Borderlands 4’s Legendary Vending Machine Quest Is Ruining Players’ Loot Dreams

Borderlands 4 has only been on the shelves for a couple of weeks, but already one particular quest is sparking both laughter and frustration in the community. The mission, called Vend of the Line, is supposed to be one of those memorable Borderlands moments – quirky, loot-filled, and rewarding.

Instead, it’s become infamous for a mistake so easy to make that countless players are walking away empty-handed, despite completing every single step of the mission.

Here’s the setup: after battling through waves of enemies and going through the usual chaotic story beats, you end up in front of a vending machine. Not just any vending machine – this one is special. It offers you a choice from a lineup of Legendary-tier weapons, all priced at just one dollar. Sounds like the ultimate jackpot, right? The catch, however, is brutal: you only get to pick one weapon, and the second you make your selection the machine permanently shuts down. No do-overs, no second chances, and no way to replay the mission later.

That’s where things start to go wrong. In a habit ingrained by hours of gameplay, players instinctively use the vending machine interface to sell off junk items from their inventory before making the big purchase. But Borderlands 4 registers that junk-sell as a transaction. In other words, the game assumes you’ve taken your turn, closes the machine, and you’re left staring at nothing but your own poor life choices. After grinding through the quest, this is a devastating and infuriating way to end things.

The problem became widely noticed about a week after launch when frustrated threads started popping up across Reddit, Discord, and Twitter. One player summed it up with raw honesty: “Possibly the dumbest move ever. I just finished the vending machine quest, went to grab my prize, but instead I sold my junk and the machine locked. Got nothing. Please laugh at my pain.” That self-deprecating humor resonated with the community because, frankly, the same thing had happened to dozens – maybe hundreds – of others.

Another player posted what quickly became a PSA: “Don’t hit the ‘sell loot’ button on the legendary vending machine! It counts as your one use. Yes, I found out the hard way.” Their frustration echoes a larger issue in Borderlands 4: the game doesn’t offer manual saves or rollbacks. If you mess up here, it’s permanent. Combine that with the fact that Vend of the Line is a non-replayable mission, and the consequences are even harsher. In co-op, only one player can claim the prize, leaving their partner permanently locked out. That’s not just punishing – it feels downright unfair.

Whether this is a bug or a deliberate design choice by Gearbox is still unclear. Some fans argue it must be unintended, pointing out how bizarre it is that a junk-sell is categorized as completing the quest. Others suspect Gearbox wanted to make the decision weightier, though it’s hard to imagine intentionally designing such a frustrating trap. Gearbox hasn’t released an official fix yet, but they’ve confirmed they’re monitoring feedback and future patches are planned. For now, the advice is simple: do not touch that ‘sell loot’ button when standing in front of the legendary machine.

This issue highlights a recurring theme with Borderlands 4: the game is full of odd, sometimes game-breaking interactions. Already, players have stumbled upon overpowered builds that shred even the toughest bosses in seconds. One notorious example is the so-called “knife build,” a melee setup capable of dealing astronomical damage. Another build causes bosses to collapse so quickly it triggers what the community jokingly calls “Total Existence Failure,” where the game struggles to process the sheer volume of damage being dealt. Gearbox has admitted these quirks exist and, in some cases, even said they have no plans to nerf them just yet.

In a way, that unpredictability is part of what makes Borderlands beloved: the chaos, the absurdity, the moments where the game makes you laugh even as it punishes you. Still, a mission that robs you of your prize because you cleaned out your inventory? That crosses the line from zany to cruel. Many fans are now suggesting that Gearbox either remove the ability to sell items at that particular vending machine or add a clear warning to prevent new players from repeating the same mistake.

Until Gearbox makes a move, players have to look out for themselves. Approach Vend of the Line carefully, don’t sell a thing, and make sure you know exactly which Legendary you want before pressing that button. Because in Borderlands 4, even your instincts can betray you.