After years of vault hunting, wild loot drops, and some of gaming’s loudest shoot-and-loot chaos, the Borderlands franchise has officially leveled up again. Borderlands 4 is out now worldwide, marking the next chapter in Gearbox’s long-running looter-shooter saga.
Published by 2K Games and developed by Gearbox, Borderlands 4 takes players to a brand-new setting: the planet Kairos. Ruled by the Timekeeper, a tyrant who twists reality itself, Kairos sets the stage for a fresh story and a cast of four new Vault Hunters. Each arrives with redesigned skill trees, unique class abilities, and the kind of over-the-top arsenal that’s been the series’ calling card since 2009.
The launch lineup covers PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with a Nintendo Switch 2 version scheduled to drop October 3. Players can pick between multiple editions — Standard, Deluxe, and Super Deluxe — with higher tiers adding cosmetics, bonus gear, and Vault Hunter upgrades.
Gameplay itself has been modernized with a seamless open world, dynamic traversal tools like grappling hooks, and fewer loading interruptions between zones. Co-op remains at the heart of the chaos, and cross-play means you can squad up no matter your platform. Gearbox has even been pushing the “Quit Earth” message in its live-action launch trailer, telling players to leave it all behind and make Kairos their new home.
Not everything is sunshine and loot, though. Early reactions on Steam show Borderlands 4 sitting at a mostly negative review rating, with players citing bugs, performance issues, and uneven design choices. It’s a rocky start for a game with this much hype, though Gearbox has promised fast updates to address the complaints. As of this writing, Steam reviews are currently at “Mixed“, which at least shows some improvement.
For longtime fans, Borderlands 4 feels like the biggest evolution yet — a chance to revisit the series’ trademark humor, loot grind, and cooperative shootouts in a world that’s finally keeping pace with modern design. And for anyone who’s never set foot on Pandora or Promethea, there’s no better time to dive into the mayhem.
