Borderlands 4 Fan Compares Skill Trees Across Series

Skill trees have always been a big deal in the series from Borderlands 4 – Borderlands 1. They let players shape their Vault Hunters into whatever playstyle fits best—whether that’s unloading bullets, tossing grenades, or teaming up with a pet. A fan recently posted on Reddit about how these skill trees have changed from the first Borderlands game to the upcoming Borderlands 4, set to launch on September 12, 2025. It’s a great time to dig into this, especially with all the hype building. For more on what’s happening in gaming, check out Total Apex Gaming.

How Skill Trees Have Evolved

The original Borderlands kept things basic. Each Vault Hunter had three skill trees with about seven skills each. For example, Lilith could focus on Elemental, Controller, or Assassin trees. It was simple and worked well back in 2009.

Then came Borderlands 2. The skill trees grew to around 10 skills each, and they added capstone skills that could really shake things up. Think Salvador’s Gunzerking boosts or Zero’s critical hit bonuses. It gave players more to play with and made every Vault Hunter feel distinct.

Borderlands 3 pushed it even further. Each tree had about 12 skills, and now you could pick from multiple action skills and add augments to tweak them. FL4K’s pets or Moze’s Iron Bear got a lot more options. You can see a full rundown over at IGN.

With Borderlands 4, Gearbox is going all out. The PlayStation Blog says each tree has three branching paths and up to 29 skills. Plus, there are unique traits—like how Vex the Siren’s abilities shift with her gear. Anthony Nicholson from Gearbox told GamesRadar+, “We’ve never given players this much freedom to shoot and loot.”

Here’s a quick look at how the numbers stack up:

What Fans and Devs Are Saying

The Reddit post that started this noticed that Borderlands 4 might need 124 skill points to max out a tree. That’s got people guessing about the level cap. Over on X, fans are buzzing—one user said, “These skill trees are next-level!”. But some worry the new UI might feel clunky. For more fan takes, head to Total Apex Gaming News.

Wrapping It Up

From a handful of skills to dozens, Borderlands skill trees have grown a ton. Every game added more ways to play, and Borderlands 4 looks like it’ll give us the most options yet. Whether you’ve been around since the start or you’re just jumping in, these changes make every Vault Hunter run feel fresh. Mark your calendars for September 12, 2025—it’s going to be a wild ride.