entertainment / Saturday, 23-Aug-2025

Borderlands 4: Release Date, Platforms, Story, & Gameplay Details

During the PlayStation State of Play, players got a lot of new information about the upcoming Borderlands 4. Players got their first glimpse at gameplay and a solid release date, with the usual amount of chaos, co-op, and loot-grabbing gameplay fans have come to expect. Notably, more information will be coming at the exclusive State of Play for Borderlands 4 alone later this spring.

Previously, everything known about Borderlands 4 was a little short on details, as there was an announcement at the end of last year. Finally getting a little bit more would have been exciting on its own, but players also got a release date at the State of Play. With it, speculation will likely run rampant until the next one, but until then there are a few details that are known for sure.

Borderlands 4 Release Date & Platforms

Timeframe & All Announced Platforms For Launch

Borderlands 4 is set to release on September 23, 2025 based on the PlayStation trailer from the State of Play. This is the first release date for the game fans have been given, although there are always possibilities for delays. It is not yet available to pre-order, but it can be added to a wishlist. Right now, there is nothing known about what versions will launch, but looking at the past recent releases, there will likely be at least 3 versions of the game.

So far,Borderlands 4 is confirmed for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. There is no announcements for any past models and no news of whether or not it will come to the Nintendo Switch or the Switch 2. Past games in the series have eventually made their way onto the Nintendo Switch, but it is unlikely this game will end up there for a long time yet.

Everything We Know About Borderlands 4’s Story

A New Direction For The Franchise

A Vault symbol in Borderlands 4 and potential villain
A Vault symbol in Borderlands 4

Based on the game description that has shown up after the State of Play, players will be able to choose 1 of 4 Vault Hunters that will end up on Kairos, a brand new planet for the franchise. It has also been revealed that there will be a new villain known as an oppressive Timekeeper, who is a “ruthless dictator” that players will have to break free of. There are hints of a world-altering catastrophe, a threat to his Order, and the usual Borderlands chaos as well.

It is also known that the Vault Hunters will be working with the resistance and will face the usual assortment of odd bosses. It is still unknown who and what the Vault Hunters are, but there have been glimpses of them in the two trailers seen so far. There was also a hint at two main sides in the First Look from Gearbox, with what appeared to be Psychos on one side and robot or robot-like creatures on the other.

The end of the State of Play trailer also has a Psycho laughing at the sky with various parts in his hand, so that is likely a big hint at the story. It is not known if either of the sides in the trailer will be the one the Vault Hunters side with, or if they will be joining a third party as the resistance. Fans will learn more about the story in the dedicated State of Play.

Borderlands 4 Gameplay Details

What Is Known, What Can Be Guessed & What The Glimpses From Trailers Show

Not much is known so far, at least not until the official State of Play coming later this year. However, in the glimpses that fans have gotten, there appears to be a similar loot-structure, with multicolored guns exploding out of the sky in one of the trailer shots. Additionally, the game can be played solo or co-op, although it is not yet known if players will be able to pick which co-op system they want to use. In the past, loot was shared between players before there was an option added for everyone to get their own individual loot.

It is known that they wanted to continue making this game approachable while still adding depth to the way players are able to upgrade their characters. There has also been a loose level of RPG elements to the games, with players able to choose between various upgrade trees to customize their Vault Hunter. The new upgrade trees are expected to be deeper and have a greater freedom of expression, even if it is a Borderlands game at heart.

There are better glimpses of the various Vault Hunter abilities in the new trailer as well, but it is not clear what they are. However, it looks very similar to past gameplay elements but updated to the new style. At least one character also has a grappling hook, so it looks like traversal might be a bigger deal in this game. There are also several glimpses of what are probably ultimate abilities, as giant waves of light, explosions, or a sudden rain of bullets appear.

There is also a Siren, as there was a glimpse of a person’s body doing something like Doctor Strange’s Astral Projection. This is not a surprise, as there is a Siren-esque woman shown in the first look trailer, but this is the first glimpse at her Siren powers in Borderlands 4 that has been seen. So far, almost every main-line Borderlands game has had a Siren in the cast of Vault Hunters. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is not in that category, and the Borderlands Pre-Sequel does not have a Siren in the cast of Vault Hunters as players got Athena instead.

It seems like although the general “categories” of Vault Hunters will be similar, the upgrade trees will make the classes feel more unique from their past counterparts. It will likely help the game that the story takes place on an entirely different planet with new characters and, hopefully, a new villain that feels much larger than life. It was time to move away from Pandora, at least to some extent, and it should be a nice break from the world that fans have known so far.

The trailers seen so far have been quite exciting, with familiar gameplay in new places and an interesting glimpse at the conflict on Kairos. Some have pointed out that it feels a little less cell-shaded, but it is still stylized enough to be recognizable. There was also a look at what seemed to be very similar to a Podracer, which is a strange but potentially interesting inclusion. Players will be able to play Borderlands 4 for themselves on September 23.

Source: YouTube/PlayStation

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