April 2025 State of Play Highlights Borderlands 4 Gameplay

The State of Play for Borderlands 4 unveiled a captivating 20-minute official gameplay deep dive, showcasing the game’s new features and mechanics. Dive into the new details revealed and explore the speculated reasons behind the game's launch date change.

Borderlands 4 State of Play: New Details Revealed

20-Minute Gameplay Deep Dive Video

The Borderlands 4 State of Play, streamed on April 30, 2025, via PlayStation’s platform, provided fans with a comprehensive 20-minute gameplay deep dive video. This 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 capable of digistructing an arsenal of weapons.

The gameplay also introduced players to the new planet of Kairos, a world teeming with warring factions, deadly fauna, and desperate inhabitants, all under the oppressive rule of the Timekeeper. The mission is clear: ignite a revolution against this evil tyrant, engaging with unique factions and rallying them to your cause. Returning fan-favorite characters Claptrap, Moxxi, and Zane will assist players on this quest.

The video also showcased new features such as the innovative licensed Parts system, allowing players to mix and match weapon behaviors and abilities, new Gear slots for more specialized builds, and the ability to ride a new vehicle, the Digirunner, adding more excitement to the game.

Gearbox Denies Launch Date Change is Influenced by Other Games

Before the State of Play, Gearbox Software announced that Borderlands 4's release date would be moved up by two weeks. The studio attributed this change to the "incredible development work" on the game. However, fans speculated that the decision might have been influenced by the release plans of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6).

Both Gearbox Software and Rockstar Games, the developer of GTA 6, are owned by Take-Two Interactive. This connection fueled fan theories, especially following Take-Two's earlier statements about their release windows. During Take-Two Interactive’s earnings call in November 2024, the company announced plans to release GTA 6 in Fall 2025. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick clarified that this would not conflict with Borderlands 4’s planned launch within their 2026 fiscal year (April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026). In a November 2024 interview with Variety, Zelnick emphasized, "I think it’s safe to say that we wouldn’t, and no one would, stack up huge releases unnecessarily."

Gearbox Entertainment CEO Randy Pitchford addressed these speculations on Twitter (X) on April 30, asserting that the early release was due to the studio's confidence in their product. "Our decision is literally 0% about any other product’s actual or theoretical launch date," Pitchford stated.

Despite the speculation, fans can look forward to the early release of Borderlands 4, set for September 12, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Stay updated with the latest news on the game by checking out our dedicated article below!