In the action-packed world of Borderlands 3, communication extends beyond voice chats and text messages. Emotes offer a dynamic way to express feelings, coordinate with teammates, or simply have fun during your adventures. Whether you’re celebrating a victorious battle, pointing out loot, or playfully teasing a friend, mastering the emote system enhances your gaming experience. This guide will walk you through the steps to use, acquire, and equip emotes across different platforms.
Emotes are animated gestures that allow your Vault Hunter to convey emotions or signals without words. From waving hello to performing a dance, these actions add personality and interactivity to the game. When an emote is activated, the camera shifts to a third-person view, giving you and others a clear view of the action.
Activating Emotes on Various Platforms
The method to access and use emotes varies slightly depending on your gaming platform:
- On PlayStation and Xbox Consoles:
- Press and hold the Pause button (Options on PlayStation or Menu on Xbox).
- After holding for a moment, the emote wheel will appear on the screen.
- Use the right analog stick to highlight your desired emote.
- Press the X button on PlayStation or the A button on Xbox to activate the emote.
- Note: A quick tap of the Pause button will bring up the game’s main menu. Holding the button is essential to access the emote wheel.
- On PC:
- Press the Z key to bring up the emote wheel.
- Move your mouse to select the desired emote.
- Click to activate the emote.
- The default key for the emote wheel is Z, but you can rebind this to a different key if preferred.
Customizing Your Emote Wheel
By default, your character has four emotes equipped. As you progress, you might want to personalize this selection:
- Locate a Quick-Change Station:
- These stations are scattered throughout the game and allow you to modify your character’s appearance and emote loadout.
- One is conveniently located near the Fast Travel Station aboard Sanctuary III.
- Access the Emote Menu:
- Interact with the Quick-Change Station.
- Navigate to the Emote section.
- Equip New Emotes:
- Browse through your available emotes.
- Assign your preferred emotes to the four available slots.
Remember, only four emotes can be active at a time, so choose the ones that best suit your style and interactions.
Acquiring New Emotes
Expanding your emote collection adds variety to your in-game expressions. There are several ways to obtain new emotes:
- Purchasing from Crazy Earl:
- Crazy Earl is the eccentric vendor aboard Sanctuary III, located in the Cargo Bay area.
- He offers various cosmetic items, including emotes, in exchange for Eridium, the in-game premium currency.
- To buy emotes:
- Visit Crazy Earl’s shop.
- Browse the Emote category.
- Purchase your desired emotes using Eridium.
- Loot Drops and Challenges:
- Some emotes can be obtained as rewards for completing specific challenges or missions.
- Enemies and bosses may also drop unique emotes upon defeat.
- Engaging in downloadable content (DLC) missions can unlock exclusive emotes tied to those storylines.
Tips for Effective Emote Use
- Coordinate with Teammates: Use emotes to non-verbally communicate strategies or alert teammates to points of interest.
- Celebrate Victories: After a challenging battle or successful mission, share a celebratory emote to boost team morale.
- Express Personality: Emotes allow you to showcase your character’s unique personality, making interactions more engaging.
- Initiate Duels: The emote wheel also provides an option to challenge other players to duels, adding a competitive edge to your gameplay.
