Players of Borderlands 4 will receive a new endgame challenge later this month with the deployment of the free Version 1.7 update. Scheduled to launch on 28 May 2026, the content drop introduces a new Raid Boss encounter alongside several progression adjustments. To participate in the new endgame content, players are required to have fully completed the game’s main story campaign.
The headline addition of the update is a dual boss fight against Subjugator and Thol the Invincible. Located on a secluded island off the coast of the Fadefields, these two entities serve an entity known as the Timekeeper. The encounter is structured as a tag-team battle against the hovering Subjugator and the larger, hulking Thol. Once players successfully eliminate either of the targets, the surviving boss will retreat to a separate, distinct arena to absorb full power and transition into an ascended form for a final, high-stakes duel.
Alongside the new encounter, Version 1.7 brings changes to overall character progression. For individuals playing through the highest tiers of Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode, the maximum level cap will be officially raised to UVHM Level 7. Furthermore, Gearbox Software is implementing a community-requested toggle for the Shared Character Progression mechanics that were originally introduced in Version 1.5. This new toggle gives players the option to disable the automatic sharing of SDUs and collectibles, allowing them to roll a brand-new Vault Hunter with a clean slate to experience the world of Kairos from scratch.
Defeating the new raid duo gives players the opportunity to secure several new equipment rewards, including a single Pearlescent weapon and four Legendary items. The new Pearlescent tier drop is the Jail-Broken Gatling, an Order SMG that increases fire rate, damage, weapon recoil, and the probability of firing extra projectiles with each successful hit on an enemy. The Legendary lineup features the Lockjaw Torgue assault rifle, which fires bouncing explosive rounds; the Shammy Kablammy Tediore pistol, which coats targets in hot moonshine before igniting them with incendiary reload explosions; the Flak Cannon Vladof heavy weapon; and the Collector Order shield, which balances a high capacity and fast recharge rate against an increased recharge delay.
The loot pool is rounded out by five new Class Mods, with one designated for each of the current Vault Hunters available in the game. A sixth Class Mod is scheduled to be added to this specific loot selection in the third quarter of 2026, arriving alongside a new playable Vault Hunter inside Story Pack 2. Finally, players can acquire a new piece of firmware called Active Fire, which rewards precise timing by dealing bonus damage whenever a charge weapon fires a fully charged shot the exact moment it becomes available.
