Borderlands 4 has experienced its biggest Steam player spike since shortly after launch, with a free weekend and the arrival of new Vault Hunter Loveless bringing thousands of players back to Gearbox’s looter-shooter.

The game’s Steam concurrent player peak has climbed above 20,000, a significant jump from the roughly 2,400-player peaks it had been recording in recent weeks.

Borderlands 4 Jumps From 2,400 to Over 20,000 Players

Borderlands 4 originally reached approximately 304,000 concurrent Steam players following its September 2025 launch, but its audience declined significantly over the following months.

The latest surge coincides with a Steam free weekend, giving new and returning players an opportunity to jump into the game without purchasing it.

There’s another major attraction: Loveless the Hacker, the latest playable Vault Hunter.

Loveless is a cybernetically enhanced fighter with a split psyche whose gameplay revolves around aggression and mobility. Her arrival adds another character and playstyle for players to experiment with.

Loveless Is Getting Plenty of Attention

Loveless has also attracted considerable attention online for reasons beyond her abilities.

Gearbox released an exclusive cosmetic for the character through the $9.99 Ornate Order Pack, which is also included with the Super Deluxe Edition and Vault Hunter Pack. The particularly revealing outfit has quickly become a talking point among the Borderlands community.

Whatever is driving individual players back, the combination of free access and a new Vault Hunter appears to have given Borderlands 4 a substantial short-term boost.

With its Steam peak jumping from around 2,400 to more than 20,000 players, Borderlands 4 is currently seeing its strongest burst of activity in months.