Despite a somewhat tumultuous pre-release news cycle, Borderlands 4 may be coming out at the perfect time. Gearbox's looter shooter series is looking to reassert itself as a leader in the genre after the mixed reception of its third installment. While Borderlands 4 has already had its own controversies, it now looks like it could make a big splash in the market, thanks largely to Destiny 2's recent struggles.
Gearbox assuaged some fans' concerns when it confirmed that Borderlands 4 will cost $70, not the $80 some were fearful it might ask for. Still, CEO Randy Pitchford's comments on the matter rubbed some people the wrong way, as did a controversial update to 2K's terms of service and Borderlands 4's demanding PC requirements. Those lingering concerns may remain, but drama elsewhere in the looter shooter space may still tee the game up for a strong release.
This Intimidating Borderlands 4 Character is Poised to Be a Special Treat For Destiny 2 Fans
A new story trailer for Borderlands 4 has been released, and one major character may be a familiar voice to Destiny 2 players.
Bungie's Destiny franchise is arguably Borderlands' biggest competition as a looter shooter, and it has not had an easy time winning over fans lately. Its recent The Edge of Fate update is by far the worst-performing Destiny 2 expansion yet, reaching a peak player count of just 99,131 players on Steam. That's less than a third of the previous year's expansion and may reflect a growing dissatisfaction with the game overall. After all, Destiny 2 is already roughly eight years old, and maintaining a consistently large player base for that long is a challenge for even the best live service titles.
Destiny 2's Recent Struggles May Give Borderlands 4 a Hungry Audience
Declining player counts are not the only issue facing Bungie's entry into the looter shooter genre, either. After releasing The Edge of Fate, Destiny 2 has encountered several bugs, including one that may even cause the game to crash for some users. Software glitches after an update are nothing too unusual, but the recent string of them adds to the frustration many players had already cited with the game lately. All of this could put Borderlands 4 in a better spot when it releases in September.
Fans have noticed that Borderlands 4 and Destiny 2 share some similarities, and given the latter game's recent reception, that could help encourage Destiny players to jump over to Borderlands once it comes out. That could help Gearbox's shooter amass a strong player base at launch compared to its competition, despite its own challenges. Of course, things could also turn around for Destiny 2 before then, and not every tired Destiny player may switch over, but the current situation still leaves a promising market opportunity for Borderlands 4.
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
