Randy Pitchford: Borderlands 4's Early Release Not Tied to Other Game Launches

Randy Pitchford, the development chief at Gearbox, has firmly stated that the decision to advance the release of Borderlands 4 from September 23 to September 12 was not influenced by the release dates of other games. Speculation had arisen that this move might have been made to avoid competition with titles like Marathon or Grand Theft Auto 6. Borderlands 4, a cooperative-focused first-person shooter, will now launch across multiple platforms including PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

The shift in release date prompted speculation that it might be a strategic move by Take-Two, the parent company of both Gearbox and Rockstar (the developer behind GTA 6), to give Borderlands 4 a better chance at success. GTA 6 is still slated for a fall 2025 release. Additionally, there were discussions about a potential clash with Bungie's Marathon, another cooperative extraction shooter, which was set to launch on the same day as the original Borderlands 4 release date.

However, Pitchford took to Twitter to clarify the situation, emphasizing that the early release was due to "confidence" in the game and its development progress. He stated, "Borderlands 4 shipping early is 100% the result of confidence in the game and development trajectory backed by actual tasks and bug find/fix rates. Our decision is literally 0% about any other product’s actual or theoretical launch date."

While moving a release date forward is unusual in the gaming industry (where delays are more common), Chris Dring, Editor-In-Chief and Co-Founder of The Game Business, expressed skepticism about the move. He noted that with all the marketing materials and public information still pointing to the original date, there must be a compelling commercial reason for the change.

In a video message, Pitchford shared his excitement about the game's development, saying, "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."

It's important to consider that Borderlands 4 is published by 2K Games, which, along with Gearbox and the Borderlands IP, is owned by Take-Two. This same company is the parent of Rockstar, the developers of GTA 6. At the executive level, including CEO Strauss Zelnick, there is likely a strategic oversight to ensure all games have the best chance of success.

In a February interview with IGN, Zelnick discussed Take-Two's approach to release timing, aiming to avoid cannibalization of their own games. He emphasized respecting consumer needs, stating, "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."

Amidst the speculation about Borderlands 4's release date, there's also talk of potential delays for GTA 6, possibly into early winter or the first quarter of 2026. Zelnick, however, expressed optimism about meeting the fall 2025 target for GTA 6, while acknowledging the inherent risks of delays in game development.

Borderlands 4 will be showcased in a PlayStation State of Play broadcast on April 30 at 2pm PT / 5pm ET / 11pm CEST, giving fans a closer look at what to expect from the game.