Gearbox Software just wrapped up a special Borderlands 4 State of Play, hosted by PlayStation. The 20-minute presentation showcased gameplay, and introduced two of the four new Vault Hunters.
Borderlands 4 features a new planet and “a more grounded tone.” The planet Kairos, previously hidden, was exposed after the events of Borderlands 3, when Lilith teleported Pandora’s moon, Elpis across the galaxy.
In a series first, Kairos looks like a seamless open world (though the developers avoid using that exact phrase). The gameplay showcase emphasized new movement and traversal abilities, including gliding, climbing, and even spawning a personal, customizable vehicle for quicker travel.
The confirmed Vault Hunters are Vex, a new siren character, and Rafa, a former soldier. Vex can channel her phase energy to empower her abilities, or summon spectral minions. Rafa can utilize his exosuit to deliver special attacks.
A new planet would bring a new cast of characters, but it wouldn’t be Borderlands without the personalities. The State of Play confirmed the return of several stars from the series, including Claptrap, Amara, Zane, and Moxxi.
The showcase downplayed the zany, irreverent, energetic humor of the series, focusing instead on pure action gameplay, with a few character quips. The series’ signature randomized gun loot has been expanded with more gun brands and styles. A brand new feature are hybrids, which feature gun parts and features from different manufacturers.
Gearbox also confirmed the return of split-screen co-op multiplayer, a defining feature of the series since the original game.
Just ahead of the showcase, Gearbox made the surprise announcement that the release of Borderlands 4 has been moved up to September 12. The previous release date, announced during the State of Play earlier this year, was September 23.
Borderlands 4 will release on September 12 on PC, PlayStation 5, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X/S. It’s rated M for Mature.
