In the chaotic world of Borderlands 4, where loot and firepower reign supreme, players constantly push the limits of the game’s mechanics. One such explorer stumbled upon a glitch that transforms standard Torgue-manufactured weapons into apocalyptic tools of destruction. This unintended interaction boosts explosion damage from sticky rounds to staggering heights, often exceeding 300,000 per hit, and even triggers the elusive “Total Existence Failure” effect—a rare visual spectacle signaling utter enemy annihilation.
The Accidental Discovery That Changed Everything
While experimenting with character builds for Vex, the Siren class, content creator NickTew encountered this phenomenon purely by chance. During a casual play session focused on optimizing gunplay, he noticed anomalous damage spikes when alternating fire modes on Torgue weapons equipped with specific attachments. What began as minor tweaking revealed a pathway to one-shotting endgame bosses using minimal skill investment and no legendary gear.
This glitch hinges on the synergy between the “Torgue – Licensed Sticky Magazine” attachment and the underbarrel taser alt-fire mode. Normally, sticky rounds adhere to foes, detonating on reload or mode switch for clustered explosive payoff. However, firing the taser immediately after unloading stickies causes each blast to inherit inflated damage modifiers, catapulting output far beyond intended values.
How the Glitch Works: Step-by-Step Breakdown
Replicating this exploit requires no rare items—just a fast-firing Torgue weapon like an SMG with sticky magazine and taser alt-fire. Here’s the precise sequence:
- Equip a Torgue gun supporting sticky mode and taser underbarrel.
- Empty the magazine into targets, coating them with adhesive explosives.
- Swiftly switch to taser alt-fire and discharge it.
- Reload or let the timer expire to detonate—all explosions now deal 300,000+ damage per instance.
NickTew demonstrated this on various enemies, achieving peaks of 600,000 damage. Even basic setups with only 25 of 49 available skill points in gun damage suffice, proving its accessibility.
Deciphering the Technical Malfunction
At its core, the bug stems from a flawed damage calculation during fire mode transitions. Sticky explosions typically scale to roughly 100% of the base bullet damage—around 5,000 to 10,000 for a standard SMG with 944 base hurt. Post-taser activation, they adopt the alt-fire’s boosted modifiers, multiplying output exponentially.
Speculation points to the game erroneously applying taser scaling to sticky procs instead of SMG baselines. Napkin math corroborates: pre-glitch blasts hover near base values with minor RNG variance from skills; post-glitch, they explode into six-figure territory. This interaction bypasses traditional build requirements, no crit knives or legendaries needed.
| Damage Type | Normal Range | Glitch Range | Multiplier Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sticky Explosion (per instance) | 5,000 – 10,000 | 300,000 – 600,000 | 30x – 60x |
| Base Bullet | ~944 | Unaffected | N/A |
| TEF Proc Chance | Rare | Guaranteed on high dmg | N/A |
Total Existence Failure: The Ultimate Payoff
The crown jewel of this glitch is invoking “Total Existence Failure” (TEF), a damage threshold where enemies don’t just die—they cease to exist in a flurry of particles and effects. NickTew captured this for the first time, marveling at health bars evaporating instantaneously. TEF demands extreme damage throughput, typically reserved for hyper-optimized endgame setups, yet this bug delivers it effortlessly.
For Vex players, minimal points in gun damage augments unlock the full potential, making it ideal for early progression skips or farming. Videos showcase bosses melting before phases complete, turning grueling encounters into trivial pop quizzes.
Weapon and Class Synergies Explored
Torgue’s design philosophy—big booms over precision—amplifies the glitch’s potency. Their guns excel in area denial and splash, perfect for sticky clustering. Pairing with Vex’s phase-based abilities enhances positioning for optimal barrages.
- Ideal Weapons: Any Torgue SMG or rapid-fire with sticky mag and taser.
- Class Fit: Vex for innate gun buffs; adaptable to others with damage anointments.
- No Gear Grind: Common drops suffice, democratizing power spikes.
Community tests confirm viability across difficulties, though higher tiers yield even wilder pops due to scaling.
Community Reactions and Developer Response
The discovery rippled through Borderlands forums and YouTube, sparking excitement over “looter perfection.” Fans celebrate such breaks as core to the genre’s appeal—endless breakage fuels replayability. Gearbox has acknowledged similar OP builds, prioritizing buffs over nerfs in early patches, signaling tolerance for fun exploits.
“Looters are made to be broken,” echoes the sentiment, with devs teasing balance tweaks that preserve chaos.
Potential Patches and Longevity
As with past Borderlands titles, glitches like this face scrutiny. Hotfixes could sever the taser-sticky link, normalizing damage. Players advise documenting runs now, as patches historically squash such gems swiftly. Still, the game’s live-service model promises new interactions, potentially birthing successors.
Similar Exploits in Borderlands History
Borderlands lore brims with legendary bugs:
- Savage Missile spam in BL2, infinite homing doom.
- Crit confirmation glitches in Pre-Sequel.
- Elemental DOT loops in BL3.
This Torgue anomaly fits the tradition, reminding why the series endures: emergent absurdity from deep systems.
Optimizing Your Own Runs
To harness pre-patch:
- World-hop for sticky-taser rolls.
- Stack minor gun damage nodes.
- Test on scrap mobs before bosses.
Combine with action skills for hybrid clears, blending glitch bursts with sustained DPS.
FAQs: Glitch Essentials
Does this work on all bosses?
Most, yes—scales with enemy health. Raid bosses may need multiple mags.
Any specific anointments required?
No; base interaction suffices.
Will it get patched soon?
Likely, given visibility. Gearbox monitors discourse.
Best class besides Vex?
Any with gun focus; Krieg variants shine.
How to find qualifying guns?
Torgue vendors, world drops—prioritize sticky + taser.
Why This Glitch Captures Borderlands’ Spirit
Beyond raw power, it embodies the franchise’s joy: accidental mastery from tinkering. No spreadsheets needed—just curiosity yields godhood. As Borderlands 4 evolves, expect more tales of broken bliss, keeping Pandor’s mayhem alive.
References
- Borderlands 4 player finds bugged interaction that can cause ‘Total Existence Failure’ damage — PC Gamer. 2024-10-15. https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/borderlands-4-player-finds-bugged-interaction-that-can-cause-total-existence-failure-damage-to-endgame-bosses-without-a-proper-build-and-no-legendary-items-or-crit-knives-to-be-seen/
- Borderlands 4 player accidentally finds busted Torgue gun — GamesRadar. 2024-10-15. https://www.gamesradar.com/games/borderlands/borderlands-4-player-accidentally-finds-busted-torgue-gun-that-obliterates-enemy-health-bars-so-fast-it-triggers-total-existence-failure-every-instance-of-damage-goes-up-to-300-000/
- Borderlands 4’s ‘Total Existence Failure’ Bug Is the Most Beautiful Chaos Yet — Yardbarker. 2024-10-16. https://www.yardbarker.com/video_games/articles/borderlands_4s_total_existence_failure_bug_is_the_most_beautiful_chaos_yet/s1_17458_42793663