Borderlands 4: Everything you need to know about Gearbox's latest looter shooter

Borderlands 4 is officially here. Yes, that's right, Gearbox's new looter shooter is now live across PC and consoles today (September 12), now that we've passed Borderlands 4's release times. But if you're planning to play on Switch 2, you'll have to wait just a little bit longer to tuck into the new game.

First revealed during the Game Awards 2024, the latest entry in Gearbox's series showed off all of the signature elements found in the best Borderlands games, but it also brings some upgraded ingredients into the mix, along with some fresh Valut Hunters in Siren, Vex, the playable melee character Rafa, tanky fighter Amon, and tech-savvy Harlowe.

For those who jumping into adventure, our helpful Borderlands 4 tips are here to help you conquer the chaos of Kairos, and if you're still debating whether the latest entry in the series is for you, be sure to check out our Borderlands 4 review and read on below to find a helpful breakdown of everything you need to know about Borderlands 4.

Borderlands 4 release date

The Borderlands 4 release date for PC, Xbox Series X, and PS5 was on September 12, 2025, with launch on Nintendo Switch 2 now set to follow a month later on October 3, 2025.

2K announced the amended release date, which brings the launch forward by 11 days, with Borderlands 4 originally slated to arrive on September 23. The title will launch across all platforms simultaneously, with the news coming as part of the February PlayStation State of Play.

Borderlands 4 trailer

The first Borderlands 4 trailer, which you can see above, debuted at the Game Awards 2024, and while it doesn't feature any actual gameplay, it does set the tone for what Gearbox is trying to capture here.

Borderlands 4 platforms

Borderlands 4 has launched on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X, with the game set to release on Switch 2, in October.

2K Games has confirmed that the title will launch on both the Epic Game Store and Steam storefronts. In terms of last-gen consoles, Borderlands 4 won't be on PS4 or Xbox One.

Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford also confirmed that there will be a download on Switch 2 regardless of whether or not you buy a physical copy, and it's said to run at 30FPS.

Gearbox also revealed minimum PC requirements to run the upcoming looter shooter, which you can find listed below:

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• Requires SSD
• OS: Windows 10 / 11
• Processor: Intel Core i7-9700 / AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 / AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT / Intel Arc A580
• Requires 8 CPU Cores for processor and 8 GB VRAM for graphics. 
• Storage: 100 GB available space

First Borderlands 4 gameplay details

Alongside a Borderlands 4 gameplay trailer (which you can watch above), we also got an 18 minute long gameplay deep dive from Gearbox that gave us an in-depth look at the looter shooter in action. With members of the development team guiding us through the footage, we get to see how the open zones of Kairos can be freely explored, and you can expect to tuck into a variety of new activities - which you can do solo or with pals. One such activity is known as a Silo, which is a location that houses old tech you can hijack.

As you "assume the role of a legendary Vault Hunter", you'll be blasting your way through "hordes of enemies in search of new treasures to loot", with "the deepest and most diverse skill trees of any Borderlands title yet". In an interview with us here at GamesRadar+, senior project producer Anthony Nicholson also detailed that the upcoming entry will play around "the humor and comedic opportunities we explored in Borderlands 2".

Gearbox is also aiming to give "an unprecedented level of expression" to players, with "billions of weapons and accessories" to loot and acquire. And speaking of weapons, the upcoming adventure looks set to do things a little differently in that department, with some changes to guns - namely, that there three new manufacturers, and a "Licensed parts system":

"With the new Licensed Parts system, you can find guns that incorporate the behaviors and abilities from multiple manufacturers into a single weapon, fueling our wildest loot variety yet," a PlayStation blog details. "In addition, Borderlands 4 reworks our approach to the iconic Legendary guns that have unique effects you won’t find on any other piece of gear."

"In Borderlands 3, Legendaries dropped too often, devaluing them and making other loot feel less special overall. In our new system, not only do all guns feel great, but now Legendary drops will truly be special events."

Gearbox has also said that a principal focus for Borderlands 4 is in the balance of approachability and complexity. "I think our RPG side of the game is so important," says creative director Graeme Timmins. "Just like our first-person side, where we're always looking to expand and add depth, we're doing that on the RPG side, but we don't want to do that at the cost of complexity."

Speaking with GamesRadar+, lead writer Taylor Clark also spoke on some of the ways the team have set out to improve movement in Borderlands not unlike how Gearbox improved Borderlands 3's gunplay.

Clark explained that the team wanted to take the same focused approach that the studio had on Borderlands 3's combat overhaul, "but this time for movement and exploration". How? Well, Clark says there will be "less borders, more land", and "virtually no loading times", with the opportunity to do the campaign's main missions "in pretty much any order".

Pitchford has also revealed that Borderlands 4 can present a greater challenge this time around. In an interview with Insider Gaming, Pitchford said ""a lot of players are going to be surprised that the challenge has ramped up quite a bit".

Borderlands 4 setting

The Borderlands 4 setting has been confirmed, and it's taking us away from Pandora to a new planet known as Kairos. With our first proper look at the setting during the detailed gameplay deep dive, the PlayStation blog post that followed the showcase also sheds more light on the planet.

Said to be "rife with warring factions, deadly fauna, and desperate inhabitants", Kairos was kept hidden for thousands of years thanks to an oppressive figure known as the Timekeeper, who controlled the world's residents with "cybernetic implants called Bolts and a synthetic army of soldiers known as The Order".

But things change when a rogue moon, which was teleported from Pandora at the end of Borderlands 3 by famed Vault Hunter Lilith, pierces the protective veil of the planet and kickstarts a whole lot of chaos that you'll get to be a part of.

