Borderlands 4 enemy level scaling, explained

Borderlands 4 enemy scaling works a bit differently compared to the earlier games in the series. All other games so far have been segmented into a series open zones, each with static enemy levels charted in the intended order of progression. On ther other hand, this one is the first-ever fully open-world Borderlands title.

To go with this seamless nature, Gearbox has tried to incorporate a more dynamic, player-centric level scaling in Borderlands 4. However, there are some quirks with the system you might want to know before you start.

How exactly does the enemy level scaling work in Borderlands 4?

Borderlands 4 adopts an enemy level formula similar to Skyrim or Oblivion, but with some tweaks.

Enemies in the open world have a minimum level they start with, and this is determined by what area they're in. There is some fine-tuning with each sub-area inside the regions, and then even further exceptions in some cases.

For example, Coastal Boneyard enemy spawns can have a minimum level of 2, but points of interest such as Stillshore and Riptide Grotto have a minimum enemy level of 5.

However, once you reach that level, enemies will start scaling to your level (or one level below you).

Another thing to consider is that certain elite enemy types (such as Badasses) will tend to be one or two levels above the assigned enemy level of an area (or one or two levels above you if they're scaling up).

Meanwhile, story mission enemies and fortresses will always be set to your current level (with some rounding down). You can enter specific fortresses set during a main mission without being a sufficient level for its wider region, but the enemies you absolutely must kill to progress the story may be lower level.

Fortresses will generally scale to your level even if you're there too early (Image via 2K)

One exception is the Tower in the game's final Act, where the game assumes you are lvl 29-30, and then scales the enemy levels from there.

Meanwhile, other instanced dungeon types such as Order Bunkers and Vaults will set its enemy level to one level above your current level. This way, the Vault monster bosses will always outlevel you by at least 2 levels, ensuring a challenging final fight to guard the riches.

Is there a level cap to enemies in Borderlands 4?

Theoretically, enemies should have a level cap, and the highest we have experienced is level 55. This is 5 levels higher than the player level cap in Borderlands 4, so it's quite challenging to put them down if you're doing high UVH modes.

Does difficulty and UVH level affect enemy level scaling in Borderlands 4?

No, it should not; at least not according to the game rules. UVH levels and difficulty only affects loot quality gain, monster health multipliers, and damage taken by the player. However, it does not modulate the level scaling formula itself.

Check out our other guides on the game:

About the author

Sambit Pal is an esports Journalist on Gaming and MMO at Sportskeeda. He has Master's degree in English Literature. In his spare time, he is an amateur sleuth trying to trace the Riven Mafia in Warframe, and a recovering Bethesda modding addict. He also secretly enjoys action Roguelites, a severe lack of gitting gud notwithstanding.

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Edited by Sambit Pal