The Version 1.11 update gives Borderlands 4 players a fresh reason to revisit Loveless, refine their damage setup, and tackle the latest weekly activities. Released on October 22, the update includes balance adjustments for Loveless, changes to Contagion and shuriken interactions, and improvements to Wyrm pet AI. Our team recommends reviewing these changes before committing to a new farming routine, especially if your previous build relied on interactions that no longer work as expected.
For players looking to improve their endgame efficiency, the goal is not simply to collect more Borderlands 4 Money or legendary gear. It is to build a reliable combat loop, prioritize rewards with a clear purpose, and avoid wasting time on activities that do not support your current setup. With Driller Hole serving as this week's Big Encore Boss and Old Lads offering the Golden God Ripper shotgun, there are two useful objectives to build your farming plan around.
What Changed for Loveless in Update 1.11?
Loveless remains an appealing choice for players who enjoy combining weapon damage with digital abilities and Wyrm support. However, Update 1.11 makes it important to distinguish between intended skill interactions and damage that previously benefited from unintended behavior.
The official update notes confirm adjustments to Loveless's Contagion, shuriken interactions, and Wyrm pet AI. Rather than assuming every previously popular combination still performs the same way, we recommend testing your core damage loop after updating the game.
| Mechanic | What to review | Practical takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| RAM generation | Check how your current skills generate and use RAM | Build around reliable resource generation rather than assuming every bonus stacks as before |
| Kernel Panic | Verify its current damage behavior and interaction with Contagion | Test the skill against the same enemy type before and after changing your setup |
| VPN and Montage Maker | Confirm whether your stealth bonus requires the intended class mod | Do not rely on an old setup until its bonus conditions are verified |
| Plague Star Shurikens | Recheck interactions with Devourer | Avoid treating an unintended interaction as a dependable source of damage |
| Wyrm pet AI | Test target selection, attack behavior, and active abilities | Use clear target priorities and monitor whether your pet is contributing consistently |
The key distinction is between a genuine balance improvement and a bug fix. A build can feel weaker after a patch even when its intended mechanics remain useful. Our team recommends comparing actual combat results instead of judging the entire setup by a single damage number.
For additional context, consult the official Borderlands 4 Version 1.11 update notes.
How to Prepare Your Loveless Build
Before farming bosses, make sure your Loveless setup has a clear purpose. A damage-focused build should have a dependable way to activate its core skills, maintain pressure during boss vulnerability windows, and recover when enemies interrupt your rotation.
Prioritize a consistent damage loop
Start by checking your skill allocation, class mod, and weapon synergy. If your build depends on Contagion or executable-related damage, confirm that the relevant effects trigger under the conditions you expect. Test against a repeatable target rather than changing several pieces of gear at once.
Next, review your weapon coverage. Corrosive and incendiary weapons can provide useful options against different health or armor situations, but the correct choice depends on the target's actual defenses. Keep a second weapon ready instead of forcing one element into every encounter.
Choose equipment that supports your playstyle
Your best setup will depend on whether you want to clear groups quickly, defeat bosses consistently, or survive difficult encounters with less downtime.
| Equipment slot | What to prioritize | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Main weapon | Reliable damage and manageable handling | Helps maintain pressure during short attack windows |
| Elemental weapon | An element suited to the target's defenses | Reduces time lost to poor damage matching |
| Class mod | Verified synergy with your chosen skills | Prevents relying on bonuses that your setup does not activate |
| Shield | A balance of survivability and useful effects | Helps you recover from mistakes without repeatedly restarting |
| Grenade | Consistent utility or damage | Adds another option when your primary weapon is ineffective |
We recommend using the strongest functional gear you already own before chasing perfect rolls. A modest improvement in survivability or consistency can be more valuable than a theoretically stronger item that makes the fight less reliable.
Best Weekly Rewards and Activities
This week's rotation gives players a straightforward pair of priorities: complete Old Lads for its featured reward and challenge Driller Hole for the weekly boss encounter.
The official Borderlands 4 announcements page is a place to check weekly activity information. The reward and boss assignment should be checked in-game if the weekly rotation has changed since publication.
| Activity | Current objective | Why it deserves attention |
|---|---|---|
| Old Lads | Complete the Wildcard Mission with Vampiric, Armored, and Strong modifiers | Awards the Golden God, a Ripper shotgun |
| Driller Hole | Complete the Weekly Big Encore Boss encounter | Provides a focused boss-farming objective |
| Maurice's Black Market Vending Machine | Locate the current weekly vendor | Offers another opportunity to inspect available gear |
Is Golden God worth prioritizing?
Golden God is the featured reward for Old Lads this week. If you are collecting Ripper weapons or want to test the shotgun against your existing loadout, completing the mission is a sensible first objective.
The mission's Vampiric, Armored, and Strong modifiers also make it important to manage incoming damage and avoid unnecessary attrition. Do not assume that a familiar mission will play identically under these conditions. Clear isolated threats when possible, use cover to control incoming fire, and keep a reliable recovery option available.
How should you use Maurice's Black Market?
Maurice's Black Market is worth checking while you are already progressing through weekly activities. Its location changes with the weekly rotation, and the available items can differ between players. Treat it as a supplementary source rather than a guaranteed way to obtain a specific class mod or legendary weapon.
Our team recommends inspecting the actual inventory before changing your farming route. If the vendor does not offer an item that meaningfully improves your build, move on to the next objective instead of spending time searching for an assumed stock.
