Borderlands 4's skill trees are deeper than ever, with more perks, augments, and capstones than ever. Unfortunately, you're restrained by how many skill points you can earn, which is based on the current max level, so you can't splash the cash and unlock every power.
Below, I'll go over the max level in Borderlands 4 and how many skill points you can expect to earn right now, so you can properly plan out your characters' builds. However, I'll also discuss whether we can expect this to increase in the future.
What is the max level in Borderlands 4?
The max level in Borderlands 4 is 50, giving you a total of 49 skill points to spend across your three skill trees. Every five skill points you spend unlocks the next layer of the skill tree, apart from the final tier, which requires an extra point to get the final perk. In other words, you could almost reach the end of two skill trees if you're being efficient, though that's not really optimal for most builds.
There are a few key features related to your progression:
- You'll start encountering loot drops with Firmware as early as level 25 (these are effectively gear sets).
- Once you've completed the main campaign, you'll unlock the Specialisations XP bar that can level up hundreds of times, providing incremental buffs that eventually lead to slottable Specialisation Skills.
- Once you've beaten the campaign, you can skip the story on alternate characters to immediately reach level 30 (which is generally the level you'll be after finishing it naturally, anyhow) and experience the endgame.
One thing you'll quickly notice with Borderlands 4's skill trees is that they heavily incentivise you to invest in a single tree, with lots of incredibly strong skills to synergise with your action skill and other tree-specific perks. Gearbox wasn't joking when they said these new skill trees were the biggest and most complex yet.
Generally, you're likely to spend all 49 skill points in a single tree, or at best, only a handful in a second tree. At least the augments and capstones don't cost anything to slot, though you can only have one of each equipped at a time (unless you're using Vex's Dark Pact capstone).
If that sounds quite restrictive, then it certainly can feel like it. Thankfully, I expect the Borderlands 4 level cap will increase in the future, as has been the case with previous games. For example, Borderlands 3 also initially had a level cap of 50, which was eventually increased all the way up to level 72 in free updates, without the need to purchase DLC packs like in Borderlands 2.
If I had to guess, this will most likely happen in the Invincible Boss free update, due a few months after launch, since this comes with higher-level bosses and more Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode levels, or in an update coinciding with the Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned DLC next year.
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