Borderlands 4's Horrors of Kairos event is the wrong kind of Halloween scare

Border 4 It may have started with some technical difficulties, but other than that, fans were very happy with the game after its release. Sure, some Vault Hunters need nerfs while others need buffs, but the combat itself was and is incredibly satisfying, the loot remains consistently rewarding, and the storytelling has been a step in the right direction. While Border 4Which Open-World and Ultimate Vault Hunter tiers take some work to fully clarify, by now most players have done everything there is to do and are patiently waiting for something new. Unfortunately, Gearbox's first stab at significant post-launch content is a big miss, especially when compared to the series' past success.

For those looking for a meaty post-launch experience to dive into, Kairos' Horror certainly doesn't tick that box. In fact, it's so limited in scope that most players won't even notice the event is happening, with new features limited to a minuscule “weather” change and two pieces of legendary gear. Unfortunately, both of these additions are largely disappointing, and participating in the event will feel like the worst part of the iconic Gen Nox DLC from the original. border area than anything else. Considering how good it would be Border 3 In its handling of the Halloween celebration, it's almost shocking how weak it is Border 4There's a spin on the holiday, and it's a worrying sign for some future additions to the game.

Borderlands 4's Horrors of Kairos is a boring grind for poor rewards

Instead of introducing new bosses, basic enemies, or locations, the only way to progress through the horrors of the Kairos event is to face world bosses. These fights work as they usually do, bubbles appear randomly in the open world and players kill the boss inside them. Upon entering the bubble, players experience the “seasonal weather variation” teased for the looter shooter, which is some bloody rain and a fairly orange sky. This is the extent of the “newness” within the event, as all the boss battles in the world players fight are the exact same ones they've been fighting since the beginning. Generally, world boss bubbles are an exciting distraction between activities or quest destinations. However, when they need to farm players are driving around all of Kairos waiting for the bubble to show up, with so much downtime between the action that the event quickly becomes boring. If franchise veterans hate driving 10 minutes at a time through “The Secret Armory of General Noxx,” this content isn't for them.

Bad, when told border area Amidst all that driving expansion had a big payoff, whether it was the timed red chest opening at the end of the story or the pearlescent drops from Kraumerax the Invincible, Kairos' horror two new Legendaries are painfully weak. The first is the Skully Grenade, and while the throwable skull looks great in theory, it's incredibly weak and does nothing but land on players. Border 4 Safeguards. The Murmor Tediore Assault Rifle is also pretty weak, with its damage output not matching that of a neat bloody weapon skin, though it could theoretically be decent if players rigged it with the right parts. Unfortunately, these two giants don't often drop all of them from the World Boss bubble, requiring players to open multiple prize crates before getting just one drop. The Assault Rifle also misses out on hours of farming world bosses in the hope of getting the right parts, as players are better off going for legendaries rather than any of these limited-time unlocks.

Borderlands 3 already has Halloween events right

What is so disappointing about this new material Border 3's Bloody Harvest received very good response. In that seasonal event, players fought their way through a particularly terrifying map full of themed enemies, a fun boss fight against Captain Hunt waiting at the end of the location. The map included a secret puzzle and some really cool legends to follow, and while Revenge of the Cartel was a better event, Bloody Harvest was still a strong first outing. Border 3Free updates of. how Border 4 The previous mainline game managed to fumble the concept so much after nailing it that it's anyone's guess, but given their similar themes it's impossible to compare the two.

While it may be unfair to say it is worse than the material Little Tina's Wonderland DLC, since players had to pay for those controversial content packs while Horus of Kairos is free, lack of a price tag does not excuse the event from criticism. Players now have a legitimate reason to worry about future post-launch updates Border 4. Extra seasonal events can be as debilitating as Horror of Kairos, with players battling similar world bosses for some mediocre (or worse) gear to collect. The “How Rush Save the Rent Day” DLC is described as something similar Border 2of Headhunter packs, so it should provide at least an hour or two of genuinely new content, though it won't keep fans busy for very long. with Border 3 Along with having highly entertaining endgame takedowns, the pressure is on, making climactic events even better Border 4's Mad Ellie expansion to right the ship, as the game's free updates aren't worth watching if the horrors of Kairos are anything to go by.

issued

September 12, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, User Interaction