Borderlands 4's September 12 release date is right around the corner, and Gearbox has been ramping up its marketing accordingly. This has manifested in various developer interviews, social media statements, and the like, including a recent X post from Borderlands 4 writer Sam Winkler himself, which shed light on an important piece of series lore.
As it turns out, while there can only be six sirens active at any given time in Borderlands lore, not every Siren needs to inherit the powers of another. In other words, there's virtually endless potential for future Siren ability sets, and Borderlands 4 won't be the last game with a new Siren ability. This news is exciting, as it indicates great things for the franchise's long-term health, but it arrives alongside a deeper dive into Borderlands 4's character powers and build-crafting systems, which are arguably far more interesting and impactful, especially in the context of BL4 as a standalone game.
Borderlands 4's Build-Crafting Options Look More Promising Than Ever
Borderlands 4 Will Have More Unlockable Passive Skills Than Any Other Game in the Series
In an interview with Polygon, Borderlands 4 lead Nick Thurston expanded on the game's build-crafting and ARPG ambitions, noting that it will have "more passives than all the previous Borderlands combined." Thurston claimed that each Vault Hunter will have about 80 unlockable passive abilities—dwarfing the selections of previous entries. This was already somewhat established, as Borderlands 4's skill trees have been public for some months now, but it's nevertheless surprising to hear the specifics of BL4's vast build-crafting suite.
Passive abilities are especially impactful, as they hold the promise of a substantial power creep and skill synergy—two goals that are harder to achieve through things like active skills and gear. With a huge selection of passives, Borderlands 4's Vault Hunters can become progressively, consistently more powerful over time, and not just in static or predictable ways; the currently-unveiled Borderlands 4 skill trees indicate that the majority of upgrade nodes will offer meaningful mechanical changes. For instance, certain skills will give players specific buffs upon killing an enemy, thereby encouraging aggressive playstyles—the game will hopefully lack boring upgrades like minor elemental resistance boosts.
Gearbox is seemingly putting a premium on Borderlands 4's replay value, tripling down on action-RPG and build-crafting systems to ensure maximum personalization potential and gameplay variety. Thurston himself has said as much previously, citing games like Baldur's Gate 3 as direct inspiration for Borderlands 4's progression and character-building mechanics. This seems like a wise element of the game to prioritize: as a single-player looter-shooter, persistent, engaging forward momentum via character progression is essential. In this respect, the Borderlands franchise is much more like Diablo than Call of Duty or other first-person shooters.
It's worth noting that Borderlands 4's skill trees, while a massive step forward, are still consistent with the progression models of previous games, with specialized skill trees and Action Skills.
And the Borderlands universe only strengthens this unique aspect of its identity. Indeed, character progression and build-crafting via robust, substantive passives are just as important to the Borderlands experience as the aforementioned Siren lore. The series' blend of science fiction and fantasy means endless opportunities for unique and hard-hitting gameplay, just as it offers a glimpse into an implausible world of space magic. More than furthering the power fantasy that the franchise hangs its hat on, a bevy of passive abilities and other build-crafting resources are essential for maintaining replay value. Hopefully, emphasizing such features will help Borderlands 4 enjoy a long and fruitful life—a luxury that wasn't afforded to its predecessor or unfortunate film adaptation.
Borderlands 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- September 12, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
WHERE TO PLAY
Borderlands 4 brings intense action, badass Vault Hunters, and billions of wild and deadly weapons to an all-new planet ruled by a ruthless tyrant.
Crash into Kairos as one of four new Vault Hunters seeking wealth and glory. Wield powerful Action Skills, customize your build with deep skill trees, and dominate enemies with dynamic movement abilities.
Break free from the oppressive Timekeeper, a ruthless dictator who dominates the masses from on high. Now a world-altering catastrophe threatens his perfect Order, unleashing Mayhem across the planet.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes - all platforms
- Prequel(s)
- Borderlands 3, Borderlands 2, Borderlands
- Franchise
- Borderlands
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unsupported
- PC Release Date
- September 12, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- September 12, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- September 12, 2025
- Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
- October 3, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- Local Co-Op Support
- Yes
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