The Best Farming Route for Update 1.11
The most useful farming route is the one that moves you toward a defined reward without adding unnecessary travel or preparation. For this weekly rotation, we recommend the following order.
Step 1: Confirm campaign and activity access
Open the ECHO menu and check the weekly activity objectives. If you have not finished the main campaign, complete the required progression first. The game's weekly activity information becomes available through the Map tab after the campaign is completed.
Before leaving your current area, verify that you can access the relevant mission and the Big Encore encounter. This avoids traveling to a destination only to discover that a prerequisite remains unfinished.
Step 2: Complete Old Lads for Golden God
Start with the featured Wildcard Mission if Golden God is one of your priorities. Prepare for the mission's three modifiers, keep your health and shield management under control, and avoid taking unnecessary fights while moving between objectives.
Once the mission is complete, inspect the reward and test the shotgun in a suitable encounter. Do not assume that its value will be identical for every Loveless build; weapon performance depends on the weapon's actual rolls and your skill setup.
Step 3: Challenge Driller Hole
After completing the weekly mission, move to Driller Hole for the Big Encore Boss encounter. Enter with a loadout that can handle the encounter's threats, and use the fight to evaluate your damage loop under sustained pressure.
If the encounter takes too long, identify the cause before repeating it. Poor elemental matching, unreliable skill activation, low survivability, and missed attack windows all create different problems. Changing one part of your setup at a time makes it easier to determine which adjustment actually improves your clear.
Step 4: Inspect your drops and decide whether to repeat
After each run, compare the reward with your current equipment rather than automatically restarting the encounter. A useful upgrade should improve your damage, consistency, survivability, or chosen build synergy.
Use the following decision guide:
- You obtained a meaningful upgrade: Equip it and test whether it improves your next run.
- Your damage is inconsistent: Recheck skill triggers, weapon elements, and class-mod requirements.
- You are dying too often: Improve survivability before chasing a small increase in damage.
- Your current equipment is already sufficient: Finish any remaining weekly objectives instead of farming indefinitely.
This approach keeps the route focused on progress rather than repetition for its own sake.
Driller Hole Boss Guide and Pre-Fight Gear Check
Preparation matters more than squeezing out a small amount of theoretical damage. A consistent setup helps you survive mistakes, recognize attack windows, and avoid restarting a promising run.
Pre-fight checklist
- Confirm that the weekly encounter is available and that you have the required progression.
- Equip a dependable main weapon and a suitable elemental alternative.
- Check your class mod and verify that your important skill bonuses activate as intended.
- Make sure your shield and recovery options can support the encounter's expected pressure.
- Review your available cover and leave room to reposition when dangerous attacks begin.
- Check your ammunition and equipment before triggering the encounter.
How to approach the fight
Read the attack pattern before committing to damage
Watch the boss's animations and projectile direction. If an attack creates a dangerous area, move out of it before resuming your damage rotation. Staying alive through a longer fight is usually more efficient than repeatedly losing a run while trying to force a burst window.
Match your weapon to the current target
Use corrosive damage when it is effective against the enemy's armor, and switch to another suitable element when the target's defenses change. Do not assume that a particular health-bar color or phase always calls for the same weapon without checking the encounter's mechanics.
Use Loveless's abilities deliberately
Track your resources, confirm that your intended skill interactions are working, and direct Wyrm toward useful targets when the situation allows. If an ability behaves differently after the update, adjust your timing rather than continuing to rely on the old rotation.
Reassess after each phase
When the boss changes behavior or becomes more vulnerable, prioritize positioning and a clean damage window. Avoid standing in persistent environmental hazards just to finish a few extra shots.
Our team recommends prioritizing consistency over theoretical maximum damage. Verify the current skill behavior, choose weapons that suit the encounter, and improve survivability if failed attempts are slowing your progress.
The same preparation also makes it easier to evaluate new Borderlands 4 Items. If a drop looks promising, compare its actual bonuses with your current setup before deciding whether it belongs in your main loadout.
Summary
Update 1.11 is a good opportunity to review Loveless's skill interactions and make your farming routine more deliberate. The most reliable approach is to confirm your build's mechanics, complete Old Lads for the featured Golden God reward, challenge Driller Hole, and inspect your drops before committing to another run.
Weekly rotations can change, so always check the in-game objectives before following a route published earlier in the week.
FAQ
What is the featured weekly reward in Borderlands 4 right now?
For the October 22–29, 2026 rotation, Old Lads rewards the Golden God Ripper shotgun, while Driller Hole is the Weekly Big Encore Boss. Check the in-game weekly activity menu to confirm that the rotation is still active.
What should Loveless players check after Update 1.11?
Review Contagion and shuriken interactions, Wyrm's behavior, your skill triggers, and any class-mod-dependent bonuses. Test the build before assuming that an older damage rotation still works as expected.
Should I farm Old Lads or Driller Hole first?
If Golden God is your main target, complete Old Lads first. If you are primarily interested in the Big Encore Boss encounter, prioritize Driller Hole after confirming access. The best order depends on your reward goals and current equipment.
How can I make boss farming more efficient?
Use a consistent build, bring appropriate elemental options, check your gear before starting, and identify the cause of slow or failed runs before changing equipment. Repeat the encounter only when its rewards still offer a meaningful improvement.
