Borderlands 4’s campaign plays out across Kairos in four regions, culminating in Dominion and a showdown with the Timekeeper. There are 21 main missions in total, with progression that opens up early so you can tackle three regions in the order you prefer. If you stick to the story, expect roughly 20–30 hours; the game also packs in 98 optional side missions if you want to take the long way around.

Borderlands 4 main missions (by region)

Region Main missions (in order within region)
The Fadefields 1) Guns Blazing
2) Recruitment Drive
3) Down and Outbound
4) A Lot to Process
5) One Fell Swoop
6) Rush the Gate
Carcadia Burn 1) Wrath of the Ripper Queen
2) Siege and Destroy
3) Unpaid Tab
4) Her Flaming Vision
Terminus Range 1) Shadow of the Mountain
2) Crystal Brawl
3) Dark Subject
4) His Vile Sanctum
Dominion 1) Rising Action
2) Another Day, Another Universe
3) The Falling Wall
4) Means of Ascent
5) Plan Z
6) The Timekeeper's Order
7) Secrets of the Vault

When the campaign opens up

Borderlands 4 stops being strictly linear early in The Fadefields. After A Lot to Process, you can pick from three branch starters — One Fell Swoop (Fadefields), Shadow of the Mountain (Terminus Range), or Wrath of the Ripper Queen (Carcadia Burn) — and pursue their chains. Once One Fell Swoop is completed, the game fully lets you swap between the three regions and clear their remaining missions in any order.

You must finish the main missions in The Fadefields, Carcadia Burn, and Terminus Range to unlock Dominion. Dominion’s seven-mission finale arc then plays straight through to the end.

How many side missions are there?

There are 98 side missions spread across Kairos. They’re optional and can be started at any time, making them useful for leveling, testing new gear, or breaking up the main story beats. None are required to access Dominion, but knocking out side content will smooth out difficulty spikes in the later regions.

What happens after the credits

Finishing the story unlocks Ultimate Vault Hunter mode. You can roll new characters that start at level 30 to try fresh playstyles without a full re-level. Inventory and map position don’t automatically carry over, so move anything you care about into the in-game bank before you wrap the campaign, and be ready to rediscover fast travel points on your new run.

Quick answers

  • Total main missions: 21.
  • Campaign structure: linear opening in The Fadefields → early branching across three regions → Dominion finale.
  • Side content: 98 side missions available anytime.
  • Time commitment: roughly 20–30 hours for the campaign if you focus on story.
  • Endgame: Ultimate Vault Hunter mode with level 30 new-character starts.

If you’re working through the list, use the region table above as your checklist and pivot between The Fadefields, Carcadia Burn, and Terminus Range whenever you want a change of scenery. Once those are cleared, Dominion is your final stop.