The State of Play for Borderlands 4 unveiled an exciting 20-minute official gameplay deep dive, showcasing the game's new features and mechanics. Dive in to explore the fresh details revealed and understand what fans believe might be behind 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 provided an in-depth look into the upcoming looter shooter game. Streamed on April 30 during PlayStation’s State of Play, the event included a new 20-minute gameplay deep dive video.
The video showcased two of the four new Vault Hunters: Vex the Siren, who utilizes 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.
Players were also introduced to the new planet of Kairos, characterized by warring factions, deadly fauna, and desperate inhabitants, all under the oppressive rule of the Timekeeper. The objective is to spark a revolution against this tyrant, engaging with unique factions and rallying them to your cause. Beloved characters like Claptrap, Moxxi, and Zane return to assist players on their journey.
New features highlighted include the innovative licensed Parts system, allowing players to mix and match weapon behaviors and abilities, new Gear slots for more specialized builds, the introduction of a new vehicle called the Digirunner, and more.
Gearbox Denies Launch Date Change is Influenced by Other Games
Prior to 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 other factors, particularly the potential release plans of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6), might be at play.
Both Gearbox Software and Rockstar Games, the developers of Borderlands and GTA respectively, are owned by Take-Two Interactive. This connection fueled fan theories about the influence of corporate strategy, especially following Take-Two’s statements about their release windows.
During Take-Two Interactive’s earnings call in November 2024, the company confirmed their intention to release GTA 6 in Fall 2025. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick reassured that this would not conflict with Borderlands 4’s planned release within the 2026 fiscal year (April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026). In a November 2024 interview with Variety, 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, emphasizing that the decision to ship early was purely 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 an earlier-than-expected release of Borderlands 4, set for September 12, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Stay updated with the latest news on the game by checking out our article below!
