12  Appendix D: Game File Structure

This appendix provides a complete reference of BL4’s file structure, asset organization, and content layout.


12.1 Overview

Property Value
Engine Unreal Engine 5.5
Asset Format IoStore (.utoc/.ucas) with Zen packages
Total Assets ~119,299 files in pak archives
Extracted to Manifest 81,097 assets
Internal Codename Oak2
Max Players 4

12.2 File Locations

12.2.1 Steam (Linux)

~/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Borderlands 4/OakGame/Content/Paks/

12.2.2 Steam (Windows)

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Borderlands 4\OakGame\Content\Paks\

12.3 Pak Chunk Contents

Chunk Contents
pakchunk0-Windows_0_P Core game assets, weapons, gear
pakchunk2-Windows_0_P Audio (Wwise .bnk)
pakchunk3-Windows_0_P Localized audio
pakchunk10-Windows_0_P Large assets

12.4 Top-Level Content Structure

OakGame/Content/
├── AI/                     # Enemy AI, NPCs, bosses
├── Atlases/                # Texture atlases
├── Cinematics/             # Cutscene assets
├── Common/                 # Shared materials/resources
├── Dialog/                 # Dialogue assets
├── Editor/                 # Editor-only assets
├── Fonts/                  # Font assets
├── GameData/               # Core game configuration
├── Gear/                   # All equipment
├── GeometryCollections/    # Physics destruction meshes
├── Gore/                   # Gore effects
├── Grapple/                # Grappling hook system
├── InteractiveObjects/     # World interactables
├── LevelArt/               # Level-specific art
├── LevelLighting/          # Lighting setups
├── Maps/                   # Game maps/levels
├── Missions/               # Mission data
├── Pickups/                # Item pickup visuals
├── PlayerCharacters/       # Vault Hunters
├── UI/                     # UI assets
├── uiresources/            # UI resource files
├── WeatherOcclusionBakedData/
└── World/                  # World building assets

12.5 Player Characters (Vault Hunters)

PlayerCharacters/
├── Customizations/         # Player cosmetics
├── DarkSiren/              # Character: Dark Siren
├── ExoSoldier/             # Character: Exo Soldier
├── Gravitar/               # Character: Gravitar
├── Paladin/                # Character: Paladin
├── _Shared/                # Shared character resources
└── Temporary/              # Development/testing

12.6 Gear System

12.6.1 Equipment Types

Gear/
├── ArmorShard/             # Armor shard items
├── Enhancements/           # Enhancement items
├── Firmware/               # Firmware upgrades
├── Gadgets/                # Deployable gadgets
│   ├── HeavyWeapons/       # Heavy weapon gadgets
│   ├── Terminals/          # Terminal gadgets
│   └── Turrets/            # Turret gadgets
├── GrenadeGadgets/         # Grenades
│   ├── Manufacturer/
│   │   └── VLA/            # Vladof grenades
│   └── _Shared/
├── RepairKits/             # Repair kit items
├── ShieldBooster/          # Shield boosters
├── shields/                # Shields
│   ├── BalanceData/
│   ├── Manufacturer/
│   │   └── VLA/            # Vladof shields
│   └── _Shared/
├── Vehicles/               # Vehicle equipment
│   └── HoverDrives/        # Hover drive upgrades
├── Weapons/                # Guns
└── _Shared/                # Shared gear resources
    ├── BalanceData/
    │   ├── Anoints/        # Anointment system
    │   ├── Economy/        # Currency/cost data
    │   └── Rarity/         # Rarity definitions

