The Borderlands 4 map covers the planet Kairos, split into four connected regions: The Fadefields, Terminus Range, Carcadia Burn and the city of Dominion, with two Story Pack regions (the Whispering Glacier and the island of Providence) added for DLC owners. Each region breaks down into named sub-areas full of Safehouses, Order Silos, activities and secrets, and the whole thing starts under fog. Below is how the world is laid out, when each part opens, and how to clear it efficiently as of November 2026.
We checked this against the official Borderlands 4 update notes and Story Pack announcements, the Game8 interactive map, the PowerPyx world map and trophy roadmap, and the GamerGuides silo guide in November 2026.
The Four Regions of Kairos and Their Sub-Areas
Game8's interactive map lists the base game's regions and their areas like this, and the names match what you see on the in-game map:
- The Fadefields: Coastal Bonescape, The Howl, Hungering Plain, Idolator's Noose and Dissected Plateau. This is where the story starts, and it holds the Launchpad faction town.
- Terminus Range: Cuspid Climb, Heart of the Mountain, Stoneblood Forest, The Low Leys and Windspear. Expect tall cliffs, snow and a lot of vertical traversal.
- Carcadia Burn: Lopside, Grindstone of the Worthy, Tonnage Peel, Ruined Sumplands and Fallen Crown. It is the industrial, fiery region and home to Carcadia, one of the major hubs.
- Dominion: the walled city, divided into the Fades District, Terminus District and Carcadia District. Trophy guides also refer to an Upper Dominion area inside the city.
PowerPyx measures the playable world at roughly 35 square kilometers, about 7 km from top to bottom and 5 km across, with ocean wrapped around the landmass. Game8 notes that you can roam freely between regions, but many areas only open as the main story progresses, so the map you see in the first few hours is a fraction of the final one. Some corners can never be fully unfogged because they sit on impassable mountains, which is normal and does not block any trophy or achievement.
When Each Part of the Map Opens
Kairos is seamless, but the story still controls the big gates. PowerPyx pins down the ones that matter most. Water travel for your vehicle unlocks during Main Mission 3, "Down and Outbound," which matters because the coastline and several islands are much faster to reach once your vehicle can cross water. Dominion City becomes accessible in Main Mission 17, "The Falling Wall," and the southern section of the city opens in Main Mission 19, "Plan Z." After Plan Z, the whole base game map is available.
A handful of pockets are locked behind side missions rather than the story, so if a small grey patch refuses to clear after you have finished the campaign, look for an unfinished side mission in that area. The DLC regions follow a different rule. According to 2K's Story Pack announcements, both the Whispering Glacier from Story Pack 1 (Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned) and Providence from Story Pack 2 (FL4K and the Last Resort) require owning the pack and finishing the "A Lot to Process" mission in the Fadefields first. Each pack also lets you create a new Vault Hunter who starts at level 13 directly inside its content.
Two more destinations sit outside the open world. The Takedown at Hadron Abyss raid is launched from Raid Boards in Kairos' major hubs once you have beaten the campaign, and Circle of Slaughter runs from an arcade cabinet in Moxxi's Bottoms Up! bar in Carcadia Burn after the "Wrath of the Ripper Queen" main mission.
Safehouses, Order Silos and Fast Travel
Fast travel points come from two kinds of activity. Safehouses are the smaller of the two: PowerPyx counts 14 Safehouses, four in the Fadefields (Abandoned Post, Shut-Eye Keep, Someday Rise and Wyclef's Reprieve), four in Terminus Range, three in Carcadia Burn (including the Makeshift Chalet) and three in Dominion (including the Lockaway), and the same site notes that Safehouses (along with faction towns) are where the Contract Boards sit. Order Silos are larger guarded facilities. You unlock one by reaching the terminal, usually at its highest point, and you do not have to kill every enemy first.
GamerGuides lists three Silos in each of the three outdoor regions, nine in total, with none in Dominion:
- The Fadefields: The Kit Hole (in The Howl, west of the Launchpad), The Stockroom (Coastal Bonescape, near the fishing spot northeast of the Abandoned Post Safehouse) and Deep Seven (Dissected Plateau, reached by a grapple point).
- Terminus Range: Deathright (The Low Leys, at the base of a mountain by a Ripper camp), Covered Charge (between Cuspid Climb and The Low Leys) and The Reliquary (Cuspid Climb, up the mountain past Hollowhome).
- Carcadia Burn: Judgment's Lapse (Ruined Sumplands), Site Unseen (Tonnage Peel, through Camp Spinsquelch) and Rustical Hurl (Grindstone of the Worthy).
Silos have a second job: unlocking one reveals a nearby Vault Key Fragment. PowerPyx counts nine fragments in total, three per outdoor region, and you need the set to open the three Primordial Vaults. Version 1.11 on October 22, 2026 changed vault entrances so they only appear after you have picked up three Vault Key Fragments, so a missing entrance usually means a missing fragment rather than a bug. The same patch also made fast travel complete before your character finishes loading, so you can move the moment you arrive.
