April 2025 State of Play Highlights Borderlands 4 Gameplay Deep Dive

The excitement around Borderlands 4 has reached new heights following the April 2025 State of Play, where a detailed 20-minute gameplay deep dive was showcased, giving fans a thorough look at the game’s new features and mechanics. This article dives into the latest details unveiled and explores the fan theories surrounding the game's shifted release date.

Borderlands 4 State of Play New Details Revealed

20-Minute Gameplay Deep Dive Video

The Borderlands 4 State of Play on April 30 provided a fresh glimpse into the upcoming looter shooter. The spotlight was on a comprehensive gameplay video that introduced two out 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 versatile arsenal of weapons.

Players were also introduced to the new planet of Kairos, a world teeming with warring factions, dangerous wildlife, and desperate inhabitants, all under the oppressive rule of the Timekeeper. The mission is to spark a revolution against this tyrant, forging alliances with unique factions along the way. Familiar faces like Claptrap, Moxxi, and Zane return to assist in the quest.

The gameplay also showcased new features such as the innovative licensed Parts system, allowing players to customize weapons by mixing and matching different behaviors and abilities. Additional Gear slots enable more specialized builds, and the introduction of a new vehicle, the Digirunner, adds another layer of excitement to the gameplay experience.

Gearbox Denies Launch Date Change is Influenced by Other Games

Prior to the State of Play, Gearbox Software announced that Borderlands 4 would be released two weeks earlier than initially planned. The studio attributed this move to the "incredible development work" on the game. However, this announcement fueled speculation among fans, many of whom believed the decision was 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 led fans to theorize that the companies might be strategically adjusting their release dates. This speculation was further fueled by Take-Two Interactive's statement during their November 2024 earnings call, where they confirmed their intention to launch GTA 6 in the Fall of 2025, within the same fiscal year as Borderlands 4.

However, Gearbox Entertainment CEO Randy Pitchford took to Twitter (X) on April 30 to dispel these rumors. He emphasized that the decision to advance the release date was purely based on the studio's confidence in their product, stating, "Our decision is literally 0% about any other product’s actual or theoretical launch date."

Regardless of the reasons behind the change, fans can look forward to experiencing Borderlands 4 sooner than anticipated. The game is now set to launch 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 articles below!