Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford admits Borderlands has gone "too far" in the past, but promises Borderlands 4 has hit the sweet spot

cel-shaded rafa looking shocked and worried in his exo suit — (Image credit: Gearbox Software)

The Borderlands series has been going strong for 16 years now, and in that time, tastes have changed. Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford explains the team has learned a lot over the years, and Borderlands 4 is going to get everything just right.

"With each game, we push boundaries and we can see those times we've gone too far," Pitchford says during an interview with the Future Games Show team. "Sometimes it's in a game mechanic. Sometimes it's in a story decision or a tone decision."

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Who remembers the anointment system in Borderlands 3? That would be an example of a game mechanic that ended up annoying a bunch of players instead of drawing them in. On the tone front, there's all the toilet humor, which we've been told isn't going to be as prevalent in Borderlands 4.

"The fact that we're now in our fourth iteration means we've seen the extents," Pitchford continues. "We've seen the boundaries. We've seen when we push the pendulum too far in one direction, too far in the other direction, and we know where the bullseye is."

So, it sounds like Borderlands 4 is aiming for a relatively safe sweet spot. This should be good for the new fans – Pitchford mentions that each numbered sequel is composed of about 30% first-time players – and if you're a returning fan feeling as though no new ground is being trodden, don't worry, it is. Our own interviews with Gearbox confirm it's being pushed further than ever before.

While you wait for the looter shooter to launch September 12, 2025, check out our list of the best FPS games you can play right now.

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I'm Issy, a freelancer who you'll now occasionally see over here covering news on GamesRadar. I've always had a passion for playing games, but I learned how to write about them while doing my Film and TV degrees at the University of Warwick and contributing to the student paper, The Boar. After university I worked at TheGamer before heading up the news section at Dot Esports. Now you'll find me freelancing for Rolling Stone, NME, Inverse, and many more places. I love all things horror, narrative-driven, and indie, and I mainly play on my PS5. I'm currently clearing my backlog and loving Dishonored 2.

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