Borderlands 4: Everything We Know (Release Date, Co-op, Gameplay)
After years of anticipation, Gearbox Software has officially pulled back the curtain on Borderlands 4, and it’s shaping up to be far more than just another sequel. Analysis of official announcements and early previews shows this is a foundational overhaul of the series’ core formula, built on a fresh narrative start, radically enhanced player mobility, and a complete redesign of the loot and buildcrafting systems to create a more rewarding and durable endgame.
From its confirmed release date and four new Vault Hunters to the deep co-op features and new world systems, we’ve compiled every critical detail you need to know about the next generation of mayhem.
Release Date & Platforms
Gearbox and 2K are targeting a multi-platform launch in the fall of 2025.
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC: The official launch date is September 12, 2025. The game will be available on both Steam and the Epic Games Store on day one.
- Nintendo Switch 2: A version for Nintendo’s next-gen console is also confirmed and is scheduled to launch approximately three weeks later on October 3, 2025.
The game is being developed on Unreal Engine 5 by Gearbox Software and published by 2K.
A New Narrative Frontier: The World of Kairos
Borderlands 4 is leaving Pandora behind. The story picks up after the events of Borderlands 3, where Lilith’s sacrifice had an unforeseen consequence: it destroyed a protective barrier around the prison planet of Kairos, violently exposing it to the galaxy.
The entire game is set on Kairos, a “high-tech but lo-fi” world designed as a single, seamless playable space with no loading screens between its diverse zones. The central conflict revolves around leading a resistance movement against the planet’s ruthless dictator, the Timekeeper.
Explore the Regions of Kairos
Kairos is comprised of four distinct, seamlessly connected regions:
- The Fadefields: Rolling hills and verdant forests that hide dark secrets under a serene veneer.
- Terminus Range: Frigid, towering mountain peaks home to the hardy, native Auger species.
- Carcadia Burn: Shattered desert lands torn apart by a cataclysm, now a battlefield for warring factions.
- The Dominion: The Timekeeper’s impenetrable and towering fortress city.
Allies & Enemies of the Resistance
The resistance is populated by new factions, including the crash-landed Outbounders led by Rush, the outcast Electi which includes the poised and witty Levaine, and the native Augers represented by the boisterous Defiant Calder. They are joined by returning fan-favorites Amara, Zane, Moxxi, and Claptrap. In a major move to improve immersion, the player’s chosen Vault Hunter will now be fully present in cinematic cutscenes.
The New Class of Vault Hunters
Borderlands 4 introduces four all-new playable Vault Hunters, each with three functionally distinct Action Skills, allowing for a broad range of tactical approaches.
Vex, The Siren
Vex is a “Necromancer-esque” Siren whose skills revolve around minions and summoned entities. Her Phase Covenant trait attunes her skill and melee damage to her equipped gun’s element.
- Phase Phamiliar: Commands a persistent feline pet, Trouble, who can be teleported into a temporary “Badass” form.
- Incarnate: Unleashes a Phase Explosion that restores her health, after which she enters a powered-up state with increased movement speed and the ability to fire “Eldritch Blasts” from her offhand.
- Dead Ringer: Summons temporary, disposable Phase Clone minions—either ranged “Specters” or melee “Reapers”.
Rafa, The Exo-Soldier
A former Tediore trooper, Rafa’s kit is a versatile weapons platform. His Overdrive trait grants him increased speed and damage when an Action Skill is active.
- APOPHIS Lance: Transforms his arm into a charge-based cannon that fires piercing plasma orbs.
- Peacebreaker Cannons: Deploys autonomous shoulder-mounted cannons that can be converted into a stationary turret.
- Arc-Knives: Equips twin energy blades for melee combat, uniquely shifting the camera to a third-person perspective for maximum spatial awareness.
Amon, The Forgeknight
Amon is a resilient frontline brawler. His skills have both a standard “tap” activation and a more powerful “hold” activation called a “Forgeskill,” creating a high skill ceiling.
- Onslaughter: A self-buff granting shield regen and bonus fire damage, enabling a dashing “Rocket Punch” attack.
- Scourge: Equips a shield that absorbs damage to power a retaliatory “Forgewave” projectile.
