The launch of Borderlands 4 has been accompanied by a range of promotional offers and free content, providing players with opportunities to acquire in-game items and downloadable content (DLC) at no additional cost. These freebies, distributed through official channels, include a limited-time holiday-themed DLC pack, a permanently available cosmetic item, and a recurring system of SHiFT codes. The availability and mechanics of these offers are detailed in official communications from the game's publisher, 2K, and developer, Gearbox Software. For UK consumers, these offers provide a way to enhance the gaming experience without extra expenditure, though eligibility is generally tied to owning the base game and, in some cases, creating a SHiFT account.
A significant free offering is Bounty Pack 1: How Rush Saved Mercenary Day, a holiday-themed DLC pack. According to official sources, this DLC is available for free to all players who own the base game of Borderlands 4. The pack includes new missions, gear, and cosmetics, centring on a story where players team up with the character Rush to confront the Minister Screw. Gearbox Software stated that the decision to make this first Bounty Pack free was due to time constraints in development; the team aimed to deliver a holiday-themed update by the end of the year but could not include as much content as originally planned. To compensate players who had purchased the Bounty Pack Bundle—which originally promised four premium pieces of content—Gearbox is adding a fifth Bounty Pack in 2026 at no additional charge for those bundle owners. The remaining Bounty Packs (2, 3, 4, and 5) are included with the Borderlands 4 Deluxe Edition, Super Deluxe Edition, and the Bounty Pack Bundle, and will also be available for separate purchase. The base game is required to play all Bounty Pack content.
In addition to DLC, players can obtain a free cosmetic item: the Hazard Pay weapon skin. This skin, described as having a bright red design with yellow and black hazard stripes, is available to all players who create and link a SHiFT account to their platform (PC, PlayStation, or Xbox). To claim the skin, players must create a SHiFT account (or log in to an existing one), subscribe to the Gearbox newsletter via their SHiFT account, and link their SHiFT account to their gaming platform. The skin will be automatically added to the player's in-game inventory when they log in to Borderlands 4 from September 12, 2025, onwards. The claim period for this skin is exceptionally long, extending until December 31, 2030, allowing players to obtain it years after the game's release.
SHiFT codes represent another ongoing source of freebies. SHiFT is a platform created by Gearbox Software that centralises rewards for the Borderlands series. A SHiFT account grants access to exclusive cosmetics, Golden Keys for special in-game chests, and regular weapon skins and bonuses. By subscribing to the Gearbox newsletter, players also receive notifications about new events and offers. SHiFT codes, which are exclusive to the Borderlands series and have been available since Borderlands 2, provide a "seemingly never-ending supply of freebies" for Borderlands 4 players, though many are available only for a limited time.
Furthermore, Gearbox has announced plans for future free content. A new Takedown—a type of high-stakes endgame content—is in development for release later in 2026 as a free update for all players. This aligns with the developer's ongoing efforts to expand the game's post-launch content. The first major update for Borderlands 4, which introduced the free Bounty Pack 1, also included hundreds of other changes, notably to Weekly Wildcard Missions, which now feature new starting points.