Borderlands 4: How to Choose Shared Progression for a New Character

Make the choice after selecting difficulty

Start the new character save and select its difficulty. Make the Shared Progression choice immediately afterward. The support guide places the choice in new-save creation, rather than describing a global menu switch that changes all existing characters at once. [1]

Steps

1. After selecting difficulty for the new character, choose whether that save uses Shared Progression. [1]

Check which progress will carry over

With Shared Progression enabled, collectibles, activities, SDU points and map progress are shared between characters. Decide whether you want those categories carried into the new save. [1]

An activity completed on one participating character is completed on the others. The listed categories should not be expanded into an unsupported claim that every quest, character level or skill allocation transfers. [1]

Choose carefully because the save’s choice is permanent

The option introduced in version 1.7 allows Shared Progression to be disabled for each new save. [1]

The selection is locked for that save once chosen. Make the decision before continuing rather than planning to turn it off later for the same character. [1]

Characters created before that update cannot retroactively opt out. The new-save choice is therefore not a method for converting an older shared save to a separate one. [1]

Read the tooltip when choosing a save

At save selection, use the tooltip to check whether that particular character has Shared Progression active. This is the publisher’s visible verification method, useful when several saves have been created with different choices. [1]

Steps

1. Check the save-selection tooltip to verify the character’s Shared Progression setting. [1]

Keep account sharing separate from co-op joining

Joining a friend in co-op does not give a new joining player the host’s existing progress. That player reveals the areas they explore themselves. [1]

Co-op map exploration follows that player’s own exploration. [1]

For Steam players sharing a computer, sharing the Steam account means the saves progress together; keeping the platform accounts separate keeps their saves separate. That account relationship is distinct from entering a co-op session. [1]