Borderlands 4 Co-op and Multiplayer Tips: What’s Starting and Even More

Last updated on November 18th, 2025 at 11:29 am

I mean, I’ve been testing the Borderlands since the first game came out and honestly… I wanted to see for myself if they’d found any way to improve on all those co-op craziness we seem to enjoy. So I rounded up a few friends, fired up a session and spent altogether too many hours testing its every multiplayer feature that I could lay my mouse on.

Borderlands 4 Co-op and Multiplayer Tips This is the real deal: Borderlands 4 Co-op and Multiplayer tips that will help you enjoy the game rather than quitting in rage because your friend decided this run he HAD to play with you something they had not touched in high school.

The good news? Gearbox finally nailed some things. The even better news? There’s a lot more on the way that really, it makes playing as a team so much more rewarding than playing alone.

What you will get if you move in, What’s just getting started and Where this is going.

What’s Already Here: Co-op Features Which Work Right Now

Drop-In/Drop-Out Just Got Better

Because when a party member carrying off the mid-quest drop meant havoc on your tranquility. Yeah, not anymore. I tested this with some friends who have no commitment issues (in regard to gaming, at least), and yes, the seamless drop-in/drop-out system actually works as promised!

Three other players can drop in or out at any time. Your progress in your campaign is saved, gear is still dropping and frankly? It’s refreshing. No more hanging in lobbies or mission-restarting just because someone’s pizza showed up.

Cross-Platform Play That Actually Functions

Here’s what I appreciate: I’m on PC, he’s on PS5, and a friend of ours flat out refuses to buy an Xbox Series X, yet we’re all still playing together without any troubles thanks to the integration of SHiFT.

You can party up with anyone or simply hop in the queue with randos in Campaign, Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode and weekly challenges. Matchmaking isn’t ideal (more on that in a moment), but cross-platform does just work from the get go. No weird workarounds needed.

Loot Drama? Gone.

This could be my favourite change. There is no communal loot; every player has his or her individual shares of booty. Separate. Independent. No longer will you have to sprint for that legendary before your teammate steals it.

I blasted through several boss fights, and, instanced loot means no more leaving low-level friends behind they’ll still be rewarded fairly easily. My friend at level 15 got appropriate-level gear while I was farming at 32. Smart system.

Split-Screen Still Lives (Sort Of)

If you’re playing either on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S, you can play local split-screen with one other person. Locally two players, and you can invite online friends who’ll join your duo.

PC players? You’re out of luck here. Not local split-screen, which is really a shame.

What’s Getting Better: Recent Improvements

Matchmaking You Don’t Need To Scream At

Let’s be real the early days of matchmaking was pretty rough. But recent patches have introduced some actual quality-of-life changes:

• Session settings control: Hosts can now modify privacy, difficulty and crossplay options in any session
• Better lobby UI: Friend invites are way more intuitive, and regional matchmaking has filters that actually help

It’s not perfect, but instead of endless misery, at least you only have to wait minutes for a decent team.

AI That Figured Out a Few Tricks from The Enemy

That time when you had enemies freeze would just stand there melting. Not anymore. The AI actually flanks now. Dodges. Reacts to elemental damage differently.

Enemies began to scatter when we inflicted them with fire damage during a co-op session that I ran though, pulling back in order to flank us from two sides. It’s not much, but it turns team play into something more than just “everybody shoot the big dude.”

Time respectfull fast travel

Party fast travel is a game changer as well. You can instantly jump to teammates anywhere on the game’s giant map of Kairos. Vertical areas, vehicle zones, wherever.

I just want to speed-run the objectives, while my friends are all like “Let’s go in every nook and cranny!” Suds means I can now teleport to him when he finds something cool and not have to run for five minutes. Honestly saves so much time.

Games Now With Challenges That Actually Fucking Reward Team Play

You earn XP, Eridium, weapons and cosmetics for trying to complete co-op challenges in-game. Progress is saved per character, so you can play through with various vault hunters and continue progressing.

I took down a couple of these with my fire team, and the rewards made it worth it. And you feel like you’re working toward something specific each session rather than grinding through the story.

What’s Just Starting: Borderlands 4 Co op and Multiplayer Content Tips for The Future

Seasonal Events Are Coming

Post-launch, Gearbox teased “>seasonal mini-events and Bounty Packs. Think time-limited co-op objectives, or special boss runs with their own unique rewards.

I can’t give a hands-on report yet (they aren’t actually live as I write this), but if they’re anything like past Borderlands events, it’ll be full of chaos and some decent loot too.

Raid and Horde Modes on the Way

Early trailers suggest something like large-scale co-op encounters. I mean raid-style content that is not just “shoot these bullet-sponge bosses.”

No details at all yet, but I’m guardedly optimistic. Since Borderlands 2 the community has been asking for this.

Social Hubs Might Be A Thing

We may see persistent social spaces added in future updates, where you can strut your cosmetics and coordinate with other vault hunters. Think Destiny’s Tower but with way more explosions and even worse jokes.

Again, this is all speculative based on datamines and dev teases, but it’d be great if they stick the landing.

Practical Advice for Improved Team Play

Build Synergy Matters Now

I ran with crowd control yet hard hitting Siren and high DPS Gunner. The Siren would do crowd control while the Gunner chewed through them. No, it is simple but still a whole lot more effective than four random builds.

Attempt to match-up vault hunters that have synergy instead of the entire team choosing the same meta build.

Pile It On Like Ya Intend To Keep It

Each type of elemental damage affects enemy weaknesses in different ways. My team began planning shocking on shields, firing on flesh, corrosive on armor.

Simple, right? But when people are on the right targets at the same time, you’ll see fights conclude much more quickly.

Use Fast Travel Smart

Position a scout to tag Points of Interest. Then the whole squad can teleport together for objectives instead of running separately.

Saves time and maintains the group for harder battles.

Tackle Challenges Together

Breaking problems rather than blocking them out Select a few challenges to deal with each session, not all of them. The Eridium and cosmetic rewards pile up very quickly, and it gives your co-op runs more purpose than mainlining the story.

Final Take: Is Co-op any Good?

Here’s my no-nonsense verdict after dozens of hours fishing with friends, randoms and even enemies: Borderlands 4’s co-op is the best the series has delivered. The loot system no longer dishonors all our time, matchmaking spans platforms and the AI actually contends with coordinated teams.

The things that are arriving raids, social hubs, seasonal events could drive this even further if Gearbox does right by it.

If you are playing solo, now is the time to join. Round up your friends, strategize builds and dive into Kairos. The vault doesn’t hunt itself, and, I mean? It’s so much more fun with backup.

One thing to keep in mind: the Borderlands 4 Co-op and Multiplayer Tips are not about doing some cookie cutter meta. It’s just a matter of locating a squad that vibes with your playstyle and making the chaos work for you. That’s when the game really sings.

Read: Borderlands 4 Complete Guide and Walkthrough: Everything You Need to Dominate