Borderlands 4

Borderlands 4 – The Looter Shooter Returns With A Whole New World (And Some Growing Pains)

Attribute	Details
Publisher	2K Games
Developer	Gearbox Software
Release Date	September 12, 2025
Genre	Looter Shooter, First-Person Shooter, Action RPG
Platforms	PC (Windows), PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2

So, What Exactly Is Borderlands 4?

Look, Borderlands has been around for a while. The first game came out in 2009, and it basically invented the “looter shooter” genre – first-person shooting mixed with Diablo-style loot and RPG systems . More than 93 million copies later, here we are with the fourth main entry .

Borderlands 4 released on September 12, 2025 . It’s been a few years since Borderlands 3 (2019), and Gearbox had a lot to prove. The third game was… controversial. Great shooting, but the story and villains? Not so much. And then there was that movie. We don’t talk about the movie.

So here’s Borderlands 4. A new planet. New vault hunters. And a promise to tone down the “annoying” comedy . Does it deliver? Kind of. Let me break it down.

The Story – New Planet, Same Chaos

You’re not on Pandora anymore. Borderlands 4 takes you to Kairos, a brand new planet that’s basically Pandora’s angry cousin . It’s hostile, the wildlife wants to kill you, and most people shoot first and ask questions never.

The big bad this time is The Timekeeper – a despot who can literally get inside your head and control your will . He’s the leader of something called The Order, and he’s turned Kairos into a dictatorship. Six years before the game starts, a new moon appeared in Kairos’s sky – Elpis, Pandora’s old moon . Yeah. THAT Elpis. The one from The Pre-Sequel. Borderlands fans will know exactly what that means.

You play as one of four new Vault Hunters. Each has their own skill trees, abilities, and playstyles . No returning characters from previous games as playable options, but you’ll meet familiar faces along the way. Claptrap is back (unfortunately?), and apparently some other returning characters show up in the first expansion .

The New World – Goodbye Loading Screens

Here’s the biggest change. Borderlands 4 is OPEN WORLD . No more segmented areas connected by loading screens. You can just… go. Explore. Find stuff. Get killed by things you weren’t ready for.

Kairos is massive – Gearbox says it’s the largest map in the series . The open world adds new activities too: capture fast travel points, fight world bosses, raid enemy ships, search for Vault fragments . It’s a natural evolution for the series, even if it doesn’t reinvent the wheel .

How Does It Actually Play?

Let me break down what you’ll actually be doing.

Movement – Now With More Verticality

Borderlands 4 adds new traversal mechanics that change how you approach combat :

Grappling Hook – Pull yourself up to high ledges quickly. You can also grab explosive barrels and throw them at enemies .
Gliding – Hold the jump button to float through the air, giving you more control and better angles for shooting .
Double Jump & Dashes – Basic vertical movement upgrades that make the game feel faster and more fluid .

These additions make combat more dynamic. You’re not just running and gunning anymore – you’re zipping across the battlefield, taking high ground, and raining bullets from above.

The Guns – Still The Main Event

Borderlands is about the guns. Always has been. Borderlands 4 delivers here.

The game features weapons from EIGHT manufacturers :

Returning favorites: Maliwan, Tediore, Torgue, Jakobs, Vladof – same chaotic energy you remember.
New manufacturers: Order, Ripper, Daedalus – these are local to Kairos and add new mechanics.

Order weapons fire energy charges. Hold the trigger longer, and you release a swarm of deadly projectiles .

Ripper (basically the new Bandit/COV) lets you fire at insane speeds – but only if you hold the trigger down. Tap-fire? Nothing happens. Commit or die .

Daedalus weapons can switch ammo types on the fly. Your assault rifle can suddenly fire sniper rounds. Very handy in a pinch .

The shooting itself feels excellent. Recoil is punchy, hit registration is satisfying, and the sound design is chunky . Borderlands has always had great gunplay, and this is no exception.

Skill Trees & Customization

Each Vault Hunter has deep customization options . Multiple skill trees, class-specific abilities, and enough variety that you can build your character very differently from someone else playing the same class.

The game also features a ton of cosmetic customization – skins, heads, weapon skins, vehicle skins. You’ll look ridiculous. That’s the point.

Co-op – The Borderlands Way

Borderlands is best with friends. Borderlands 4 supports dynamic co-op where you can drop in and drop out anytime . Loot is instanced (you get your own drops, so no fighting over guns). Cross-platform play is supported through SHiFT accounts .

You can play solo. It’s fine. But you’re missing half the fun.

Single-Player vs Multiplayer – Both are supported. The game scales difficulty based on player count. Four-player chaos is peak Borderlands.

Performance Issues (Let’s Talk About It)

Here’s where things get messy.

