Gearbox's highly anticipated first-person shooter, *Borderlands 4*, is set to hit the shelves earlier than expected. Development chief Randy Pitchford announced in a video that the game's release date has been moved up by 11 days, from September 23 to September 12. This exciting news means fans can dive into the action across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch 2 sooner than planned.
In the video, Pitchford shared his enthusiasm, stating, "Everything is going great, actually. In fact, everything is going kind of the best-case scenario. The game is awesome, the team is cooking, and so the launch date for *Borderlands 4* is changing. We’re moving it forward. The launch date is now September 12." He expressed his surprise and excitement, noting, "What?! This never happens you guys! This never happens! We’re moving the launch date forward! You’re gonna get *Borderlands 4* earlier!"
Pitchford also teased that a PlayStation State of Play event focused on *Borderlands 4* is imminent, further stoking fans' anticipation.
This unexpected shift in release date has sparked speculation about its connection to another major title, *Grand Theft Auto 6* (GTA 6), set to release in the fall of 2025. As both games are published by companies under the Take-Two umbrella—*Borderlands 4* by 2K Games and GTA 6 by Rockstar—it's plausible that the decision to move *Borderlands 4*'s release forward was influenced by strategic planning at the highest levels of Take-Two, possibly to avoid competition from GTA 6.
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick, in a February interview, addressed concerns about potential cannibalization between the company's big 2025 releases, including *Mafia: The Old Country* slated for summer 2025. Zelnick reassured that Take-Two's release strategy aims to respect the consumer's need to spend significant time with each game, saying, "No, I think we will plan the releases so as not to have that be a problem. And what we found is when you're giving consumers hits, they tend to be interested in pursuing other hits."
While *Borderlands 4*'s new release date might rule out a GTA 6 launch in September or August 2025, the exact timing for GTA 6 remains uncertain, with potential release windows spanning October, November, or December 2025. Zelnick acknowledged the inherent risks of delays, saying, "Look, there's always a risk of slippage and I think as soon as you say words like absolutely, you jinx things. So we feel really good about it."
