, see if you can do the same with Zane – or find out here which class might suit you best.
10. Wait for new content
Here’s what awaits you: Have you completed the story, collected all weapons, seen every joke, and leveled all characters up and down? Then all that’s left is to wait for new content. Fortunately, there will be plenty more soon!
At the end of October, the new Halloween event “Bloody Harvest” will start, including new weapons, quests, and a boss. Everything will be beautifully spooky. Additionally, there will be story DLCs and updates that will provide you with new content. In the long term, there should be no boredom in Borderlands 3!
Are you stuck somewhere? Perhaps the right element can help you:
