April 2025 State of Play Highlights Borderlands 4 Gameplay

The State of Play event for Borderlands 4 was a thrilling showcase, featuring a 20-minute deep dive into the gameplay that unveiled a wealth of new features and mechanics. This event, which took place on April 30, 2025, has left fans buzzing with excitement and eager to learn more about the reasons behind the game's launch date shift.

Borderlands 4 State of Play: New Details Unveiled

20-Minute Gameplay Deep Dive Video

The State of Play for Borderlands 4 provided an extensive look at the upcoming looter shooter. The gameplay deep dive video introduced 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 can digistruct an arsenal of weapons.

The setting for Borderlands 4 is the new planet of Kairos, characterized by its warring factions, deadly fauna, and desperate inhabitants, all under the rule of the oppressive Timekeeper. Players will embark on a mission to ignite a revolution against this tyrant, recruiting unique factions along the way. Familiar faces like Claptrap, Moxxi, and Zane return to assist in the quest.

New gameplay mechanics were also showcased, including a licensed Parts system that allows players to mix and match weapon behaviors and abilities, new Gear slots for more specialized builds, and the introduction of a new vehicle, the Digirunner, adding a fresh layer of excitement to the game.

Gearbox Denies Launch Date Change is Influenced by Other Games

Prior to the State of Play, Gearbox Software announced a two-week advancement in the release date of Borderlands 4, attributing the change to "incredible development work." Despite this explanation, speculation arose among fans, many of whom believed the shift was influenced by the anticipated release 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 theories about strategic release timing, especially after Take-Two's CEO Strauss Zelnick mentioned in November 2024 that GTA 6 was planned for a Fall 2025 release, which he assured would not conflict with Borderlands 4's fiscal year 2026 launch window.

However, Gearbox Entertainment CEO Randy Pitchford took to Twitter (X) on April 30 to clarify that the decision to move up the release date was solely based on their confidence in the product, stating, "Our decision is literally 0% about any other product’s actual or theoretical launch date."

Regardless of the speculated reasons, fans are thrilled to know that Borderlands 4 will hit the shelves earlier than planned, on September 12, 2025. The game will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting release!