As fans of the franchise ready themselves for the upcoming installment,Borderlands 4promises to deliver a fresh story, setting, and new vault hunters, as well as some possible fresh gameplay mechanics. While it still isn’t clear if the changes and new features in the next game will make itbetter than its predecessors, developers at Take-Two Interactive released an awesomenew trailer at The Game Awards 2024with juicy clips and clues about the next game’s possible narrative details. Now that 2025 has officially kicked off, fans are eager to learn everything aboutBorderlands 4’srelease later this year.
So far, any major changes to gameplay or new gameplay mechanics have only been teased by developers at Take-Two, but the trailer might give a hint as to what features are in store. More significantly, the trailer puts speculation to rest over the purported antagonist ofBorderlands 4and shows that the franchise can survive with a new villain that isn’t quite as handsome, the Timekeeper. Overall,Borderlands 4looks like it is going to be a familiar yet reinvigorated installment in the epic franchise, with more loot, better enemies, and an exciting continuation of the legendary story.
Everything We Know About Setting & Story
Borderlands 4 Picks Up Where Borderlands 3 Left Off
At the end ofBorderlands 3, Lilith ran toward the fire, launching herself at Elpis to teleport the entire moon into unknown space and save Pandora from a devastating collision.Borderlands 4will let players"break free from a dangerous hidden planet as one of four new badass Vault Hunters"on the technologically advanced, hidden planet Kairos,witnessing the"cataclysmic aftermath"from Lilith’s heroic feat firsthand.With Pandora’s moon now in Kairos’s orbit, the planet is"a powder keg ready to explode.“Kairos and the moon Elpis are explorable inBorderlands 4,with brand-new weapons, enemies, and more.
“Pandora’s moon, Elpis, has now broken through that veil, opening up many mysteries about the nature of this planet and who exactly it’s being hidden from.”
It’s also been revealed in a PAX developer panel forBorderlands 4(viaYouTube)that Kairos is surrounded by a “cloaking veil” that completely hides the planet from the rest of the universe. Pandora’s moon, Elpis, has now broken through that veil, opening up many mysteries about the nature of this planet and who exactly it’s being hidden from. Developers also emphasized that they want the story to focus on the player’s experiences, i.e. the heroes of the story are the four new vault hunters and theircharacter arcs will be a central focal point for the narrativeinBorderlands 4.
Borderlands 4 Trailer’s Secret Message Has Already Been Decoded
The Borderlands 4 official full trailer has just dropped at last night’s Game Awards the secret message at the end has already been cracked.
The specific story details haven’t been revealed, but it’s clear the antagonist will beThe Timekeeper,a powerful authoritarian dictator on Kairosthat vault hunters will undoubtedly face off against throughout the game. It appears there will be warring factions of mechanized cyborg bandits, robot armies, and mutated Psychos, as well as new monster types and even new elemental effects and terrain types, which would make sense on a planet that isn’t Pandora. Other possible story elements include a silhouette of what might be Roland, andcryptic secret messagesthat could potentially come from the Watcher.
Everything We Know About Gameplay
Borderlands 4 Gameplay Has Everything From Grappling Hooks To Vehicles On-Demand
In addition to the limited story details in the trailer, some gameplay features can be seen. At one point, gameplay footage of a vault hunter interacting with a glowing triangle on the side of a structure using a grappling hook of sorts. This could be a new gameplay mechanic applicable to all vault hunters, or may be one of the four new playable vault hunters' skills or abilities. It also looks like there will bevehicles that players can summon on-demand,which is a major upgrade from previous systems where vault hunters found themselves stranded without a ride.
Developers have also made it clear each character’s Skill Trees inBorderlands 4will be bigger than in previous games, and that Action Skills will likely not be “fire and forget,” meaning new Action Skills are likely to require more strategizing and planning.The planet of Kairos is full of advanced technology that hasn’t been seen beforein theBorderlandsuniverse, and is influenced by machinery and mechanization more so than any other previousBorderlandssetting. This means there is vast potential for"mechanical monstrosities, bloodthirsty bandits, and vicious beasts,“as well as bandits and scavengers using repurposed technologies.
10 Features We Desperately Want To See In Borderlands 4
Gearbox Software has scheduled Borderlands 4 for a 2025 release, and there are a number of features the game can improve the series with.
While the gameplay inBorderlands 4has only been teased in brief clips in the official trailer and vague descriptions from the PAX Panel,there will be anothergameplay reveal in early 2025that will give fans a closer look at the"immense sci-fi adventure packed with free-form combat and exploration, pulse-pounding boss fights, infinitely varied loot drops,“and more. Fans will likely get a better idea of each of the four vault hunters, their unique skills and abilities, skill trees, environments, and any other major changes coming to Borderlands 4 when it releases later this year.
Borderlands 4: Platforms & Possible Release Window
Take-Two Narrows Down The 2025 Release Window
According to aTake-Twofiscal report,Borderlands 4is set to release in fiscal year 2026, so likely no sooner than July 2025, giving the game arelease window between July and December 2025.It’s likely a specific date will be set in the coming months, possibly even in the upcoming gameplay reveal trailer. Borderlands 4 will be available on most major platforms and can be added to Wishlists now on Steam, Epic Games, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X. Fans will have a lot to look forward to this year asBorderlands 4gears up for launch.
“The next installment will lean into the advanced technology found around Kairos, adding potential new gameplay mechanics.”
Borderlands 4promises fans a new, dynamic setting and environment on Kairos and the moon of Elpis, an exciting and fresh continuation to the ongoing Borderlands saga with four new vault hunters, an intimidating new villain, the Timekeeper, and billions of guns for players to enjoy. The next installment will lean into the advanced technology found around Kairos, adding potential new gameplay mechanics. And while some features from previous games are likely to be updated or reinvented,Borderlands 4will still contain all the familiar and hilarious elements that fans love about the franchise.
