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Borderlands 4: How to fast travel

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  Published in Travel and Leisure on Saturday, September 13th 2025 at 8:32 GMT by sportskeeda.com
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Borderlands 4: The Fast‑Travel System Explained – How to Get from A to B in Zero Minutes

When the announcement trailer for Borderlands 4 dropped last year, the biggest “got‑cha” that players were allowed to chew on wasn’t the new weapons or the next‑gen graphics. It was the question on everyone’s mind: “Will the game keep the slick, on‑the‑fly fast‑travel system that made the previous Borderlands titles feel so fluid, or will it revert to the grind‑heavy, waypoint‑chasing style of older shooters?” The answer? The system is exactly the same as in Borderlands 3 and Borderlands 2 – a streamlined, map‑driven portal network that lets you jump between any two visited locations with the tap of a button.

1. The Map – Your Fast‑Travel Control Centre

Open the World Map by pressing the corresponding key (usually M on PC, the Touch‑pad button on PlayStation, or Y on Xbox). The interface looks familiar: a top‑down view of the main continent (the “Badlands” of Borderlands 4), dotted with icons for every “Fast‑Travel Point” you have discovered so far. These are the nodes that allow you to teleport instantly.

Each point appears as a small portal icon. If you hover over it, a tooltip tells you the name of the location (e.g., “Vault 8 – The Outbreak”) and any unlock conditions that may still apply. The map also shows a colored line network that connects nodes that are currently available to you. Think of it as a living subway map: as you explore, the lines grow and new portals appear.

2. Unlocking Fast‑Travel Nodes

Fast‑travel nodes are not all unlocked from the start. The first node you discover is always free – it’s usually the starting base or the main hub that drops you into the world. From there, you’ll be able to explore the surrounding area until you stumble upon the next portal.

In Borderlands 4, unlocking new portals is tightly tied to the narrative flow. Many nodes are tied to major quests or side‑mission completions:

• “Vault Quest” nodes – The first portal outside the main base is typically unlocked after you complete the initial vault storyline.
• “Region‑Gate” nodes – Moving from the Badlands to the Dreadnaught or the Outback requires you to finish the main quest that transports you there.
• “Side‑Story” nodes – Certain portals unlock only after you finish a specific side‑story; for example, the portal to the “Skeletal Skirmish” outpost becomes available only after clearing the corresponding mission.

If a portal is locked, the icon is grayed out, and you’ll see a lock symbol. The tooltip will also mention the quest or event that unlocks it. The game does not use a “fast‑travel‑point‑per‑level” rule – instead, it follows the organic story‑driven model of earlier Borderlands games.

3. How to Use Fast‑Travel

Once you have at least two portals unlocked, the process is identical to the last game:

1. Open the Map – as described above.
2. Select the Destination Portal – click the icon of the place you want to go to.
3. Confirm the Travel – a small “Travel” button will appear.
4. Fast‑Travel – click it, and you’ll instantly teleport to the target location.

There are no travel costs, no time‑based cooldowns, and no extra skill checks. You can even fast‑travel while in combat, though you will be temporarily paused until the teleport completes. The portal you leave from will “reset” to the map’s base state, while the new location appears instantly.

4. Fast‑Travel Restrictions

While the system feels almost like a cheat code, there are a few practical limits:

• No self‑fast‑travel – You cannot fast‑travel to the same portal you are already standing at. The UI simply disables that option.
• Quest‑dependent travel – Some story missions explicitly forbid fast‑travel. For example, during the main “Vault 9” cutscene you are forced to play out the entire sequence before the portal unlocks.
• Connectivity – A node must be connected to the network you are in. If you have not yet unlocked the link between the Badlands and the Dreadnaught, you cannot jump from a Badlands portal to a Dreadnaught portal until the story bridges the two.
• Environmental hazards – Some fast‑travel nodes are placed in zones that require the player to have specific gear or level, e.g., a portal that is hidden behind a gate that only opens when you possess a certain key.

These restrictions keep the fast‑travel system balanced: you still need to explore to progress, but once you do, the system speeds up the rest of the journey.

5. Fast‑Travel vs. Fast‑Run: The Old‑School Difference

If you’re used to older shooters where fast‑travel is a simple “portal” that drops you somewhere, Borderlands 4 offers a more refined experience. Instead of a single portal that takes you back to the last base, the map now behaves like a world‑wide navigation system. This means you can teleport between any two points you have discovered, even if they are on opposite sides of the map. It is the same design philosophy used in Borderlands 3’s “Portal” system, but the UI has been tidied up to reduce the clutter of tiny dots and arrows.

6. Quick Tips for Maximizing Fast‑Travel

• Explore on Purpose – Every time you find a new location, check if there’s a portal waiting. Most of them are hidden in corners, behind loot, or on a side‑quest objective.
• Use the Map Smartly – The color lines on the map act as a visual guide. If you’re stuck, look for the thickest line from your current location; that usually indicates the quickest path to a new node.
• Watch for “Unlock” Messages – The UI will flash a small “New Fast‑Travel Point” icon whenever you open a portal. Don’t ignore it.
• Avoid “Fast‑Travel Loops” – You can’t save time by jumping from A to B and back to A repeatedly; it takes the same amount of time to re‑enter the portal each time.

7. Final Verdict

Borderlands 4 keeps the fast‑travel system that fans adored in Borderlands 3, but it enhances it with a clearer, more intuitive map interface. The core mechanic – instant teleportation between unlocked nodes – remains unchanged, and the game offers plenty of new locations to discover, each unlocking as you progress through the story. Whether you’re a seasoned looter or a newcomer, the fast‑travel feature guarantees that the only thing you’ll spend time on is picking your next epic weapon, not pacing across the map.

In the end, fast‑travel in Borderlands 4 is less of a novelty and more of an essential gameplay backbone, a system that ties exploration, narrative progression, and the franchise’s trademark “looter‑shooter” pacing together seamlessly. Once you’ve unlocked a few portals, you’ll find the game’s sprawling world feels oddly manageable – a true hallmark of the Borderlands formula.