The highly-anticipated release of Borderlands 4 has been a resounding success for developer Gearbox Software, bringing with it a new cast of Vault Hunters and a staggering 30 billion unique firearms. This sheer scale of procedurally generated loot inevitably leads to “unintended interactions” and overpowered builds that can break the game’s balance. While the community has already discovered several such builds, a recent find by YouTuber NickTew has redefined what it means to be “busted.” He accidentally stumbled upon a Torgue-manufactured weapon that is so powerful it can melt enemy health bars instantly, triggering an in-game error message: “total existence failure.”

This remarkable discovery highlights the true essence of the Borderlands franchise, where a random, non-legendary item can be more powerful than any red-text gun. NickTew, a prominent content creator in the looter-shooter space, was experimenting with his Vex character, a Siren, attempting to create a “nerf-proof” build. Instead of finding a reliable but balanced combination, he uncovered a symbiotic interaction between a Torgue gun’s sticky magazine and a specific alt-fire mode that results in astronomical damage numbers, capable of making bosses disappear in a fraction of a second.

The Anatomy of Annihilation: How the Torgue Gun Works

The weapon in question is a Torgue SMG with a specific parts combination: a “Licensed Sticky Magazine” and a “Taser” alt-fire. The core mechanic behind this build is a classic Borderlands strategy, but with a bugged twist. Torgue sticky magazines allow players to shoot projectiles that attach to enemies and explode upon reloading or switching modes. Typically, the more sticky projectiles you attach, the greater the explosive damage. This is a common and intended mechanic in the series.

However, NickTew’s build takes this a step further. By rapidly firing a full magazine of sticky projectiles onto a boss and then immediately switching to the Taser alt-fire mode, the game appears to miscalculate the damage. Instead of the sticky projectiles exploding for their normal damage, they detonate with the taser’s damage modifier, which is exponentially higher than it should be. NickTew demonstrated this in a video, where he slowed down the footage to show the massive damage numbers popping off at once. “Every instance of damage goes up to 300,000,” he noted, with some even reaching a mind-boggling 600,000. The result is a boss health bar that disintegrates so quickly it doesn’t even have time to show a proper damage animation, instead displaying a cryptic and previously unseen message: “total existence failure.”

Gearbox’s Response and the Future of OP Builds

The discovery of this new broken build comes at a time when the Borderlands 4 community is already buzzing about other overpowered combinations, most notably the “Crit Knife” build. In response to the growing discourse, Gearbox creative director Graeme Timmins released a statement acknowledging the “unintended interactions” but also reassuring the player base that the studio is prioritizing buffs for underperforming gear and skills over knee-jerk nerfs. This philosophy is a breath of fresh air for the looter-shooter genre, which often sees developers quickly nerfing fun, powerful builds. Instead of punishing players for finding creative ways to optimize their characters, Gearbox seems to be embracing the chaos that defines its series. This indicates a commitment to the core identity of Borderlands, where players are encouraged to experiment and find ways to feel absurdly powerful.

While the developers have their eye on the build, the community is already racing to farm for the specific Torgue gun parts needed to replicate the damage. Unlike some legendary items, the specific parts required for this combination can be found on common purple-rarity guns, making it more difficult to farm but accessible to dedicated players. This element of chance and discovery is part of the fun. The possibility of finding a powerful, game-breaking weapon in a random chest or from a common enemy is a defining characteristic of the series, and this latest find proves that the spirit of chaos and mayhem is alive and well in Borderlands 4.

For now, players can enjoy the thrill of one-shotting bosses and achieving “total existence failure” before an inevitable patch. The discovery is a testament to the passionate community and the deep, complex systems that Gearbox has built. It serves as a reminder that in the world of Pandora, the only limit to your power is your imagination—and a healthy dose of luck.

Source: IGN, GamesRadar, PC Gamer, YouTube (NickTew)