Everything We Know About Borderlands 4 — One of the Most Anticipated Co-Op Shooters of the Year

Yesterday, during the State of Play presentation, Gearbox shared the first major details about its next game — Borderlands 4. The showcase lasted a full 20 minutes and offered a solid overview of the project. Additional info soon surfaced online, shedding more light on the fourth installment. We’ve compiled all the key points below.

Borderlands 4 takes place six years after the previous game. The story is set on a brand-new planet called Kairos. For a long time, this remote world was cut off from the rest of the galaxy. Its population was essentially enslaved and served a mysterious antagonist known as the Timekeeper. The tyrant maintained control using a personal army called the Order and mind-control technologies.

Everything changed when Lilith, a heroine from the first game, crashed one of Kairos’s moons into the planet. The resulting cataclysm radically transformed the environment, but also gave the inhabitants a chance to rise up — which they did. The ensuing chaos attracted Vault Hunters eager for fame and fortune.

The story of Borderlands 4 includes both returning characters like Moxxi, Zane, Amara, and the cute but also annoying robot Claptrap, as well as brand-new ones. One major addition is Echo 4 — a robot guide for Vault Hunters.

One of the key gameplay innovations is expanded movement options. All heroes now have access to a grappling hook, double jump, quick dodges, and slides. Characters can also climb walls and even glide through the air to cross gaps and other terrain hazards. The developers aim to make exploration more engaging through increased mobility and vertical level design.

Additionally, players can summon a DigiRunner — a flying hoverbike — almost anytime, eliminating the need to search for vehicle spawn points.

At launch, players will be able to choose from four new Vault Hunters:

Gearbox promises that the characters’ backstories and personalities will play a meaningful narrative role this time around.

The studio claims Borderlands 4 will feature the most in-depth skill trees in the series. Designers aim to drastically expand the number of viable builds. In addition to classic skills split into multiple branches, each Vault Hunter will also gain upgrade paths that grant bonuses when using weapons from specific manufacturers. Synergy between character and gear will play a major role in Borderlands 4.

All familiar weapon manufacturers return — including Jakobs, Vladof, Torgue, Maliwan, and Tediore. Three new companies join the lineup:

For the first time in the series, weapons can be customized using parts from different manufacturers. Thanks to the new licensed module system, you can build a Vladof rifle with a Maliwan barrel for increased elemental damage, for example.

Also, grenades and heavy weapons no longer use ammo — they now operate on cooldown and share a single gear slot. This means you don’t need to hoard rare explosives for boss fights; feel free to bring the big guns against regular enemies, too.

A new gear category also debuts: the Rep Kit. It can either revive you quickly after being downed or activate temporary buffs that can turn the tide of battle.

In the new game, Gearbox is dialing back the drop rate of Legendary items. In Borderlands 3, Legendaries were so common that they stopped feeling special. With Borderlands 4, the developers aim to “make rarity matter again,” ensuring that each high-tier find feels like a true reward. Legendary gear now comes with genuinely unique traits and allows for deeper customization compared to regular items.

Crossplay between platforms will be available from day one. The game also supports full couch co-op and useful features like fast travel to friends. A popular feature from the third installment is returning as well — all loot is instanced per player to avoid fights over gear.

The developers also promise the ability to replay missions and boss battles without reloading old saves. Dynamic scaling will let characters of different levels play together smoothly.

Borderlands 4 will launch earlier than originally planned — on September 12 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. A version for Nintendo Switch 2 is also in development, though it doesn’t have a release date yet.

Some fans suspect the new release date (moved up from September 23 to September 12, 2025) might be linked to another title from the same publisher — Grand Theft Auto 6. While GTA 6 still has no confirmed launch date, growing rumors suggest a fall release. Pushing Borderlands 4 forward may have been a strategic move. However, Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford stated the shift is simply due to confident development progress and the game being ahead of schedule. Do we believe it?

That’s all for now — but expect more news in June.

What do you think of the first Borderlands 4 reveal? Did you watch the State of Play? Share your thoughts in the comments!