What the Map Icons Point You Toward
Once a region is revealed, its icons fall into a few families, and knowing what each one gives you helps you prioritize.
- Activities: PowerPyx counts 53 across the base game, including Order Silos, Safehouses, Ancient Crawlers, Auger Mines, Order Bunkers and Ripper Drill Sites. Most of the combat ones end in a boss fight.
- Golden Chests: Game8 and Shacknews place one in each major hub, at the Launchpad (Fadefields), Belton's Bore (Terminus Range), Carcadia (Carcadia Burn) and the Lockaway (Dominion). They need Golden Keys, covered in our Golden Keys guide.
- World bosses: these spawn inside a random white bubble, and PowerPyx notes they appear more often in The Fadefields and Terminus Range. Version 1.6 (April 30, 2026) made world bosses show up more often and shortened world event wait times.
- Ordonite Processors: 2K's Bounty Pack 2 announcement describes them as a repeatable activity in the Fadefields, Carcadia Burn and Terminus Range, and they are one of the main places to look for Pearlescent gear.
- Maurice's Black Market: the vending machine moves every week with the server-side Weekly Activities, so its icon is worth checking after each Thursday reset. Our older Black Market location guide explains how to track him.
The Fastest Way to Clear the Fog
Driving is the main fog-clearing tool. PowerPyx estimates about 30 minutes of driving per region and 90 to 120 minutes for the entire map once everything is unlocked, which is far quicker than revealing it on foot. A route that wastes the least time looks like this:
- Finish the story up to Main Mission 19 so every base game area is open, picking up Safehouses and Silos you pass along the way.
- Drive each outdoor region in long loops along its edges, then sweep the middle. Use water travel to hug the coast rather than cutting inland.
- Claim every Silo terminal you see. Each one adds a fast travel point and reveals a Vault Key Fragment, so the Primordial Vaults come for free.
- Finish with Dominion, which is compact but has many small named locations tucked into its districts.
- Check each region's completion in the map menu and chase the last unknown icons rather than the last grey pixels.
The discovery count is what the game actually tracks. PowerPyx lists 197 map locations across the base game, and four separate trophies (Unfaded, The Mountain Provides, Churn the Burn and Useful Citizen) unlock for discovering every location in the Fadefields, Terminus Range, Carcadia Burn and Dominion City. A useful detail from the guide's comments: activities only need to be revealed for those trophies, not completed. If you are hunting the Platinum, our Borderlands 4 trophy guide covers the full list and the missables.
Using the Map for Farming and Co-op
A cleared map pays off long after the story. Every Safehouse you hold makes contract runs and boss replays quicker, and the hub cities are where you find the Raid Boards, Golden Chests and vendors you visit most. If you are leveling an alt, note that PowerPyx says a new character started at level 30 in Ultimate Vault Hunter mode keeps story and side content accessible but sees the map fogged again, so Safehouses must be reclaimed. Characters created with Shared Progression on keep big map progress, which Story Pack 1's patch notes list among the shared items along with collectibles and SDU tokens.
For leveling routes built around specific map spots, such as the bounty board at the Makeshift Chalet in Carcadia Burn, see our XP farming guide. If you explore with a friend on the couch, the split screen guide explains how map progress and quests are saved per character, which matters when two people uncover the map together.
If You Would Rather Spend Your Hours Elsewhere
Mapping Kairos is relaxing for some players and a chore for others who just want to reach the endgame. If you would rather skip part of the grind that comes after exploration, the store's Borderlands 4 services page lists level, Eridium, money and gear services. Their listings say they work on PSN, Xbox and PC and that the store asks for your SHiFT display name rather than your login details.
The map itself is still best done by hand, since driving the regions is quick once the story is finished. Check each listing for exactly what is included before ordering, and contact the store first if anything is unclear for your platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many regions are on the Borderlands 4 map?
The base game has four: The Fadefields, Terminus Range, Carcadia Burn and Dominion. Story Pack 1 adds the Whispering Glacier and Story Pack 2 adds the island of Providence for owners of those packs.
How big is the map in Borderlands 4?
PowerPyx measures it at about 35 square kilometers, roughly 7 km tall and 5 km wide, with ocean surrounding the land.
When does Dominion unlock?
Dominion City opens in Main Mission 17, The Falling Wall, and its southern section opens in Main Mission 19, Plan Z. After that the full base game map is available.
How many Order Silos are there?
Nine: three each in The Fadefields, Terminus Range and Carcadia Burn. Dominion has none. Each one is a fast travel point and reveals a nearby Vault Key Fragment.
Why can I not fully clear the fog in some spots?
Some areas sit on impassable terrain such as mountains and cannot be fully revealed. A few pockets also open only through side missions. Neither stops the map discovery trophies, which track named locations.
How do I get to the Whispering Glacier or Providence?
Own the matching Story Pack and finish A Lot to Process in the Fadefields. You can also create a new Vault Hunter who starts at level 13 inside that pack's content.