Outhouses and Explosions: Gearbox Shares a Hilarious Look at Borderlands 4’s Chaotic Opening Weekend

The highly anticipated launch of Borderlands 4 was nothing short of a chaotic whirlwind, and the developers at Gearbox Software are leaning into the mayhem. In a series of social media posts, the studio shared a handful of funny and bizarre stats from the game’s opening weekend, offering a glimpse into the minds of its dedicated player base. The numbers are less about sales figures and more about the strange and hilarious habits of Vault Hunters, and they paint a vivid picture of a community that is as obsessed with looting every corner of the world as it is with causing as much destruction as possible.

Looting the Unlikeliest of Places

The most eyebrow-raising statistic from the report is the amount of loot players have managed to find in the most unlikely of places. According to Gearbox, players looted over 1.5 million items from outhouses alone. This is a staggering number that suggests players are willing to leave no stone—or, in this case, no toilet—unturned in their quest for a legendary weapon. By comparison, only 487,585 items were looted from trash cans. This is a clear indicator that in the world of Borderlands, there is more treasure to be found in a latrine than in a normal trash receptacle. Players also managed to loot a whopping 1.8 million items from boomboxes, beer coolers, and grills, a testament to the game’s absurd and over-the-top world design.

While the outhouses and grills provided a decent haul, the most lucrative source of loot remains the classic red chests. A staggering 14.8 million items were looted from these iconic treasure containers, a number that dwarfs every other loot source on the list. The stats from Gearbox are a perfect reflection of the series’ core gameplay loop: a seemingly endless hunt for better and better loot, no matter where it might be found. The stats are a love letter to the player base and a clear sign that the developers understand the unique, treasure-hunting psychology of their community.

A Price for the Loot: Explosions and Deaths

The numbers also shed light on the high cost of all that chaos. In a game full of explosive barrels and maniacal bandits, death is an inevitable part of the experience. According to the stats, over 2 million players met an unfortunate end by shooting a nearby barrel. But that number pales in comparison to the number of deaths caused by grenades, which claimed a massive 4.5 million lives. This is a clear indicator that players, in their relentless pursuit of mayhem, are just as likely to blow themselves up as they are to take out their enemies. The stats are a hilarious and very real look at the player base’s tendency to embrace the chaos and simply learn from their mistakes. As one fan on Reddit commented, “Dying to a barrel is a rite of passage in Borderlands.”

Despite the high number of deaths and the frustrating PC performance issues that have plagued the game’s launch, the stats also show that the community is resilient. Over 62 million boss battles were attempted during the opening weekend, and in a massive show of skill, over 55 million of those were successful. This means that a remarkable 88% of boss encounters ended in a player victory, a testament to the community’s determination to overcome the game’s toughest challenges.

The release of these stats is a masterclass in community engagement. Instead of focusing on raw sales data, Gearbox chose to highlight the fun and silly moments that make the Borderlands franchise so special. It’s a clear signal that the company is listening to its community, and it’s a powerful reminder that even in a world of technical issues and industry-wide layoffs, the most important thing is to just have fun.

In a small way, the story of Borderlands 4‘s launch is a reflection of the game itself: it’s messy, it’s chaotic, and it’s a whole lot of fun.