If it weren’t for the original Borderlands, the looter-shooter genre wouldn’t exist as we know it today. This hybrid RPG/first-person shooter from Gearbox not only introduced us to the wild and wacky world of Pandora and Vault Hunters, but also to the addictive loop of grinding for endless amounts of guns. The sequel was even better, perhaps one of the best video games of all time for some, but the third was a mixed bag. It managed to keep people playing thanks to plenty of DLC and being a great cross-platform game for co-op. As a result, Borderlands 4 has been on our list of upcoming PS5 games and upcoming Xbox Series X games for quite a while.
Borderlands 4 would be the next logical place to go, and that’s what all the rumors and hints are suggesting. Whether the idea of reuniting with Claptrap fills you with joy or dread, here’s everything we know about this upcoming video game.
Borderlands 4 will also be an upcoming PC game, and you will have to look at our upcoming Switch games if that’s your platform of choice.
Release date window
The current release window for Borderlands 4 is sometime in 2025, but no further details are known.
Platforms
Borderlands 4 is currently confirmed for current-gen consoles only. That includes the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.
Trailers
The first teaser for Borderlands 4 was the surprise announcement that kicked off Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024. In it, we see a symbol those who beat Borderlands 3 will recognize as the Firehawk emblem before the moon of Elpis appears. A mysterious rift then opens up to another unknown world where meteors start raining down. In the crater of one, a robotic hand reaches out and pulls out an iconic Psycho mask.
The only other detail we get from the official site states that Borderlands 4 will pick up directly where the last game left off, with Lilith managing to teleport Pandora’s moon somewhere else in space before it could crash into the planet. This game appears to show the aftermath of that event.
Randy Pitchford himself showed up at The Game Awards 2024 to give us a fresh trailer and first look at the gameplay for Borderlands 4. The only small plot details we got are that the game will take place on a new planet called Kairos and be centered around a new crew of Vault Hunters facing off against a dictator only known as Timekeeper. The theme appears to be about resistance and breaking free from their rule, but odds are the plot won’t be a heavy focus if previous games are anything to go by.
Gameplay
It should be a safe assumption to say that Borderlands 4 will just keep building on the same formula the series has used since the first game. There will certainly be new Vault Hunters with new abilities, as well as new guns, enemies, ultimates, vehicles, and more. Beyond that, it is too hard to say how the gameplay will evolve at this time.
The small clips of gameplay we saw at The Game Awards 2024 did show us a lot of what we expected: shooting, explosions, and crazy enemies. An expected, but important confirmation was that the game could be played completely solo or in co-op with three of your friends. There will also be a new grappling mechanic we see just once. It’s unclear if this can be used anywhere in the environment or only on specific points.
Preorder
Once Borderlands 4 is revealed and has preorder information, we will be sure to let you know when and where to get your hands on it. For now, you can wish list it on the platform of your choice.