Borderlands 4 launched with serious technical problems . Low frame rates. Crashes. Stuttering. Players reporting the game won’t even launch properly .

Some of this was fixed with a day-one patch that delivered PC performance improvements . The patch is mandatory – you want it even if you have top-tier hardware.

But even after the patch, the game isn’t perfectly optimized. A Russian reviewer noted that Borderlands 4 isn’t technically advanced enough to justify running this poorly on “absolutely any hardware” .

That said, some players (myself included) had a relatively smooth experience – a few stutters, a couple crashes, but nothing game-breaking . Your mileage may vary depending on your rig and luck.

“Less Annoying” Comedy

Gearbox promised a “less annoyingly comedic tone” for Borderlands 4 . The humor is still there – this is Borderlands, Claptrap is still Claptrap – but it’s toned down. Less of the “lol random” stuff that grated on people in Borderlands 3.

The story itself is serviceable but predictable . The Timekeeper is a decent villain but not particularly memorable. The open world is welcome but doesn’t innovate .

What Are The System Requirements?

Alright, here’s the serious part. Borderlands 4 is HEFTY.

The Borderlands 4 download size is 100 GB . And you NEED an SSD. Not “recommended.” Required . HDD players, you’re out of luck.

Also, your CPU needs 8 physical cores minimum . Yes, eight. This is a major jump from previous Borderlands games, which recommended quad-core CPUs. The shift to Unreal Engine 5 is demanding .

Borderlands 4 Minimum System Requirements (1080p, Low Settings)

Component	Requirement
OS	Windows 10 64-bit
Processor	Intel Core i7-9700 / AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
Memory	16 GB RAM
Graphics	NVIDIA RTX 2070 / AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT / Intel Arc A580
VRAM	8 GB
Storage	100 GB SSD
CPU Cores	8 physical cores required

Borderlands 4 Recommended System Requirements (1440p/4K, High Settings)

Component	Requirement
OS	Windows 11 64-bit
Processor	Intel Core i7-12700 / AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
Memory	32 GB RAM
Graphics	NVIDIA RTX 3080 / AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT / Intel Arc B580
VRAM	12+ GB
Storage	100 GB SSD

Important Notes:

The game supports DLSS 4, FSR, XeSS, and TSR upscaling . Use these if your GPU struggles.
Day-one patch is essential – download it even if you have a beast PC .
Steam Deck support is not officially available, though a Switch 2 version exists so maybe eventually .

Will it run on my laptop? If you have a gaming laptop with an RTX 2070 (laptop version) or better and 16GB RAM, probably yes at lower settings. Integrated graphics? Absolutely not. This game demands serious GPU power.

Console storage – The pre-load on consoles is about 28GB, but a day-one patch will increase that .

Editions & Pricing

Borderlands 4 comes in three editions :

Standard Edition – $69.99

Base game
Gilded Glory pack (cosmetics)

Deluxe Edition – $99.99

Base game
Gilded Glory pack
Firehawk’s Fury Weapon Skin
Bounty Pack Bundle

Super Deluxe Edition – $129.99

All Deluxe content
Ornate Order Pack
Vault Hunter Pack (this is the season pass – includes two post-launch story expansions)

What Makes Borderlands 4 Special (And What Doesn’t)

Look, I’m going to be straight with you. Borderlands 4 is not reinventing the wheel. It’s more Borderlands. If you loved the previous games, you’ll probably love this.

The Good:

The gunplay is excellent. Punchy, satisfying, and the new manufacturer weapons add variety.
The grappling hook and gliding make traversal and combat more dynamic.
The open world is a welcome change – no more loading screens between areas.
Co-op is still chaotic and fun.
Deep skill trees and customization.

The Not-So-Great:

Performance issues at launch were bad. Day-one patch helps, but not perfect.
The story is predictable .
The open world doesn’t really innovate – it’s just… open .
The system requirements are steep. 32GB RAM for recommended? That’s a lot.

The Bottom Line:

If you’re a Borderlands fan, you already bought this. If you’re new to the series, Borderlands 3 or 2 might be better starting points (cheaper, less demanding, and the gameplay holds up).

Borderlands 4 is a solid entry in a beloved series. The shooting is great. The new movement mechanics are fun. The open world is a nice upgrade. But the technical issues at launch and the high system requirements might give you pause.

Wait for a sale if you’re unsure. Or if you need to upgrade your PC first. 32GB of RAM ain’t cheap.

Final Verdict

Borderlands 4 is a confident return to form for Gearbox. The shooting is top-tier. The new movement mechanics are fun. The open world is a natural evolution. But the performance issues at launch and steep system requirements hold it back from being truly great – at least for now.

If you have a capable PC and you love Borderlands, dive in. If you’re on the fence, wait for a patch or two. The bones are solid. The flesh just needs a little work.