April 2025 State of Play: Deep Dive into Borderlands 4 Gameplay

The State of Play for Borderlands 4 unveiled a 20-minute official gameplay deep dive, spotlighting the game's new features and mechanics. Dive into the exciting details revealed and explore the fan theories behind the game's launch date adjustment.

Borderlands 4 State of Play: New Details Revealed

20-Minute Gameplay Deep Dive Video

The Borderlands 4 State of Play, streamed on April 30, showcased a comprehensive 20-minute gameplay deep dive, offering fans an in-depth look at the eagerly anticipated looter shooter. 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 can digistruct a vast arsenal of weapons.

The gameplay also unveiled the new planet of Kairos, characterized by warring factions, deadly fauna, and desperate inhabitants, all under the oppressive rule of the Timekeeper. Players are tasked with igniting a revolution against this tyrant, forging alliances with unique factions along the way. Beloved characters like Claptrap, Moxxi, and Zane make a return to assist players on their quest.

New features showcased include the innovative licensed Parts system, allowing players to customize their weapons by mixing and matching behaviors and abilities. Additional Gear slots cater to more specialized builds, while the new Digirunner vehicle offers a fresh way to navigate the game's expansive world.

Gearbox Denies Launch Date Change is Influenced by Other Games

Prior to the State of Play, Gearbox Software announced a two-week advancement in Borderlands 4's release date, attributing the change to the game's "incredible development work." Despite this explanation, fans speculated that the decision might be influenced by the release plans of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6).

Both Gearbox Software and Rockstar Games, the developers of Borderlands and GTA respectively, are subsidiaries of Take-Two Interactive. This connection fueled fan theories, particularly after Take-Two's earlier comments about their release windows. During an earnings call in November 2024, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick affirmed GTA 6's planned Fall 2025 release and assured that it would not conflict with Borderlands 4's window, set within the company's 2026 fiscal year.

In response to these speculations, Gearbox Entertainment CEO Randy Pitchford took to Twitter (X) on April 30 to clarify that the decision to move up the release date was purely based on their confidence in the game's readiness. "Our decision is literally 0% about any other product’s actual or theoretical launch date," Pitchford emphasized.

Regardless of the reasons behind the date change, fans can look forward to experiencing the new Borderlands game earlier than anticipated. Borderlands 4 is scheduled for release on September 12, 2025, across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Stay tuned for more updates by checking out our related article below!