Borderlands 4 is coming September 12, 2025, to PC (via Steam and the Epic Games Store), PlayStation5, and Xbox Series X/S! It will also arrive on Nintendo Switch 2 later in 2025, with more info coming soon.
During the latest State of Play, Creative Director Graeme Timmins and Senior Project Producer Anthony Nicholson gave us the best look yet at Borderlands 4. The showcase featured explosive gameplay, new Vault Hunters, powerful weapons, and a chaotic new world to explore.
We also got a closer look at the events following the cataclysm from the teaser trailer, as well as a deeper dive into the game’s villain, the Timekeeper, who is ready to challenge our four new Vault Hunters. Check out the full Gameplay Trailer to see the action for yourself!
Additionally, you can take a look at the 20 minutes long gameplay deep dive!
The Most Ambitious Borderlands Yet
Nearly 16 years after creating the looter shooter genre, Gearbox is back with what they call the biggest and most ambitious Borderlands game ever. Borderlands 4 brings fast-paced combat, endless loot, and chaotic co-op fun to a whole new level.
This new adventure is a perfect starting point for newcomers, while longtime fans will enjoy expanded gameplay features, upgraded movement abilities, and a ton of new content, including the return of billions of unique guns. It’s Borderlands, but with more guns, chaos, humor, action, bigger, crazier, and more intense!
Meet the New Vault Hunters
In Borderlands 4, you once again step into the boots of a Vault Hunter: fearless mercenaries who fight for loot, survival, and fame. This time, you’ll choose from four all-new characters, each with unique powers and playstyles.
The State of Play revealed two of them:
- Vex, a Siren who channels phase energy to summon deadly minions and adapt to elemental weapons.
- Rafa, a former Tediore soldier in a high-tech exo-suit that creates powerful weapons on demand.
The other two Vault Hunters, Amon and Harlowe, are still under wraps, but you can learn more about the full squad on the official Borderlands 4 Game Info page.
Each Vault Hunter comes with three powerful Action Skills, a customizable skill tree system, and a unique Trait that influences their combat style. For example, Vex’s Trait changes her elemental power based on the weapon she holds, encouraging players to mix and match gear based on enemy weaknesses.
New movement mechanics, like dashing, gliding, double-jumping, and point-grappling, add extra layers to combat and exploration, making you feel even more unstoppable on the battlefield.
Explore the Planet Kairos
Borderlands 4 is set on Kairos, a dangerous new planet controlled for centuries by the Timekeeper. This tyrant used mind-controlling cybernetic implants called Bolts and an army of robotic helpers known as The Order to keep the population in line.
But six years ago, a mysterious moon appeared in orbit, shattering the planet’s protective veil and throwing everything into chaos. Now, resistance is growing, and the Vault Hunters arrive in the middle of a brewing revolution.
You’ll recruit new allies, form bonds with rebellious factions, and run into returning fan-favorite characters like Claptrap, Moxxi, and Zane, alongside a new cast of allies and villains.
To help you explore Kairos, you can summon a custom Digirunner vehicle and ride across wide, seamless zones. You’ll also be guided by your robotic companion, ECHO-4, who helps you find quests, hidden loot, and surprises scattered across the world.
World bosses, dynamic events, and side activities like Silos keep the world feeling alive. Completing a Silo unlocks Fast Travel options, new locations, and even reveals parts of hidden Vault Key Fragments. Those are pieces you’ll need to unlock powerful dungeon-style Vaults full of rare loot and dangerous enemies.
Multiplayer Mayhem Made Easy
Borderlands 4 is built for co-op from the ground up. Whether you’re playing online or in 2-player splitscreen (on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S), the game offers seamless drop-in/drop-out multiplayer for up to 4 people. There’s also full crossplay at launch.
The experience is tuned for both solo and group play, with instanced loot, flexible difficulty settings, and Fast Travel to other players, so the group stays together easily.
Guns, Gear, and Glory
In the gameplay footage from the State of Play, we got a look at the Terminus Range area, where Vault Hunters Vex and Rafa battle through one of the Timekeeper’s secret labs. Along the way, they face off against Vile Lictor, a terrifying boss and one of the Timekeeper’s elite generals.
Players will be able to collect loot from eight gun manufacturers, including three new ones:
- Order guns focus on precision with high-powered bursts
- Ripper guns charge up to go fully automatic
- Daedalus guns are easy-to-use and incorporate multiple ammo types
- Tediore guns are reloaded by tossing them as grenades
- Maliwan guns specialize in elemental damage to burn, freeze, and shock
- Jakobs guns can fire bullets as fast as you can shoot with ricochets on critical hits
- Vladof guns have a high rate of fire and huge magazines
- Torgue guns have heavy-duty explosive rounds that can switch to sticky projectiles
Thanks to the new Licensed Parts system, some weapons can now include abilities from multiple manufacturers, leading to even crazier builds and loot possibilities.
Legendaries are also getting a revamp. They’ll be rarer, more exciting, and feel much more rewarding when they drop. Gearbox wants every gun to feel good, but for Legendaries to stand out in a big way.
You’ll also get access to new gear slots:
- Ordnance, for grenades and heavy weapons like rocket launchers, with a cooldown-based system.
- Enhancements, which replace Artifacts and boost weapon stats depending on manufacturer synergy.
- Repkits, which let you heal or trigger combat boosts during fights.
If you miss a boss fight or want to grind specific loot, you can use Moxxi’s Big Encore Machine to replay boss battles on demand. With bigger bosses and smarter mechanics, each encounter pushes your skills to the limit.
The Road to Launch
There’s still much more to discover, and Gearbox promises even more reveals ahead of launch. The first hands-on preview event is happening this June, with additional updates to follow through the summer.
Borderlands 4 launches on September 12, 2025, and is now available to wishlist. Get ready to loot, shoot, and cause chaos like never before!
