April 2025 State of Play Highlights Borderlands 4 Gameplay

The State of Play event for Borderlands 4, held on April 30, 2025, was a thrilling showcase for fans, featuring a detailed 20-minute gameplay deep dive. This deep dive brought to light the new features and mechanics that players can expect in this highly anticipated looter shooter. Let's delve into the exciting details revealed and explore the speculation surrounding the game's launch date adjustment.

20-Minute Gameplay Deep Dive Video

The Borderlands 4 State of Play offered a comprehensive look at the game's new elements. The event highlighted two of the four new Vault Hunters: Vex the Siren, who harnesses supernatural phase energy and can summon deadly minions, and Rafa the Exo-Soldier, a former Tediore trooper equipped with an experimental exo-suit that allows him to digistruct an arsenal of weapons.

Players will explore the new planet of Kairos, which is fraught with warring factions, dangerous wildlife, and desperate inhabitants, all under the oppressive rule of the Timekeeper. The objective is to spark a revolution against this tyrant, enlisting the help of unique factions and iconic returning characters like Claptrap, Moxxi, and Zane.

New gameplay features were also showcased, including the innovative licensed Parts system, which allows players to customize their weapons by mixing and matching behaviors and abilities. Additional Gear slots for more specialized builds, the introduction of the Digirunner vehicle, and other exciting additions were highlighted, promising a fresh and engaging experience for fans.

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, attributing this change to the game's "incredible development work." However, fans speculated that this decision might be influenced by other major game releases, particularly the anticipated launch of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6).

Both Gearbox Software and Rockstar Games, the developers of Borderlands and GTA respectively, are subsidiaries of Take-Two Interactive. This connection fueled fan theories that the release date adjustment was a strategic move by the parent company. These theories were further fueled by Take-Two Interactive's statements during their November 2024 earnings call, where they expressed intentions to release GTA 6 in Fall 2025, within the same fiscal year as Borderlands 4's planned launch.

Despite these speculations, Gearbox Entertainment CEO Randy Pitchford took to Twitter (X) on April 30 to clarify that the decision to move up the release date was purely based on confidence in the game's development. He emphasized that the move was "0% about any other product's actual or theoretical launch date."

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, across multiple platforms including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Stay tuned to our updates for the latest news on Borderlands 4.