Borderlands 3 Frequently Asked Questions – Gearbox Entertainment Support

Hello, Vault Hunters!

We know you probably have some questions about Borderlands 3, so we've put together a quick FAQ guide for you. After you read the Q&A's below, if you still require more information about the game then please feel free to reach out to us!

Where do I go to access my pre-order DLC?

Any pre-order DLC items will appear in your Inbox, which can be accessed in the Mail tab of the game's Social menu.

How do I unlink my SHiFT account?

There is no way to unlink your SHiFT account from in-game. To unlink your SHiFT account from various platforms, log in to your SHiFT account on an internet browser and you'll be able to manage your linked accounts there.

How do I earn Golden Keys?

Golden Keys and other fun rewards are granted from SHiFT Codes. The best way to obtain SHiFT codes is by following Gearbox on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Keep an eye out for codes to be posted and then you'll be able to redeem them from the SHiFT tab of the Social menu in-game, or on the SHiFT website here: https://shift.gearboxsoftware.com/rewards

How do I view the Credits?

The credits will only roll after defeating the final boss of the game. Unlike previous installments, there is no option to view the credits from the main menu.

Where are my Loyalty Rewards (for playing other Borderlands titles)?

Borderlands 3 is not currently supporting any SHiFT rewards for playing other Borderlands titles at launch.

Where can I see my Badass Rank?

In Borderlands 3, Badass Rank has been replaced with "Guardian Rank." This functions very similarly to Badass Rank from previous games, but can only be accessed after completing the main story. Once unlocked, this can be found in the ECHO menu.

I lost some loot, but it isn't showing up in the Lost Loot Machine. How do I get my loot?

The Lost Loot Machine will automatically collect loot drops that you leave behind, but there are a few things to keep in mind:

Loot dropped directly from your inventory is considered "discarded", and will not be collected by the Lost Loot Machine.
Loot collected by the machine is specific to the rarity of items, so any high rarity gear (blue, purple or orange) will be collected. Lower rarity gear (white or green) will never be collected by the machine.
The Lost Loot Machine has a limit to how many items it can store, but this can be upgraded by purchasing a Storage Deck Upgrade (or "SDU") at Marcus Munitions on Sanctuary.
If you're in another player's game, and they have Group Mode set to Coopetition, loot lost during that play session will not be collected by the Lost Loot Machine. Only loot dropped while playing in Cooperation mode is collected since it is scaled to the player's level.

How do I access Photo Mode on PC?

Photo Mode can be accessed while in gameplay on any map from the Pause menu or the Social Wheel. The default keyboard key for the Social Wheel is Z. From here you can select the Camera icon with your mouse or keyboard to access Photo Mode.

Where do I find the Screenshots I took in Photo Mode (on PC)?

The screenshots saved from Photo Mode should appear in a Screenshots folder located in the same folder location that your save data is stored. By default, this should look something like this: C:\Users\Username\Documents\My Games\Borderlands 3\Saved\Screenshots

How do I access Photo Mode on Consoles(XB1/PS4)?

Photo Mode is not currently available on consoles, but we are planning to add it soon!

I keep finding "Eridian Writing", but when I interact with them nothing happens. How do I examine these?

These writings are stone tablets left behind by the Eridians. Vault Hunters are unable to decipher them until receiving a special item later in the campaign. Keep on playing!

I'm seeing these purple crystals everywhere, but nothing happens when I melee them. Am I missing something?

These crystals are made of Eridium and can be broken apart once players obtain a special item later in the campaign. Keep on playing!

What are Vault Rewards? How do I unlock them?

Vault Rewards are rewards that you receive from defeating various Vault Bosses. Gear up and get out there Vault Hunter!

I can't find a path to the waypoint. Am I stuck?

The path that you take to reach a waypoint may not always be obvious. You may have to rotate the Map in the ECHO menu to help find your desired path. Lookout for elevation changes on the map, they can be tricky! Custom waypoints can also be set while on this screen by positioning the cursor on the desired location and selecting Custom Waypoint.

