Spoiler-light guide: One verified Borderlands 4 Easter egg hides in the Fadefields: a Tannis-on-a-Fish interaction that ends in a cutscene and awards the secret achievement “Cut That Out.” It is separate from the game’s Vault Key Fragment hunt, which is exploration-based progression rather than a pop-culture reference. Here’s where to look, what each kind of secret does, and how recent patch changes affect finding them.
What counts as a secret in Borderlands 4?
Borderlands 4 takes place on Kairos, where exploration, loot, and new movement abilities are central to getting around. Hidden content is not all the same: some discoveries are optional jokes or callbacks, some are collectibles, and others unlock the main progression route to a vault.
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| Type | Example | What it involves | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optional Easter egg | Tannis on a Fish | Find and interact with environmental objects in the Fadefields | A cutscene and the secret achievement “Cut That Out” |
| Collectible hunt | Marcus Kincaid bobbleheads | Search the world for hidden pickups | Collectibles; the exact total is not independently established |
| Vault progression | Vault Key Fragments | Explore regions and reach concealed locations | Fragments used to open vaults |
This guide covers representative verified examples, not a complete catalog of every hidden item or reference in the game.
Where to find the Tannis-on-a-Fish Easter egg
Location
PlayBorderlands places the interaction in the Fadefields, in The Howl. Travel to the northwest corner of Coastal Bonescape, then head slightly north into The Howl. The Abandoned Post safehouse is a convenient fast-travel starting point. The guide describes suspicious elemental barrels in the area and reports that there are no enemies there. See PlayBorderlands’ Tannis Easter egg guide.
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How to trigger it
Shoot the elemental barrels in the correct order. The available guide excerpt confirms that an order is required, but does not give the sequence, so this guide does not guess at it. If you want to solve it yourself, inspect the barrels and experiment with their elemental types; if you prefer a precise sequence, consult a current walkthrough that explicitly lists it.
Success triggers an opera-backed cutscene featuring cardboard character cutouts and awards the secret achievement “Cut That Out.” The scene is a callback to the series’ recurring fish-related gag; the cited guide notes that Tannis does not appear in the base game.
Vault Key Fragments are a different kind of hidden objective
Vault Key Fragments are part of exploration and vault progression, not optional Easter eggs. PC Gamer’s guide describes nine fragments opening three vaults, with fragment locations across Fadefields, Carcadia Burn, and Terminus Range. Reaching them can involve using traversal abilities to grapple onto roofs or ledges, exploring caves, or opening a hatch. PC Gamer’s Vault Key Fragment guide provides route details.
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One example from that guide is in Idolator’s Noose: a loose vent in Rosemary’s Reserve conceals a nook containing a Vault Key Fragment and a Marcus bobblehead. That spot illustrates how a progression objective and a collectible can share a location without becoming the same type of secret.
How many collectibles are there?
GamesRadar reported in 2025 that Gearbox president Randy Pitchford expected “well over 200” Marcus Kincaid bobbleheads, adding: “I expect most players will never see any of them.” This was a prelaunch estimate relayed by a news report, not an independently audited count of the game as currently available. No verified final total is established here. GamesRadar’s report on the bobblehead estimate.
Patch changes that can help you reach secrets
Gearbox’s version 1.6 patch notes, dated April 30, 2026, say the update filled world gaps and addressed invisible walls “so you can reach every secret and collectible.” The notes also say collectible map icons are easier to see. If an older walkthrough points to an area that seemed blocked or hard to identify, the updated game may make the route or map marker clearer. Read Gearbox’s version 1.6 patch notes.
Quick Recap
A practical way to hunt without mixing things up
- For an Easter egg: Look for an unusual interaction or environmental setup; the Tannis fish scene is triggered by shooting elemental barrels.
- For collectibles: Follow collectible markers and check tucked-away spaces such as vents, ledges, and rooftops.
- For vault progression: Treat Vault Key Fragments as region exploration objectives and use traversal abilities to reach concealed routes.
- For exact puzzle inputs: Verify that a guide actually lists the required order rather than inferring it from a location description.
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