The State of Play for Borderlands 4 provided an exciting 20-minute official gameplay deep dive, showcasing the game's new features and mechanics. Dive into the details revealed and explore the fan theories surrounding the game's launch date change.
Borderlands 4 State of Play: New Details Revealed
20-Minute Gameplay Deep Dive Video
The Borderlands 4 State of Play, streamed on April 30, 2025, offered fans a comprehensive look at the upcoming looter shooter. The gameplay deep dive video highlighted two of the four new Vault Hunters: Vex the Siren, who harnesses supernatural phase energy to empower herself and summon deadly minions, and Rafa the Exo-Soldier, a former Tediore trooper equipped with an experimental exo-suit that can digistruct an arsenal of weapons.
The video also introduced players to the new planet of Kairos, a world filled with warring factions, deadly fauna, and desperate inhabitants, all under the oppressive rule of the Timekeeper. Players will embark on a mission to ignite a revolution against this tyrant, meeting and recruiting unique factions along the way. Familiar faces like Claptrap, Moxxi, and Zane return to assist in this epic quest.
New features showcased include the innovative licensed Parts system, allowing players to mix and match weapon behaviors and abilities, new Gear slots for more specialized builds, and the introduction of the Digirunner vehicle, among other exciting additions.
Gearbox Denies Launch Date Change is Influenced by Other Games
Before the State of Play, Gearbox Software announced that Borderlands 4's release date had been moved up by two weeks. The studio attributed this change to the "incredible development work" on the game. However, fans speculated that the decision might be influenced by the release plans of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6), especially given that both Gearbox and Rockstar Games are owned by Take-Two Interactive.
During Take-Two Interactive's earnings call in November 2024, the company confirmed plans to release GTA 6 in Fall 2025. CEO Strauss Zelnick emphasized that this would not conflict with Borderlands 4's release window, which was set for the 2026 fiscal year (April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026). In an interview with Variety in November 2024, Zelnick stated, "I think it’s safe to say that we wouldn’t, and no one would, stack up huge releases unnecessarily."
Gearbox Entertainment CEO Randy Pitchford addressed these speculations on Twitter (X) on April 30, asserting that the decision to ship Borderlands 4 early was solely based on the studio's confidence in their product. "Our decision is literally 0% about any other product’s actual or theoretical launch date," Pitchford clarified.
Regardless of the reasons behind the change, fans can look forward to experiencing Borderlands 4 earlier than anticipated. The game is set to launch on September 12, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Stay tuned for more updates by checking out our related articles below!
