Gearbox reveals Borderlands 4 at Gamescom, probably hoping to put the terrible movie behind it — here’s the release date info
It’s confirmed: the next Borderlands is on the way. Here’s when it’s coming.
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What you need to know
Nearly five years after the release of the last mainlineBorderlandsentry, Borderlands 3, in 2019, developer Gearbox Software and publisher 2K Games have announced Borderlands 4 atGamescom 2024. The reveal of the sequel came in a special teaser trailer shown at the start of the convention’s Opening Night Live show on Tuesday afternoon.
You can watch the trailerhereor view it via the embed below. Notably, like every Borderlands installment before it, Borderlands 4 will release on Xbox, Windows PC, and PlayStation. Specifically, it’s coming to Xbox Series X|S and both Steam and the Epic Games Store, along with PlayStation 5. The trailer also highlights that it has a scheduled release window of 2025, though whenspecificallyit’s coming next year is unknown at the time of writing.
Borderlands 4 can be wishlisted onits Steam store pagenow, though fans hopeful to learn more about it from its written description will be disappointed. “The definitive looter shooter arrives in 2025. Wishlist now,” it reads. “See if you have what it takes to go down in history as a legendary Vault Hunter as you search for secret alien treasure, blasting everything in sight.”
•Best Xbox / PC headsets in 2024•Best upcoming Xbox/PC games•Best Xbox controllers•Best Xbox accessories•Best small gaming PCs•Best gaming laptops in 2024
So, in other words, nothing that we didn’t already know about the popular franchise. Still, after the absolute disaster that was the recently released Borderlands movie, I’m sure both Gearbox and series superfans are glad to look ahead to greener pastures.
The trailer itself says equally little about Borderlands 4, though the visual spectacle of a moon crashing into and destroying what seems to be a planetary shield suggests that the scale of this fourth entry will be bigger than anything that’s come before it. Each Borderlands gamehasbeen more ambitious than the last, withBorderlands 3taking the series beyond Pandora’s orbit and to the wider galaxy.
Borderlands 3 is generally considered to be the best title in the franchise in terms of gunplay, character skills, and loot, though fans and critics alike lambasted its humor and writing. Its parodies of modern day “influencer culture” were widely considered cringe-inducing, so hopefully Gearbox is able to channel some Borderlands 2 energy and put out a better script this time around.
Personally, I’m feeling hopeful about that, especially since the 2022 spinoffTiny Tina’s Wonderlandswas excellent (though a little short, compared to the mainline games). Only time will tell if Borderlands 4 delivers, of course, but I’m looking forward to jumping in and finding out next year.
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If you’ve never played Borderlands before, there’s never been a better time to jump in. That’s because in the aftermath of the Borderlands movie flopping comically hard,all the games are up to 94% offfor a limited time, making it incredibly easy to get all of them for cheap. If I had to recommend just one, though, it would be Borderlands 2, as it has great gameplay and fantastic writing both. Ultimately, though, they’re all worth playing.
Borderlands 2: Game of the Year Edition |was $39.99now $4.49 at CDKeys (Steam, PC)
Generally considered to be the best Borderlands game overall, Borderlands 2 is where the franchise’s RPG buildcrafting elements really started taking off. It’s also where the writing started to tip into “absurdist” territory, though it tells an excellent story and introduces Handsome Jack — one of the best-ever video game antagonists.
Also see:Borderlands: The Handsome Collection at Xbox (BL2 + The Pre-Sequel, $9.99)
Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he’s been an avid fan since childhood. He’s been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you’ll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he’s not writing or gaming, there’s a good chance he’s either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once.Follow him on X(Twitter).
