Upcoming Co-op First-Person Shooter: Insights into Gearbox's Projected Borderlands 4
Get ready, vault hunters! Gearbox is about to unleash Borderlands 4 on us, after five long years of development, spin-offs, and a Borderlands movie that didn't quite get the love it needed. But Randy Pitchford, the boss man at Gearbox, isn't worried about the box office bomb – he's laser-focused on blowing our minds with Borderlands 4.
So what do we know about this game? Well, it's landing on September 12, 2025 – a week earlier than initially planned. And Grand Theft Auto 6, set to drop at some point in the second half of 2025, could give it some stiff competition – but let's not jump to conclusions. The change in release date, according to Pitchford, has nothing to do with GTA.
Borderlands 4 takes place on a new planet called Kairos, which has been hidden from the galaxy until now. We don't know much about its lore yet, but the villain seems to be called The Timekeeper, a cruel dictator with mind-control implants and an army of synthetic soldiers known as The Order. Lilith, the protagonist of previous Borderlands games, crashed a moon into The Timekeeper's cloaking mechanism, causing a massive environmental disaster on Kairos.
There are four new vault hunters this time around, but we're still waiting for details on their abilities and personalities. Although some fans have expressed concerns that they look a little bland, we're keeping an open mind.
The gameplay mechanics have been completely overhauled, too. There are three new gun manufacturers, a new movement system, and a radical loot system that makes legendary drops much rarer. Guns can now spawn with parts from multiple manufacturers, granting players unique bonuses based on the manufacturer they have. In addition, grenades and heavy weapons no longer require ammo – yep, you heard that right! Instead, they operate on a cooldown system, encouraging players to use them in regular combat rather than just saving them for boss fights.
New movement abilities include glide, double-jump, climbing, point-grappling, and a dashing mechanic. You can also dash and slide across the ground, and zip lines make a comeback, too. The map features dynamic weather and events, while silos offer new activities, like unlocking hidden dungeons by collecting vault key fragments.
Each player in a co-op party can now set their own difficulty level, and there's even a replay feature that lets you redo missions and boss fights without having to load an old save.
Finally, the encrypted messages that have been present in the trailers have been decoded. They read:
- "Invader cut me open, I died, and that's just the start. Now my knife is redly suddenning. She saw right through me and into you. His hand on your neck. Rip it out from the roots."
- "You're gonna like what comes with it"
- "Time kept is brain lost"
- "It's your turn"
Stay tuned for more updates on Borderlands 4!
- Borderlands 4, with its September 12, 2025 release date, promises to bring a new season of intense gameplay and entertainment, offering a fresh fight against the villain, The Timekeeper, on the hidden planet Kairos.
- The game's race for dominance in the interactive entertainment world includes competing against Grand Theft Auto 6, with four distinct vault hunters and three new gun manufacturers promising unique gameplay experiences.
- In the upcoming race, fans can bet on exciting features like the new movement system (including glide, double-jump, climbing, point-grappling, and dashing mechanics), a revamped loot system, and replayable missions with adjustable difficulty levels.
- To add a layer of mystery and intrigue, decoded encrypted messages from the trailers hint at a captivating narrative involving hidden knives, brain loss, and a possible choice or challenge ("It's your turn").
