The powerful “Infinite Bleed” build for the Vault Hunter Vex in Borderlands 4 was unintentionally weakened after the game’s October 2 patch, according to a recent statement from Gearbox Software. Fans quickly noticed the drop in damage output and deduced that the popular configuration had been stealth-nerfed since the change was not listed in the official patch notes. Creative Director Graeme Timmins addressed the issue, confirming that the loss of potency was indeed a mistake, as Vex’s bleed no longer counted as a status effect in the game’s framework.
Timmins clarified that the reduction in the build’s effectiveness was “just an accident.” This clarification helped explain the community’s strong reaction, given the build’s popularity. The setup, which uses Vex’s Bloodletter skill along with a specific Throwing Knife that has a Penetrator Augment, allowed players to “melt” even high-tier bosses, sometimes defeating them with a single hit. Gearbox had acknowledged that this high-damage combination emerged accidentally from the game’s systems and had confirmed plans to fix it in future balancing efforts.
Importantly, the development team is working to restore the build’s original functionality. Timmins mentioned that the team is setting up a timeline to “reinstate the status effect behavior” for Vex’s bleed. This focus on correction is critical to address the technical issue that temporarily affected a favored playstyle. While the team aims to smooth out unintended exploits in the long run, their immediate priority is the overall health of characters. This is evident in the numerous buffs given to characters like Amon in the October 2 update.
The build gained a dedicated following partly due to the commitment needed to put it together. The key piece of gear—the Throwing Knife with the Penetrator Augment—is rare, requiring hours of farming and targeting bosses like the Driller Hole. For players who spent significant time and effort to get the necessary components, the sudden, unintended nerf was especially frustrating. While the exact date for the fix is still unknown, the community eagerly awaits Gearbox’s promise to restore Vex to her previous, accidental level of power.
