What is the Max Level in Every Borderlands?
When playing Borderlands, reaching a high level is one of the main goals, giving players access to new powerful enemies, loot, and capabilities. In this article, we will explore the max level in every Borderlands game, including Borderlands, Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Borderlands 3, and answer some additional questions regarding their level caps.
Without DLC, the max level in Borderlands is 58
The level cap in Borderlands is surprisingly low, with 56 being the highest level, and an additional two-level increase without DLC through Patch 1.4 [1]. This update enabled players to reach the then-new level cap of 58 without any required DLC.
Max level in Borderlands 2: 80
When Borderlands 2 launched, the level cap for individual characters was 61. However, through several DLC packs, specifically [The Secret Armory of General Knoxx], the level cap reached 80**.
[Table: Level cap growth in Borderlands 2]
| Level cap increases | DLC |
|---|---|
| 61 | Level capped |
| 66 | Captain Scarlett and Her Marauders |
| 70 | Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage |
| 72 | Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt |
| 76 | Howoper of the Hyperian |
| 78 | Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep |
| 80 | Little Inferno and Captain Scarlet ** |
Max level in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel: 69
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, despite launching with a lower level cap, reached 69, thanks to the inclusion of DLC packs.
| DLC | Level cap |
|---|---|
| None | 48 |
| Clap Trap’s New Robot Revolution | 55 |
| Howoper of the Hyperian | 68 |
| Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep | 69 |
Max level in Borderlands 3: 72
For Borderlands 3, the level cap stayed at 72 at launch, matching that of Borderlands 2 in terms of power scaling between characters.
Answers for additional questions
Level cap growth in every Borderlands game
| Borderlands | Level cap increases | DLC |
|---|---|---|
| 56 | 58 (additional with Patch 1.4) | None |
Borderlands 2: 61 | Levels 61-80 in total | (explained in the table)
| (various level cap increases) |
| (in a specific order) [2]
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel | 48 (initial) |
| 55 |
| 69
| (including tiny Tina’s Assault)
Why is the max level important?
The max level not only affects the final result of the game, influencing the final difficulty but also impacts the longevity, as the higher levels have more powerful enemies to beat and better loot to seek. It’s no accident that Borderlands is about leveling up and unlocking a wide range of upgrades with each level.
Final word:
Reaching a level cap is an experience only a few games manage, and Borderlands offers these experiences with each title and DLC pack. Borderlands 3, now more than ever, stands together with Borderlands 2 in terms of character capability and level cap reach in particular.