The upcoming release of Borderlands 4 remains in the limelight, with a recent Twitch streamer discovery uncovering an unexpected feature of the new grappling hook mechanism. Originally unveiled as a handy mobility device, where characters can navigate levels and manipulate objects, its utility is taken a step further to an unlikely purpose: fishing.
At the Borderlands Fan Fest event on June 21st, where it also showed the first story trailer of the new game, streamer TweetyExpert showcased this new application. The grappling hook, as a fundamental addition to the new Vault Hunters, primarily enables swinging and rappelling to inaccessible locations and enables tactical yanking of environmental items, like explosive crates, onto enemies. Yet, its interaction with the underwater worlds of the game introduces a new level of interaction.
In Borderlands 4, fishable water areas are marked by visible ripple effects on the surface. Luring such spots with the grappling hook explodes an underwater mass of lootable objects that shortly hover in mid-air pending collection, before descending back into the water. Note that the result of such fishing attempts will be varied, with not all being immediately useable for the player.
While fishing in and of itself is not a new idea to the Borderlands series—a small side quest in the first game involved a simple way of catching fish with grenades—is its application through the grappling hook an incredible, cohesive addition. The creative application of a core gameplay mechanic is one that embodies the dedication to breaking traditional combat and transportation through innovation. The inclusion of fishing is only one of many content additions being introduced to their launch with Borderlands 4, which will be released on September 12, 2025.
