Borderlands 4 Targets Roughly 20% Higher PC FPS in Its March 26 Patch

Gearbox and 2K have published a more detailed PC optimization update for Borderlands 4, and this one comes with concrete numbers attached. In the official post published on March 23, 2026, the company says the upcoming March 26 patch tied to Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned is expected to improve average FPS by roughly 20% across both minimum and recommended PC specifications.

The update also puts hard figures on stability gains. According to 2K, crash rate has nearly halved since December, moving from 0.63% of all sessions to 0.38%. The publisher also says the share of players experiencing a crash dropped from 17% to 9.35%. That makes this more substantial than the usual "general performance improvements" note, because the studio is trying to show how the work should translate into everyday play.

Where the optimization work is happening

2K says much of the PC effort has focused on improving frame rate without making noticeable sacrifices to the visual fidelity that defines Borderlands 4. The team says it has been tuning GPU, CPU, and general efficiency together, rather than chasing a single benchmark. Just as importantly, it says the patch should improve 1% and 0.1% low frame rates, which means the goal is smoother frame delivery and fewer hitches, not only a better headline average.

The official breakdown points to several technical areas. Gearbox says it refined Pipeline State Object handling to reduce hitching, improved how graphics drivers detect new materials on effects and weapon parts, and reworked parts of the HLOD system so distant scenery renders more efficiently. The studio also highlights Unreal Engine 5 Virtual Shadow Maps changes for lighting and backend code work meant to make UI systems more efficient.

Why PC players are watching closely

Performance has been one of the steady conversation points around the PC version since launch, so this update reads like a direct response to community feedback. The studio explicitly says it has been listening to players and that it takes optimization concerns seriously. It also stresses that none of this tuning removes players' ability to self-adjust their experience through in-game graphics settings and graphics-driver tools.

The timing matters as well. The March 26 patch ships alongside content for Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned, which means Gearbox is pairing technical work with a broader live update. If the published figures hold up outside internal tests, this could become one of the more important post-launch PC patches the game has received so far.