- Crucible: Equips throwable Forgeaxes that can be retrieved from the environment to refund the cooldown.
Harlowe, The Gravitar
A former Maliwan scientist, Harlowe is the team’s premier crowd-control and support specialist. Her Entanglement trait links enemies affected by her skills, causing them to share a portion of all damage dealt to any single one of them.
- CHROMA Accelerator: Fires a slow-moving, detonatable orb of Cryo and Radiation energy.
- Zero-Point: Traps a single enemy in a zero-gravity Stasis bubble, a technological spin on an iconic Siren skill.
- Flux Generator: Deploys an energy field that damages enemies and grants Overshields to allies.
A Core Gameplay Overhaul
Borderlands 4 fundamentally changes how you move, loot, and play with friends.
Online and Couch Co-op
Designed for co-op from the ground up, the game supports up to 4-player online co-op and 2-player splitscreen couch co-op (on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S). Full crossplay is supported at launch. Features like instanced loot, dynamic level scaling, and the ability to fast travel directly to teammates ensure a seamless experience for everyone.
Traversal and Combat
Player movement has been massively upgraded. In addition to the classic slide, players can now perform a double jump, mid-air dash, glide, and swim. A new grappling hook can be used for rapid repositioning, traversing the world, and even pulling armor off enemies to create weak points.
The Arsenal Re-Forged: Loot & Equipment
The game will launch with eight primary weapon manufacturers. This includes five returning brands (Jakobs, Maliwan, Tediore, Torgue, Vladof) and three newcomers:
- Daedalus: Reliable, quick to reload, and support multiple ammo types.
- Order: Focus on high-powered, precision burst damage.
- Ripper: Fully automatic guns that require charging before firing.
The revolutionary Licensed Parts system allows the unique gameplay behaviors of one manufacturer to be transplanted onto another’s weapon. This creates a new tier of “parts-only” contributors. Legacy brands like Atlas (Homing Tech), Hyperion (Weapon Shields), and COV (Overheating Magazines) no longer produce their own guns but license their iconic tech to the main eight. While Dahl is also absent as a primary manufacturer, there is currently no confirmed evidence of its tech appearing as licensed parts.
Two new equipment slots create entirely new build possibilities:
- Ordnance: A dedicated slot for grenades and heavy weapons, which now operate on a cooldown instead of consuming ammo.
- Enhancements: This new slot replaces Artifacts from previous games, providing powerful, manufacturer-specific passive boosts to encourage synergistic loadouts.
Finally, in a long-requested feature, players can now replay any completed mission from the menu.
Codex Insight: In a direct response to feedback from Borderlands 3, Gearbox is significantly reducing the drop rate of Legendary weapons. The goal is to make finding a Legendary feel like a truly special event again, enhancing the value and excitement of the loot chase.
Progression and Exploration on Kairos
New systems are in place to deepen the experience of exploring the world.
- Ride on Your Digirunner: This personalized vehicle can be summoned almost anywhere, customized with different components, and used to jet-boost across the seamless world.
- Explore with ECHO-4: This loyal drone buddy provides guidance to your next objective and allows you to upgrade your ammo capacity or change cosmetics on the fly.
- Take Kairos Back: As you explore, you can find and claim Points of Interest for the resistance. Reclaiming safe houses expands your Fast Travel options, while capturing silos lets you use communications balloons to scope out targets and search for elusive Vault Key Fragments.
Codex Insight: Get a Free Weapon Skin Separate from any pre-order bonuses, you can get the free “Hazard Pay Weapon Skin” for use at launch. To get it, you need to sign up for a free SHiFT Account, subscribe to the Borderlands newsletter, and link your gaming platform. The skin will be delivered to your in-game mailbox.
With a complete overhaul to its core systems and four new Vault Hunters to master, the next big question is which edition of the game is right for you. We break down every detail in our complete Borderlands 4 Pre-Order Guide.
Post-Launch Roadmap & DLC
Gearbox has officially revealed their post-launch plans for Borderlands 4. For a complete breakdown of the upcoming Story Packs, the return of Pearlescent weapons, and the new endgame systems, be sure to read our full guide to the Borderlands 4 roadmap.