Do I get anything for completing optional objectives on missions?

Several missions in Borderlands 3 contain optional objectives (denoted by a + symbol next to its checkbox on the HUD). Completing an optional objective will grant you an additional reward after completing the mission. The reward varies per mission!

I collected something from a vault, and the game said I unlocked Mayhem Mode. What is this, and how do I access it?

This is an end-game feature that allows you to enable random modifiers for maps that you visit. This mode provides random challenges in exchange for additional XP and better loot!!

What does lowering or raising the Difficulty option do?

Changing the game's difficulty from Normal to Easy will reduce the amount of damage received from enemies. It will not increase damage dealt by the player.

What's the difference between Co-operation and Co-opetition mode?

The Group Mode determines how enemies and loot scale for each player. In Co-operation mode, each player encounters enemies and loot that are scaled to their level. Loot drops are also instanced, meaning that they are unique for each player in this mode. Co-opetition uses the "Classic" Borderlands rules. Enemies and loot are scaled to the host player's level, and loot drops are the same for all players (meaning that each item can only be picked up by one person).

Where do I go to adjust the brightness or HDR settings?

These options can be found by selecting Options > Visuals > Calibrate Display. From here, you have the option to adjust brightness, black levels, and HDR (if your screen supports it).

I selected "Calibrate Display" in the Visuals options, but there's no HDR setting. Is this located somewhere else?

If the HDR setting is not appearing under Calibrate Display, it is likely because:

You're not using an HDR-capable display.
The console's HDR setting is disabled.
You're playing on Xbox One. On Xbox One, the game automatically detects the console's HDR settings and enables/disables it accordingly.

How do I stream on Twitch with the ECHOcast Extension on PC?

You'll need to link your SHiFT account to your Twitch account. This can be done through the SHiFT website and following these steps once finished:

On your Twitch page, click your profile icon in the upper right
Select "Creator Dashboard."
Select "Extensions" on the left side of the screen and then search for Borderlands.
From here you can install the Borderlands 3 ECHOcast Extension.
On the window for the extension, click on Activate and set it to Overlay1.
Head back into the game and go to the Social menu (either from the main menu or the in-game pause screen).
Go to the SHiFT tab and sign in to SHiFT in-game.
Select Options -> Network & Social -> then change the ECHOcast Twitch Extension option to Enabled. This is found under the Streaming section of the menu.

After this, all you have to do is begin streaming with your preferred streaming software and the game should detect it. You will see an ECHO message from Claptrap about ECHOcasting when the game recognizes that your stream has begun.
Your viewers on Twitch should see the Twitch Extension load. If they don't see it after a minute or so, refreshing the browser should allow it to appear.

Why can't I use the Twitch ECHOcast Extension on console?

The ECHOcast Twitch Extension integration is currently planned to launch soon, so keep a lookout!

How do I claim the loot I won from watching Streamers playing Borderlands 3 on Twitch?

You can earn loot by being a viewer on a Streamer's channel that is running the Twitch ECHOcast Extension. If the streamer opens a Red Chest while streaming it triggers a Rare Chest Event. As a viewer, you can choose to join the event and a random number of viewers will be selected as winners. If you win you will then be able to choose one piece of loot from the chest that will appear in your in-game mailbox. You can find this by going to the pause screen while in gameplay and selecting Social. Then proceed to the Mail tab and claim your loot!
NOTE 1: You can only access the Mail tab while in active gameplay, not from the main menu.
NOTE 2: You must have your SHiFT account linked to your Twitch account and whatever service you're playing the game on to claim your loot (Epic, PSN, Xbox Live).

How do I do 4-player split-screen?

Borderlands 3 supports 2-player split-screen locally as the maximum. Split-screen users can still match-make or join online friends to create a 4-player session.

I can't seem to find sessions with people in my region when matchmaking, am I missing something?

