The State of Play event for Borderlands 4, held on April 30, 2025, offered an exciting 20-minute gameplay deep dive that showcased the game's new features and mechanics. Dive into the details to discover what's new in this highly anticipated looter shooter and understand the fan theories surrounding its launch date change.
Borderlands 4 State of Play New Details Revealed
20-Minute Gameplay Deep Dive Video
The Borderlands 4 State of Play provided fans with a wealth of new information about the upcoming looter shooter. The event, streamed on PlayStation’s State of Play, included a detailed 20-minute gameplay video that highlighted some of the game's most exciting elements.
The 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 allows him to digistruct an arsenal of weapons.
Players were also introduced to the new planet, Kairos, a world teeming with warring factions, dangerous wildlife, and desperate inhabitants, all under the oppressive rule of the Timekeeper. The game's narrative focuses on igniting a revolution against this tyrant, with players recruiting unique factions to their cause. Beloved characters such as Claptrap, Moxxi, and Zane return to assist in this epic quest.
The gameplay deep dive also showcased new features, including the innovative licensed Parts system, allowing players to customize their weapons by mixing and matching behaviors and abilities. Additional Gear slots enhance build specialization, and the introduction of the Digirunner vehicle promises more thrilling gameplay.
Gearbox Denies Launch Date Change is Influenced by Other Games
Prior to the State of Play, Gearbox Software announced that Borderlands 4's release date was moved up by two weeks, attributing this to the "incredible development work" on the game. However, fans have speculated that the decision might be influenced by other major game releases, particularly the anticipated launch of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6).
Given that both Gearbox Software and Rockstar Games are subsidiaries of Take-Two Interactive, fans have theorized that corporate strategies might be at play. This speculation was fueled by Take-Two Interactive's comments during their November 2024 earnings call, where they mentioned plans to release GTA 6 in Fall 2025, within the same fiscal year as Borderlands 4.
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick had previously assured in a November 2024 interview with Variety that there would be no unnecessary stacking of major game releases. Despite these assurances, 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 game, stating, "Our decision is literally 0% about any other product’s actual or theoretical launch date."
Regardless of the speculated reasons, fans can look forward to experiencing Borderlands 4 earlier than expected. The game is scheduled for release on September 12, 2025, across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Stay updated with the latest news on Borderlands 4 by checking out our article below!
