Borderlands 3 hot fix fixes little, Gearbox say actual fixes are on the way

If you've been bumming about Borderlands 3 with a handful of stuttering frames to your name, I have some underwhelming news. Developers Gearbox have released a hotfix that "does not include issues that the community is immediately concerned with", along with a statement to say they're working on those. They've also posted a list of (possibly) helpful tips to help with framerates and deal with saves if they're still not working after Monday's save-specific hotfix. (Psst. Just turn cloud saves off.)

It makes sense to push out fixes when they're ready, and Gearbox are obviously far too huge for any suggestion that they're not prioritising the biggest problems. At the same time, I do appreciate that it might be a little galling to have a broken game on your hands and read a patch note about how "yellow paint has been added to the Marsh Fields to mark a more obvious path to complete the Sabotage Crew Challenge".

The patch has also closed a loophole in Jakob's mansion, where players would repeatedly respawn so they could kill Loot Tinks over an over. Those are like treasure goblins that spill oodles of high-tier loot, and are supposed to be very rare. If you didn't know about the exploit before, hey, at least now you can't rob yourself of the satisfaction to be found in continuously discovering better guns. Like, the main thing Borderlands has going for it.

The patch also includes some balance changes, along with spoilers for areas and boss fights. Proceed with due caution, but here they are in full.

When the game's working, it's... fine. Like slapping a big bag of plain Kettle chips on your desk and letting your cravings mask how bland they are. I spent most of the weekend playing it with a bud, but our campaign progress grew out of sync during the week and I haven't felt much desire to return alone.

I like how Nate captured that in his Borderlands 3 review:

"Blastyloot 3’s story goes on a lot about the old narrative chestnut of found family, and how the people you choose to hang out with can be more valuable, more special to you, than the people you’re obligated to feel a connection with by circumstance of birth. The game never really did anything with that theme other than mention it a lot, but I wonder if perhaps it made its most concise point accidentally. While the game itself isn’t the most stellar company, there’s no denying why it, like its predecessors, will be incredibly successful – because it provides a superb environment for hanging out with your pals."

Let's hope Gearbox fix our crisps in time for the weekend.