Borderlands 4 Driller Hole boss location, drops, and mechanics

Driller Hole is one of the many Borderlands 4 bosses, and this one works directly under the Ripper Queen Callis. You’ll find him in the Ripper Factory that you break into, during the Carcadia Burn portion of the game. A relatively easy boss at the time, the subsequent fights can get harder if you aren’t keeping up with your gear. It can also show up as a weekly fight, in Moxxi’s Big Encore, making him even more valuable to seek out.

If you’re wondering whether or not it’s worth taking the time to farm Driller Hole, much less what he can do and where he’s found, we’re here to help all you Borderlands 4 players. He’s not a major threat if you can avoid his huge bombardment, but here’s what you need to know.

Where to find Driller Hole in Borderlands 4

You’ll initially fight Driller Hole in Borderlands 4 during the Unpaid Tab mission. This is also where you have a chance to save Quent immediately after the battle, so, before you get your loot on your first playthrough, make sure to bring him home safe and sound. You can come back to this fight anytime after defeating him, via Moxxi’s Encore.

(Fight begins at 53:27)

It’s very easy to get to the fight, unlike some other bosses. If you fast travel from The Lowrise Safehouse and put a ping on the Moxxi’s Encore at Driller Hole fight to your southwest in Borderlands 4, it’ll lead you right to an elevator you can drop down. Just head down, use the Grapple Point, and you’re ready to go!

Driller Hole’s attacks in Borderlands 4

Phase 1

Driller Hole can launch a missile swarm from his backpack that leave elemental damage AOEs on the ground, aimed towards you.
Driller Hole can fire rockets that drill into the ground. You’ll see a path along the ground, and they explode at the end of their journey.
Driller Hole can fire rockets out of his gun at you that fly directly at you, and they do home in on your location.

Phase 2

The missile swarm gets more dangerous, and fires more rockets/fires faster. You can even be hit by the AOE damage pools if you’re behind cover, thanks to how many shoot out.
Instead of just homing missiles, he fires waves of rockets right at you. You can get behind cover for these.
After the first wave of underground drill rockets, he fires a second wave right afterwards.

You don't want to get caught in a rocket bombardment like this (Image via 2K Games)

While Driller Hole can hit incredibly hard in Borderlands 4, he doesn’t really have a lot of attacks to look out for. He can fire a bunch of rockets in really annoying ways, and of course, he has a swarm of Rippers that can help him fight. But how do you beat him?

Tips to defeat Driller Hole in Borderlands 4

Driller Hole just has two health bars to deal with. The first is Yellow (Corrosive Damage) and the second is Red (Incendiary Damage). He’s not quick, nor is he agile. But he can fire huge waves of rockets at you.

The rockets drop much faster in phase 2 (Image via 2K Games)

If you see a missile swarm leave his backpack, jump backwards or strafe to get out of the way. These will leave elemental damage AOEs on the ground, so be cognizant of where you’re standing.

If you see the drill trails along the ground, jump and/or dash away from them. He only really seemed to do this in the later parts of the fight to me. Finally, if he fires the rockets straight at you, take cover if possible. These are homing rockets, and they hurt.

Other than that, just keep on the move, and unload all your hardest-hitting shots at him until he drops. Phase 2 really just amps up the danger, primarily from the rocket barrage. You really have to get back fast when you see the vertical rockets fire.

Noteworthy drops by Driller Hole in Borderlands 4

There are a few great legendary drops that show up from Driller Hole in Borderlands 4. While I’m not crazy about Fuse, Katagawa’s Revenge is one of the best mobbing weapons you can get, and G.M.R. is a wildly powerful Assault Rifle.

If you're lucky, one of these will drop for you (Image via 2K Games)

G.M.R. (Assault Rifle): Big Name Hunter - When Zoomed In, damage increases by +100%, Shot Cost increases by +100%, and Fire Rate Decreases by -50%.
Fuse (Grenade Ordinance): Fortified Position - Grenades have a fuse time of 4-5 seconds before detonating.
Katagawa’s Revenge (Sniper Rifle): Stormcloud - When using Shock Rounds, the weapon creates orbs that apply Shock for a duration. When using Incendiary rounds, every shot spawns orbs that spread and detonate.

Check out our other Borderlands 4 guides and features

About the author

Jason is an Esports and Gaming journalist at Sportskeeda holding an amazing 11 years of experience under his belt. Having put out 4000-plus articles and amassing over 15 million reads for Sportskeeda, he is among the company’s most experienced writers. Jason holds a Bachelor's degree in English from UNC Pembroke and was inspired to become a gaming journalist very early on in life after reading Nintendo Power.

Jason is a jack of all trades when it comes to gaming journalism. He’s a key writer in Sportskeeda's MMO department, but he also likes to help out in other categories, like streamers, RPG, card games, and whatever else is needed. A solo gamer at heart, Jason's favorite titles include Earthbound and Dragon Warrior.

Jason places high value on accuracy and relevance in his write-ups. He achieves this with thorough research to sift facts from rumors. One of the biggest highlights of his career is his interview with Canadian pro wrestler Kenny Omega about his inclusion in the Like a Dragon game series. He is also good friends with journalist Kazumo Hashimoto, who he admires for the kind of stories he works on and his deep ethics.

A true cinephile, one of Jason’s primary hobbies involves enjoying cinematic experiences. He also loves reading, be it fiction or manga, when not working. Additionally, he streams on Twitch and posts his gaming insights on YouTube.

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Edited by Jason Parker