Borderlands fans looking forward to looting on the go will have to wait longer than expected. Gearbox confirmed that the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Borderlands 4, which was slated for October 3, has been delayed indefinitely. The studio said the game needs additional development and polish before it can launch on the platform.
The announcement comes at a tricky time for Gearbox. While Borderlands 4 has already sold millions of copies across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, the release has been dogged by reports of performance issues—particularly on PC. Even top-end rigs have had difficulty breaking past 120 FPS, while mid-range cards struggle to maintain smooth 60 FPS gameplay. Gearbox has pushed out patches aimed at stabilizing performance, but the delay of the Switch 2 version underscores how much optimization is still on the table.
CEO Randy Pitchford hasn’t helped matters, brushing off criticism by claiming low volumes of customer service tickets and insisting the game is “made for premium rigs”—a response many players saw as tone-deaf given widespread complaints.
For Switch 2 owners, that means cancelled plans. Gearbox confirmed that all digital preorders will be automatically refunded through the Nintendo eShop starting September 26. Players who preordered physical copies will need to contact their retailers for refunds. The studio hasn’t provided a revised release window but suggested that aligning the eventual launch with cross-save support across platforms remains a goal.
For now, Borderlands 4 remains playable on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, but Nintendo fans eager to join the Vault-hunting chaos will be left waiting. The delay highlights the challenge of bringing a technically demanding game to new hardware and raises questions about how quickly Switch 2’s third-party lineup will materialize.