12.6.2 Weapon System

Gear/Weapons/
├── _Manufacturer/          # Manufacturer-specific data
│   ├── BOR/                # Borg
│   ├── JAK/                # Jakobs
│   └── TED/                # Tediore
├── Pistols/                # Pistol weapons
├── Shotguns/               # Shotgun weapons
├── SMG/                    # SMG weapons
├── Sniper/                 # Sniper weapons
└── _Shared/
    └── BalanceData/
        ├── BarrelData/         # Barrel parts
        ├── _BaseWeaponData/    # Base weapon stats
        ├── BorgChargeData/     # Borg charge mechanics
        ├── COV/                # COV overheat/repair
        ├── Elemental/          # Elemental damage types
        ├── MagazineData/       # Magazine parts
        ├── Order/              # Order faction weapons
        ├── Rarity/             # Weapon rarity modifiers
        ├── ScopeData/          # Scope parts
        ├── TED/                # Tediore-specific data
        ├── UnderbarrelData/    # Underbarrel attachments
        ├── UniqueData/         # Legendary/unique data
        └── WeaponStats/        # Base stat definitions

12.7 GameData System

GameData/
├── Activities/             # Activity/event system
├── Animation/              # Animation configs
├── Audio/                  # Audio settings
├── Balance/                # Game balance tables
│   └── Structs/
│       ├── Struct_ChallengeReward_ECHOTokens
│       └── Struct_BossReplay_Costs
├── Cinematics/             # Cinematic triggers
├── Damage/                 # Damage system
│   └── StatusEffects/      # Status effect definitions
├── DataTables/             # Generic data tables
│   └── Structs/
│       ├── Struct_FloatColumn
│       └── Struct_BaseDamage
├── Discovery/              # Discovery/exploration system
├── Globals/                # Global game settings
├── Impacts/                # Impact effects
├── Input/                  # Input bindings
├── Loot/                   # Loot system
│   ├── Balance/
│   │   └── DataTables/
│   │       ├── Struct_EnemyDrops
│   │       └── Struct_DedicatedDropProbability
│   └── LootSchedule/
├── Lootables/              # Lootable containers
├── Map/                    # Map data
├── Missions/               # Mission definitions
├── StatusEffects/          # Status effect data
├── WaypointPath/           # Navigation paths
└── WorldPainter/           # World generation

12.8 AI System

AI/
├── ArmyBandit/             # Bandit enemy faction
├── ArmyOrder/              # Order enemy faction
├── Bosses/                 # Boss enemies
│   ├── GrassBoss/
│   ├── Guardian/
│   ├── MountBoss/
│   ├── ShatterBoss/
│   ├── TKBoss/
│   └── _Shared/
├── Creatures/              # Non-humanoid enemies
├── Critters/               # Small creatures
├── NPC/                    # Non-enemy NPCs
└── _Shared/                # Shared AI resources

12.9 File Naming Conventions

Prefix Type Example
Struct_* Structure definitions Struct_EnemyDrops
DT_* Data Tables DT_WeaponStats
Body_* Body/mesh definitions Body_Pistol_01
DST_* Destruction definitions DST_Barrel
M_* Materials M_Metal_Base
MI_* Material Instances MI_Weapon_Red
MF_* Material Functions MF_Damage_Flash
AS_* Animation Sequences AS_Reload
Script_* Blueprint scripts Script_WeaponFire
StatusEffect_* Status effects StatusEffect_Burn

12.10 Weapon Part Types

From NexusConfigStoreInventory in DefaultGame.ini:

12.10.1 Core Weapon Parts

Part Description
body Main weapon body
body_acc Body accessories
body_mag Body magazine attachment
body_ele Body elemental
body_bolt Bolt mechanism
barrel Weapon barrel
barrel_acc Barrel accessories
barrel_licensed Licensed barrel variants
magazine Magazine
magazine_acc Magazine accessories
magazine_borg Borg magazine type
magazine_ted_thrown Tediore thrown magazine

12.10.2 Attachment Parts

Part Description
scope Optical scopes
scope_acc Scope accessories
rail Rail attachments
bottom Bottom attachments
grip Weapon grip
foregrip Forward grip
underbarrel Underbarrel attachment
underbarrel_acc Underbarrel accessories
underbarrel_acc_vis Visible underbarrel accessories

12.10.3 Manufacturer-Specific

Part Description
tediore_acc Tediore accessories
tediore_secondary_acc Tediore secondary accessories
hyperion_secondary_acc Hyperion secondary accessories
turret_weapon Turret weapon parts

