Borderlands 4 Vicious News Cycle: Hot Tag Walkthrough
Your complete guide to conquering this action-packed side mission in the chaotic world of Borderlands 4
How to Unlock Vicious News Cycle: Hot Tag Mission in Borderlands 4
To unlock the Vicious News Cycle: Hot Tag side mission, you must first meet Penelope Streams during the "Vend of the Line" side mission in Carcadia Burn.
After your initial encounter with Penelope, she will trigger three related side missions in the area:
- Vicious News Cycle: Cannon Fodder
- Vicious News Cycle: Hot Tag
- Vicious News Cycle: Mine Time Live
These missions can be completed in any order, providing flexibility in your Borderlands 4 gameplay experience.
Penelope Streams, the mission giver for Vicious News Cycle quests
Finding the Mission Location
You can start Vicious News Cycle: Hot Tag by talking to Penelope Streams near a wrestling ring located under a building in a ripper camp in the Ruined Sumplands area of Borderlands 4.
The mission location in Ruined Sumplands, Borderlands 4
Complete Borderlands 4 Vicious News Cycle: Hot Tag Walkthrough
Step-by-Step Mission Guide
| Step | Instructions |
|---|---|
| 1 |
Talk to Penelope Streams to begin the mission. Then, enter the wrestling ring and wait for Bowel Buster to appear. 
|
| 2 |
Fight Bowel Buster. While the objective suggests using melee attacks, you can defeat him with weapons without any negative consequences to your Borderlands 4 mission progress. |
| 3 |
Strategic Choice: When Bowel Buster's health is nearly depleted, you have the option to tag Dave into the match, allowing him to defeat Bowel Buster himself. Warning: If you choose to defeat Bowel Buster without tagging Dave, Dave will turn hostile and you'll need to defeat him as well. |
| 4 |
Mission Completion: Regardless of your choice during the match, the side mission will conclude after Penelope Streams finishes her commentary. |
Pro Tips for Borderlands 4 Vicious News Cycle Mission
- Use area-of-effect weapons to handle additional enemies that may appear during the match
- Consider your character build - melee-focused Vault Hunters might find this mission particularly enjoyable
- The wrestling ring provides some environmental cover - use it strategically during combat
- Completing all three Vicious News Cycle missions unlocks a special achievement in Borderlands 4
Borderlands 4 Vicious News Cycle: Hot Tag Mission Rewards
Base Mission Rewards
- $ Substantial Cash Reward (scales with your level)
- XP Generous XP Package (scales with your level)
Potential Legendary Drops
While not guaranteed, players have reported these rare drops from completing Vicious News Cycle: Hot Tag:
- Wrestler's Champion Mod (Class Mod)
- Tag Team Shield (Unique Shield)
- Belly Buster Shotgun (Legendary Weapon)
Sample rewards from completing the Vicious News Cycle missions in Borderlands 4
Master the Vicious News Cycle: Hot Tag Mission
With this comprehensive walkthrough, you're now prepared to tackle one of Borderlands 4's most entertaining side missions. Whether you choose to tag Dave in or take all the glory for yourself, the Vicious News Cycle: Hot Tag mission offers classic Borderlands humor and action.