Gearbox Software recently unveiled exciting new details and gameplay for the highly anticipated Borderlands 4 during its State of Play, showcasing 20 minutes of thrilling content. Set to launch in 2025, this latest installment promises to be the studio's most engaging and grounded experience yet, with significant gameplay enhancements that include new traversal mechanics and an overhauled loot system.
Movement Abilities
Borderlands 4 continues the tradition of evolving traversal mechanics, introducing innovative movement options for players. The showcased gameplay revealed a Destiny-inspired midair hover feature, allowing players to shoot while airborne or access hard-to-reach areas. Additionally, a grappling hook adds versatility for both combat and exploration, complemented by a dash ability for evasive maneuvers. Vehicles remain integral, with the new Digirunner model that players can spawn at will, enhancing mobility and strategic options.
Guns and Manufacturers
The spotlight was on the weaponry and manufacturers during the State of Play, with eight companies featured, including three new ones: Order, Ripper, and Daedalus. Each brings unique weapon designs and capabilities to the game. A significant new feature is the Licensed Parts System, which allows guns to combine parts from different manufacturers. This means players might find an assault rifle with elemental components from Maliwan, a Torgue-made ammo clip, and a Hyperion shield, making the pursuit of high-rarity weapons even more exciting.
Borderlands 4 State of Play Gameplay Screenshots
View 17 Images
Story
The narrative of Borderlands 4 follows the adventures of two new Vault Hunters: Vex the Siren and Rafa, a former Tediore soldier in an exosuit. Vex uses her Siren powers to summon beings for battle support, while Rafa crafts tools like Ark Knives for combat. The gameplay footage showed them navigating the cold, expansive arenas of the Terminus Range on the planet Kairos, one of four zones players will explore.
The game brings back familiar characters like Moxxi, Zane, Amara, and Claptrap, with hints of more to come about Lilith. New characters include the imposing Rush and the helpful robot Echo 4, which will assist players throughout their journey by scanning environments, hacking, and guiding them to objectives.
Multiplayer
Borderlands 4 enhances the multiplayer experience with a streamlined co-op process, including an improved lobby system and crossplay at launch. Loot is instanced for each player, and dynamic level scaling ensures seamless play across platforms. Players can customize their difficulty settings independently, and features like split-screen couch co-op and fast travel to friends make group play more enjoyable.
The game also introduces a lower chance for Legendary loot drops, new dense skill trees, and innovative gear options like Rep Kits for quick revives or combat buffs, Ordnances for grenades or heavy weapons, and Enhancements that provide bonuses to specific manufacturer guns.
Borderlands 4 has moved up its release date by 11 days to September 12 for PC via the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is planned for later in the year. Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford clarified that this change is unrelated to the release of Grand Theft Auto 6. Fans can look forward to more details at an upcoming hands-on gameplay event in June.