In a video titled "Welcome to Kairos", the team at Gearbox went into more detail about the "prison planet" as managing narrative director Lin Joyce put it. When we arrive on the world, Joyce says the residents there are "hungrier than they've ever been to get off Kairos and fight back against the oppression that they've been living under" there.

While Pitchford has previously confirmed it's not open-world per se, it is set to be the most open and free Borderlands game to date, and it certainly looks expansive. Said to feature "seamlessly connected spaces", the world is made up of four zones that you can explore with "next to no loading times". Kairos will also feature a dynamic weather system, with lots of side activities to discover.

Borderlands 4 Vault Hunters

Gearbox has confirmed some of the Borderlands 4 characters and Vault Hunters, with the studio continuing its tradition of cycling new playable characters into the fold by introducing four new Vault Hunters.

"We think it's important that we switch it up and not do just rote designs, game to game," says Timmins.

With a look at some of the new Vault Hunters in action during the deep dive gameplay footage, Gearbox has revealed details about all four of the playable characters: Vex the new Siren, who uses supernatural phase energy and is able to conjure minions, Rafa, an Exo-soldier and former Tediore trooper who uses an experimental exo-suit; Amon, a Forge Knight who is the tank character in the roster; and finally, Harlowe, a former Maliwan combat scientist who can her contraptions for crowd control.

In gameplay overview videos dropped by Gearbox, we've gotten to see an extensive look at Vex, as well as a look at Rafa, who's described as a "battle-ready combat veteran" who serves as a "great gateway for FPS players to step into the series."

Amon, the Forge Knight has also gotten the same deep-dive treatment, with the official Borderlands 4 website detailing that he was raised in a "Vault monster-worshipping cult until the Vault was opened and the creature turned on everyone he loved". As a tanky character, he can use weaponized drones that are said to be able to adapt to any situation, and he can also attack and defend with his Forge arsenal, including a Forgehammer, axe, and shield.

And finally, Gearbox also dropped a gameplay overview of Harlowe, who's said to be driven by a desire to understand "how things work". Using her keen intellect, she puts new tech and gadgetry to use in combat, with the ability to inflict cryo or radiation damage, or buff her allies.

Some familiar Borderlands faces will also return, including Zane, Moxxi, and Claptrap. We can also expect to meet a lot of new characters in the world of Kairos, with the deep dive gameplay video showing off a few, including a drone known as Echo-4 who will joining us on our adventures. The little robot buddy can hack equipment, scan the environment, and also guide us to objectives in the world.

Borderlands 4 co-op

Borderlands 4 co-op support has also been confirmed. The upcoming adventure will feature 4-player online co-op, as well as 2-player split screen couch co-op, so you can get stuck into the core campaign with pals.

With cross-play support also included - meaning you can play with others across platforms - a lot of emphasis was put on the improved co-op features coming to the latest entry in a big gameplay deep dive from the team at Gearbox:

"Co-op has always been at the heart of Borderlands, and we've put a ton of work into making it better than ever," says Nicholson. "Our improved lobby is just the start. You can also set your own campaign difficulty independently of the rest of the party. This way, everyone can tune the experience to their liking."

If you get split up during your adventures, Timmins also revealed during the deep dive that you can "easily fast travel to your friends", and loot is instanced for each player, so you won't have to fight against each other to bag the goods.

Borderlands 4 development

Borderlands 4 is being developed by Gearbox Software, the studio responsible for all mainline games in the franchise. The Gearbox CEO says that Borderlands 4 has been in development for "several years" – the studio's last game was Tiny Tina's Wonderlands in 2022.

Borderlands 4 will be published by 2K Games – just as it did with the previous titles. This will, however, be the first Borderlands game to release with Gearbox Software operating as an owned and operated 2K studio – the company was acquired by Take-Two Interactive in 2024.

Borderlands 4 has long been teased by both Take-Two and Gearbox. The game appeared on the Linkedin page for a former employee of a Gearbox support studio in 2023, and the publisher then confirmed Borderlands 4 to be in active development back in March 2024.

Randy Pitchford also started name-dropping the game while trying to get out ahead of the film adaptation – our Borderlands movie review didn't paint a glowing picture. Still, Pitchford then told GamesRadar+ that "I'm confident that our fans are going to be very, very happy with the next video game project," and the studio is certainly on the right track after the initial big reveal and the many looks since then.

Speaking on the series in the leadup to the launch of Borderlands 4, Pitchford also reflected back on genre experiment that was the first game, which was initially expected to come and go. Fast forward many years later, and looter shooter has become a genre of its own, with the franchise still going strong, which Pitchford told us is "kind of humbling".

Can I pre-order Borderlands 4?

Borderlands 4 is now available to pre-order across all platforms, with Gearbox revealing that there will be three editions of the upcoming looter shooter. Pre-ordering any of the editions will also get you a Gilded Glory Pack pre-order bonus, which includes a Vault Hunter skin, one weapon skin, and an ECHO-4 drone skin.

The Standard Edition will come in at $69.99, while the Deluxe Edition - that comes with a Bounty Pack which will grant post-launch DLC packs, as well as additional vehicles, weapons and gear, Vault Hunter cosmetics, and a special Fire hawk's Fury weapon skin - costs $99.99.

Finally, the Super Deluxe Edition clocks in at $129.99 and will come with the Vault Hunter pack. This includes new story packs, two new map regions, new gear and weapons, more Vault Hunter and ECHO-4 cosmetics, and the Ornate Order Pack which comes more with skins and goodies.

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