Check your Matchmaking Region setting to make sure it's set correctly. This can be found by going to the Social menu which can be accessed from the main menu or in-game Pause screen and following these steps:

Proceed to the Matchmaking tab and look at the lower right of the screen.
There you'll see your current Matchmaking Region. (By default it should be set to Auto.)
You can manually set your desired region from here using the indicated button prompt.

NOTE: The game will never match-make you with someone that is outside your region.

I set my game to Open to Public but no one is joining my session, what's wrong here?

A few things to note about Matchmaking:

You must be in gameplay for other users to match-make into your session. If you're sitting on the main menu, you will never be joined by people searching in the Matchmaking menu.
Only users that are near to your level and main story mission progress will be able to match-make with you. Someone that is much higher level or significantly farther or not as far in the story won't match-make into your session.
Only users on your current play-through and group mode can match-make with you. If you're in True Vault Hunter Mode, someone that is still on Play-through 1 won't match-make with you. If you're set to Co-operation mode, no users set to Co-opetition will match-make with you.

Can I match-make with someone set to a different Group Mode?

No. Users that are set to Co-operation mode will only match with other users set to Co-operation. This works the same for Co-opetition. This setting is selected when starting a new game, but can also be changed from the Edit Group menu. This menu can be accessed in the upper right of the main menu or Pause screen.

How do I send/receive invites on PC?

You can invite or join friends on PC from the Roster menu. To access the Roster menu:

Select Social from the main menu or pause screen and proceed to the Roster tab. You should see all of your Epic Games Store (EGS) friends listed here.
Click on their name and you should see the option to Invite them. If their Privacy setting is set to Open to Public or Friends Only, then you should also see a Join option.
After sending the invite, your friend should receive a notification in the EGS client that they can then accept to join your game.

I'm unable to join or invite my friend from the Roster menu, how do I fix this?

If your friend is in a full four-player session, you will be unable to join them and their group will be unable to join you. If they are not in a full session but you still cannot invite/join them, their Group Privacy Mode may be set to Local Only. If this is the case, changing this setting to Friends Only should allow you to Invite or Join them. They can check this setting in the upper right of the main menu or pause screen.

How do I send Mail in-game?

You can send mail to your friends by going to the Mail tab of the Social menu. The Social menu can be accessed from the in-game pause menu. You cannot send mail from the main menu version of the Social menu. After proceeding to the Mail tab, press the "Send Mail" button prompt on the lower right of the screen to bring up your current inventory. You can then select an item to send and a friend to send it to. Your friend should then receive the item in their Mail menu the next time they log in.
NOTE: Once you send an item through the mail there is no way to recover it. Even if your friends fail to redeem it before the piece of mail expires, the mail will not be sent back to you.

How does "Fast Forward" work in Co-op?

If you join another player that is farther along in the main story than you and complete a critical path mission while in their game as a guest, then when you go back into you Single Player game you will be placed back at whatever mission you were on before you joined the multiplayer session. Once you reach the start of a main story mission you already completed as a guest in another player's session, you will receive a prompt asking you if you'd like to fast forward through the mission(s) that you've already completed. If you say yes then the game will skip your character through the mission(s) you completed and put you at the start of the nearest mission you have not completed.
NOTE 1: This does not apply to Side Missions. Any side mission you complete in multiplayer will show as completed when you return to single player and you cannot replay the mission in that play-through.
NOTE 2: If you choose to play through the Main Story Mission(s) that you already completed in multiplayer you will not receive the rewards for that mission a second time since you already obtained them in the multiplayer session.
NOTE 3: Fast Forwarding is play-through specific, meaning if you join a friend that is in True Vault Hunter Mode and complete some missions with them, you will not have the option to skip those missions once you return to your play-through 1 campaign. You will, however, be prompted with the Fast Forwarding option when you reach those missions in TVHM as well.

Can I "Fast Forward" through missions while in multiplayer?

No. If you return to your own hosted game session after completing missions as a guest and allow other users to join your session as guests, then you will not receive the option to Fast Forward through previously completed missions. This feature is only available if you reach the start of those previously completed missions while playing in Single Player mode.