Summary
- Borderlands 4 has been in development since 2019, shortly after Borderlands 3 shipped.
- According to Gearbox’s Chief Creative Officer Randy Varnell, the team has spent “every one of those years” building the game.
- The game is launching on September 12, 2025, and is being developed natively for next-gen platforms including the Nintendo Switch 2.
Borderlands 4 matches GTA 6’s development timeline
In a new interview, Gearbox Chief Creative Officer Randy Varnell revealed that Borderlands 4 has been in active development since 2019, immediately following the launch of Borderlands 3. That puts it at nearly six years of development, closely matching the timeline of Rockstar’s GTA 6.
While GTA 6 has been the focus of delays and headline coverage, Borderlands 4 has been quietly cooking in the background with a similar long-form cycle. Varnell confirmed that the team spent “every one of those years” working on the project—clearly not a quick follow-up but a fully rebuilt experience.
New planet, new mechanics, and no old-gen support in Borderlands 4
Borderlands 4 will introduce a new setting called Kairos, four new Vault Hunters, and open-world traversal mechanics designed to make moving around just as enjoyable as shooting things up. The game will be free of loading screens and offer a seamless co-op experience, a first for the series.
It also marks a hard shift to current-gen only—no PS4 or Xbox One. It’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam + Epic), and Nintendo Switch 2. Varnell was especially enthusiastic about the Switch 2, saying its hardware is enabling Gearbox to build the best version of Borderlands 4 possible without compromises.
Release date confirmed and moved up
Borderlands 4 is scheduled to release on September 12, 2025, a date that has actually been moved up from an earlier plan. This bold move reportedly reflects the studio’s confidence in their progress after nearly six years of work.
Conclusion
With a long development cycle matching GTA 6, a brand-new setting, and no last-gen support, Borderlands 4 is shaping up to be a major next-gen release. The official September 2025 release date, combined with the move to seamless open-world design and Switch 2 integration, signals Gearbox’s most ambitious Borderlands yet.
