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

The State of Play for Borderlands 4 provided an exciting 20-minute official gameplay deep dive, showcasing the game's new features and mechanics. Dive deeper to discover the fresh details unveiled and explore the fan theories surrounding the game's altered launch date.

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, as part of PlayStation’s latest State of Play, introduced fans to a captivating 20-minute gameplay deep dive video. This deep dive focused on two of the four new Vault Hunters: Vex the Siren, who harnesses supernatural phase energy to enhance her abilities and summon deadly minions, and Rafa the Exo-Soldier, a former Tediore trooper equipped with an experimental exo-suit that can digistruct an arsenal of weapons.

The gameplay also introduced players to the new planet of Kairos, a world fraught with warring factions, deadly fauna, and desperate inhabitants, all under the oppressive rule of the Timekeeper. The objective is to spark a revolution against this tyrant, aligning with various factions and recruiting them to your cause. Beloved characters such as Claptrap, Moxxi, and Zane are set to return, assisting players in their quest.

Moreover, the video highlighted new features like the innovative licensed Parts system, which allows players to customize their weapons by mixing and matching behaviors and abilities. New Gear slots enable more specialized builds, while the introduction of the Digirunner vehicle adds an exciting layer to exploration and combat.

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 would be moved up by two weeks, citing the game's "incredible development work" as the reason. However, fans have speculated that other factors, particularly the release plans of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6), might be influencing this decision.

Both Gearbox Software and Rockstar Games, the developers behind Borderlands and GTA respectively, are subsidiaries of Take-Two Interactive. This connection has led to fan theories suggesting strategic scheduling adjustments. During Take-Two Interactive's earnings call in November 2024, CEO Strauss Zelnick mentioned GTA 6's planned release for Fall 2025 and emphasized that it would not conflict with Borderlands 4's launch, which was originally set within the company's 2026 fiscal year (April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026). Zelnick further reassured in a November 2024 interview with Variety that the company would not stack major releases unnecessarily.

Gearbox Entertainment CEO Randy Pitchford took to Twitter (X) on April 30 to clarify the situation, stating emphatically that the decision to move up the release date was "literally 0% about any other product’s actual or theoretical launch date." Instead, Pitchford attributed the early release to the studio's confidence in the quality of Borderlands 4.

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