12.10.4 Element & Augments

Part Description
element Primary element
secondary_ele Secondary element
secondary_ammo Secondary ammo type
primary_augment Primary augment slot
secondary_augment Secondary augment slot
enemy_augment Enemy-dropped augment
active_augment Active skill augment
endgame Endgame modifications
unique Unique/legendary parts

12.10.5 Grenade Parts

Part Description
payload Grenade payload
payload_augment Payload augment
stat_augment Stat augment
curative Healing effect
augment General augment
utility_behavior Utility behavior

12.10.6 Class Mod Parts

Part Description
class_mod_body Class mod body
action_skill_mod Action skill modifier
core_augment Core augment
core_plus_augment Core plus augment
passive_points Passive skill points
special_passive Special passive abilities
stat_group1/2/3 Stat groups

12.10.7 Other

Part Description
firmware Firmware upgrades
augment_element Elemental augments
augment_element_resist Elemental resistance
augment_element_nova Nova effect
augment_element_splat Splat effect
augment_element_immunity Elemental immunity
detail Detail parts
skin Weapon skins
vile Vile rarity parts
pearl_elem Pearl elemental
pearl_stat Pearl stat bonus

12.11 Key DataTables

12.11.1 Weapon Naming

Asset Path Contents
/Game/Gear/Weapons/_Shared/NamingStrategies/WeaponNamingStruct Weapon prefix naming
/Game/Gear/Weapons/_Shared/NamingStrategies/DAD_LicensedPart_Table_Struct Daedalus licensed parts
/Game/Gear/Weapons/_Shared/NamingStrategies/TED_PayloadPrefix_Table_Struct Tediore payload prefixes

12.11.2 Balance Data

Asset Path Contents
/Game/Gear/Weapons/_Shared/BalanceData/BarrelData/* Barrel stat modifiers
/Game/Gear/Weapons/_Shared/BalanceData/MagazineData/* Magazine stat modifiers
/Game/Gear/Weapons/_Shared/BalanceData/Rarity/* Rarity tier modifiers
/Game/Gear/Weapons/_Shared/BalanceData/Elemental/* Elemental damage data
/Game/GameData/DataTables/Structs/Struct_BaseDamage Class mod stat tables

12.12 Asset Path Mapping

Game paths use /Game/ prefix:

Game Path Extracted Path
/Game/Gear/Weapons/… OakGame/Content/Gear/Weapons/…
/Script/OakGame.ClassName Engine script class (not extractable)

12.13 Gear Types Found

Type Description
ClassMod Character class modifications
Enhancement Enhancement items
Firmware Firmware upgrades
Gadget Deployable gadgets
Grenade Grenade items
RepairKit Repair kits
Shield Shield equipment

12.14 New Systems in BL4

BL4 introduces several systems not present in BL3:

System Description
Repair Kits Healing/repair items
Enhancements Enhancement slot items
Firmware Firmware upgrade system
Gadgets Turrets, Terminals, Heavy Weapons
Armor Shards Armor shard items
Shield Boosters Shield booster pickups
Hover Drives Vehicle hover drive upgrades
Borg New manufacturer with charge mechanics
Pearl Pearl rarity tier
Vile Vile rarity tier

12.15 Extraction Results

From share/manifest/pak_summary.json:

Field Value
Total Assets 81,097
Stats Count 519
Naming Strategies 3
Manufacturers 9

12.15.1 Manufacturer Codes

BOR, TOR, VLA, COV, MAL, TED, DAD, JAK, ORD

12.15.2 Balance Data Categories

  • firmware
  • Heavy
  • gadget
  • repair_kit
  • unknown
  • grenade
  • shield
  • weapon

12.16 Notes

  1. Structure vs Data: Files named Struct_* are type definitions (schemas), not actual data tables.

  2. IoStore Format: BL4 uses UE5’s IoStore container format with Zen packages.

  3. Missing Data: Per-item balance data is derived from parts at runtime rather than stored in data files.

  4. Compression: BL4 uses Oodle compression for IoStore containers.


Extracted from BL4 game files using retoc and uextract tools.