Gearbox Software recently concluded its Borderlands 4 State of Play, unveiling 20 minutes of new gameplay and details for their eagerly awaited looter shooter. The presentation dives straight into the action, assuring fans that this 2025 installment is set to be the studio's most immersive and refined experience yet. With significant gameplay enhancements ranging from innovative traversal abilities to revamped loot drop systems, Gearbox packed the 20-minute showcase with insights on how Borderlands 4 elevates the series with fresh mechanics and updated features. Below, we've compiled all the key highlights.
Movement Abilities ------------------Each Borderlands game introduces new ways to navigate the world, and Borderlands 4 continues this tradition. While we've had glimpses of the new traversal tools in prior showcases, the gameplay footage from today's event provided a more detailed view of what's in store.
Vault Hunters will benefit from a Destiny-inspired midair hover capability, allowing players to shoot while in the air or reach distant ledges. Additionally, a grappling hook will serve both combat and exploration purposes, and a dash feature will enable last-second evasions. Vehicles remain a core element in Borderlands 4, with players now having the ability to spawn their rides, including the new Digirunner, at their convenience.
Guns and Manufacturers
Although previous showcases touched on Vault Hunter traversal, today's State of Play spotlighted the gun manufacturers. Borderlands 4 will feature eight companies, introducing three new ones: Order, Ripper, and Daedalus, each with distinctive weapon designs and abilities.
The game introduces a new twist on its gun mechanics with the Licensed Parts System. Now, weapons can incorporate parts from various manufacturers, allowing for unique combinations such as an assault rifle with Maliwan's elemental components, a Torgue ammo clip, and a Hyperion shield. Higher rarity weapons will include more parts, making the pursuit of legendary loot more enticing than ever.
Borderlands 4 State of Play Gameplay Screenshots
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Story
The Borderlands 4 State of Play focuses on two Vault Hunters: Vex the Siren and Rafa, an exosuit-wearing former Tediore soldier. Vex harnesses Siren abilities to summon allies in combat, while Rafa crafts tools like Ark Knives to swiftly dismantle foes. The showcased gameplay features the duo navigating the frigid, expansive arenas of the Terminus Range, one of four zones on the planet Kairos.
The narrative will blend familiar faces with new characters. Returning figures include Moxxi, Zane, Amara, and Claptrap, with hints of more to come about Lilith. New additions include Rush, a towering armored figure, and Echo 4, a robot companion who aids players throughout Borderlands 4 by scanning environments, hacking, and guiding lost Vault Hunters to their objectives.
Multiplayer
Gearbox has streamlined the co-op experience in Borderlands 4, introducing an enhanced lobby system to facilitate quick connections with friends. Crossplay will be available at launch, ensuring seamless gameplay across platforms with instanced loot and dynamic level scaling.
Customization extends to individual difficulty settings within parties, allowing each player to tailor their experience. Split-screen couch co-op will be available at launch, alongside a feature enabling players to fast travel to their friends if someone gets lost.
Borderlands 4 also includes a reduced chance for Legendary loot drops, expansive new skill trees, and numerous additional features. Players will choose between quick revives and temporary combat buffs via Rep Kit gear, while Ordnances allow for the selection of either grenades or unique heavy weapons in a cooldown slot. Enhancements, replacing Artifacts, will provide bonuses specific to guns from different manufacturers.Borderlands 4 has moved up its release date by 11 days, now set for September 12 on PC via the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is slated for a later release this year.
Despite fan speculation, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford clarified that the date change is not related to the anticipated release of Take-Two Interactive’s Grand Theft Auto 6. Stay tuned for more updates as Gearbox gears up for a hands-on gameplay event in June.
