The State of Play for Borderlands 4 unveiled a 20-minute official gameplay deep dive featuring the game’s new features and mechanics. Read on to learn more about the new details revealed and what fans think the reason is behind its launch date change.
Borderlands 4 State of Play New Details Revealed
20-Minute Gameplay Deep Dive Video
The Borderlands 4 State of Play revealed new details about the upcoming looter shooter game. The latest edition of PlayStation’s State of Play, which streamed on April 30, unveiled a new 20-minute gameplay deep dive video for Borderlands 4.
The video featured 2 of the 4 new Vault Hunters that players can play as, namely: Vex the Siren, "who uses supernatural phase energy to empower herself and can conjure deadly minions," and Rafa the Exo-Soldier, "a former Tediore trooper who wears an experimental exo-suit capable of digistructing an arsenal of weapons."
Furthermore, players are introduced to the new planet of Kairos, riddled with "warring factions, deadly fauna, and desperate inhabitants," all ruled by the oppressive Timekeeper. The goal is to ignite a revolution against the evil tyrant, meeting unique factions and recruiting them to your cause. Fan-favorite characters Claptrap, Moxxi, and Zane are returning to aid players in their quest.
Additionally, new features were shown, such as the new licensed Parts system, where players can mix and match behaviors and abilities of their weapons, new Gear slots for more specialized builds, the ability to ride a new vehicle called the Digirunner, and more exciting things.
Gearbox Denies Launch Date Change is Influenced by Other Games
Before the State of Play, Gearbox Software announced that Borderlands 4’s release date moves up 2 weeks earlier than first advertised. The studio said the change was due to the game’s "incredible development work." Despite the explanation, fans have speculated that there are other reasons for this, with many pointing to Grand Theft Auto 6’s (GTA 6) possible release plans.
Borderlands developer Gearbox Software and GTA developer Rockstar Games are both owned by Take-Two Interactive. This led fans to believe that the change was influenced by the companies, especially because of Take-Two’s earlier statement regarding their games’ release windows.
During Take-Two Interactive’s earnings call in November 2024, the company emphasized its intent to release GTA 6 in Fall 2025. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick clarified that this will not clash with Borderlands 4’s release window, which was planned to launch in their 2026 fiscal year (from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026). In an interview with Variety in November 2024, he stated, "I think it’s safe to say that we wouldn’t, and no one would, stack up huge releases unnecessarily."
However, Gearbox Entertainment CEO Randy Pitchford made several Twitter (X) posts on April 30 to address the speculations behind their decision. He said that the game is shipping early because of the studio’s confidence in the product they have produced. "Our decision is literally 0% about any other product’s actual or theoretical launch date," Pitchford stated.
Regardless of the reason, fans will be treated to an all-new Borderlands game that will come earlier than expected. Borderlands 4 is set to be released on September 12, 2025 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. To stay up to date with the latest information about the game, check out our article below!
Source:
Borderlands 4 Twitter (X) post on Official Gameplay Deep Dive
Borderlands 4: revealing Vault Hunter skills, new planet Kairos, and more
Gearbox Entertainment CEO Twitter (X) post on Addressing Launch Date Speculations
Take-Two Interactive Reveals Sale of ‘Tales of the Shire’ Developer Private Division in Latest Earnings; CEO Looks Forward to ‘More Sensible FTC’ Under Trump
