Gearbox reveals a full breakdown of Vex’s abilities in Borderlands 4. Discover how this necromancer-style Siren unleashes minions, Eldritch blasts, and spectral clones in her three powerful skill trees.
With Borderlands 4 set to release on September 12 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, Gearbox Entertainment has unveiled an in-depth look at one of its new Vault Hunters: Vex, the game’s playable Siren. In a detailed video breakdown, lead game designer Nick Thurston and test manager Matt Herrera walked fans through her distinct abilities, which combine the dark charm of a necromancer with the precision and agility of a ranger.
While every mainline Borderlands title has featured a unique Siren, like Lilith’s Phasewalk or Maya’s Phaselock, Vex introduces a darker, summoner-style gameplay loop. Her powers revolve around minions, lifesteal, and status effect damage, offering a blend of offensive versatility and defensive sustainability.
Vex’s Three Action Skills
Vex has three primary Action Skills, each tied to its own skill tree: Phase Phamiliar, Incarnate, and Dead Ringer.
- Phase Phamiliar is centered around a panther-like companion named Trouble. This feline minion can teleport to enemies and deal damage while gaining enhanced critical hit chances, up to 20% when fully upgraded. An ability called Keen Friends further boosts this potential. As players progress, Trouble can be transformed into “Big Trouble,” turning it into a tank-like bruiser that absorbs damage and receives healing, making it ideal for aggressive or supportive playstyles.
- Incarnate shifts the focus to Vex herself. Upon activation, she sprouts mystical wings and triggers a Phase Explosion, while instantly restoring her health. Vex also gains a Soul Orb, which acts like a magical homing missile that regenerates faster the more damage it deals. Through upgrades, this skill can evolve to include the Geistwave, an energy wave attack scaling with Ordnance Damage, and buffs that improve lifesteal, reload speed, and defensive capabilities when attuned to Kinetic damage.
- Dead Ringer introduces a more strategic playstyle, letting Vex summon spectral clones of herself. These come in two forms: Specters, which are ranged attackers dealing gun damage from a fixed position, and Reapers, melee-focused spirits that roam freely, taunt enemies, and slash them with scythes. With the Hellish Harvest augment, Reapers can perform area-of-effect slashes, healing Vex with every strike. Specters, on the other hand, can apply Wither, a lingering status effect that weakens enemies over time.
A Siren Unlike Any Before
Vex’s kit offers depth and flexibility, appealing to fans of previous Borderlands characters like Gaige’s Deathtrap, Mordecai’s Bloodwing, or Zer0’s decoy. Her ability to summon allies, boost her survivability, and execute devastating long-range attacks makes her a powerful option for solo players and co-op teams alike.
With added movement features like gliding, double-jumping, and grappling, it’ll be fascinating to see how players synergize Vex’s unique combat style with the game’s new traversal mechanics. Stay tuned as Gearbox continues to roll out cinematic reveals and gameplay showcases for the rest of the Borderlands 4 roster.
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