The State of Play for Borderlands 4 has provided fans with an exciting 20-minute deep dive into the gameplay, revealing new features and mechanics of the eagerly anticipated looter shooter. This showcase, which aired on April 30, 2025, during PlayStation’s State of Play, has not only highlighted the game's new elements but also sparked discussions regarding the shift in its release date.
Borderlands 4 State of Play: New Details Revealed
20-Minute Gameplay Deep Dive Video
The Borderlands 4 State of Play introduced viewers to a comprehensive look at the game, featuring 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 allows him to digistruct a vast arsenal of weapons.
The gameplay showcased the new planet Kairos, a world fraught with warring factions, dangerous wildlife, and desperate inhabitants, all under the oppressive rule of the Timekeeper. Players will embark on a mission to ignite a revolution against this tyrant, encountering and recruiting unique factions along the way. Familiar faces like Claptrap, Moxxi, and Zane return to assist in this epic quest.
New gameplay mechanics were also highlighted, including the innovative Parts system, which allows players to customize weapons by mixing and matching behaviors and abilities. Other additions include new Gear slots for more specialized builds, and the introduction of the Digirunner, a new vehicle that promises to enhance the exploration and combat experience.
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 was moved forward by two weeks, a decision attributed to the game's "incredible development work." Despite this explanation, fans speculated that the change might be influenced by the release plans of other major titles, particularly 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 speculation about coordinated release strategies, especially in light of Take-Two's earlier statements about their release windows.
During Take-Two Interactive’s earnings call in November 2024, the company announced plans to release GTA 6 in Fall 2025. CEO Strauss Zelnick reassured that this timing would not conflict with Borderlands 4's intended launch window within the 2026 fiscal year (April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026). Zelnick emphasized in a November 2024 interview with Variety that there would be no unnecessary stacking of major releases.
Addressing the speculation directly, Gearbox Entertainment CEO Randy Pitchford used Twitter (X) on April 30 to clarify that the decision to move up the release date was solely based on confidence in the product, stating, "Our decision is literally 0% about any other product’s actual or theoretical launch date."
Regardless of the reasons behind the date change, fans can look forward to experiencing Borderlands 4 earlier than anticipated. The game is now scheduled for release on September 12, 2025, and will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Stay tuned to our updates for more information on this thrilling new addition to the Borderlands series.
