Gearbox’s highly anticipated first-person shooter, Borderlands 4, is set to launch 11 days earlier than initially planned. Development chief Randy Pitchford confirmed this surprising news in a video that was inadvertently released early. Originally slated for a September 23 release, Borderlands 4 will now hit the shelves on September 12, available across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
In the video, Pitchford expressed excitement about the game's progress, stating, "Everything is going great, actually. In fact, everything is going kind of the best-case scenario. The game is awesome, the team is cooking, and so the launch date for Borderlands 4 is changing. We’re moving it forward. The launch date is now September 12." He further emphasized the rarity of this situation, exclaiming, "What?! This never happens you guys! This never happens! We’re moving the launch date forward! You’re gonna get Borderlands 4 earlier!"
Pitchford also mentioned that a PlayStation State of Play event focused on Borderlands 4 is expected to be released soon, adding to the excitement around the game.
The decision to move Borderlands 4's release date forward has sparked speculation about its timing in relation to the looming release of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6), which is set for the fall of 2025 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. Given the vague release window of GTA 6, it's possible that Borderlands 4's new date aims to give it more breathing room in the market. Borderlands 4 is published by 2K Games, a subsidiary of Take-Two, which also owns GTA developer Rockstar. At the executive level, including CEO Strauss Zelnick, there would be strategic considerations to ensure the best possible launch for all titles.
If Borderlands 4 launches on September 12, it might suggest that GTA 6 won't be released in the same month or August. Possible release dates for GTA 6 could then be in October, November, or December 2025. However, there's a risk that Take-Two might release its major titles too close to each other, potentially impacting their sales. Another 2K game, Mafia: The Old Country, is also scheduled for release in the summer of 2025, adding complexity to the release schedule.
In an interview with Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick in February, he addressed concerns about potential cannibalization of sales due to closely timed releases. Zelnick emphasized that Take-Two plans its releases to avoid such issues, driven by a desire to "respect the consumer's need to spend a lot of time playing these hit games before they go on to the next." He expressed confidence that consumers would be interested in playing multiple hit games, even if they are not all from Take-Two, and affirmed that the company feels good about its release strategy.
Amidst these considerations, there remains the possibility that GTA 6 might be delayed into early winter or even into the first quarter of 2026. Zelnick acknowledged the risk of delays but maintained optimism about meeting the fall 2025 target for GTA 6, saying, "Look, there's always a risk of slippage and I think as soon as you say words like absolutely, you jinx things. So we feel really good about it."
