Summary
- Borderlands 4's teaser trailer hints at a dangerous villain surpassing Handsome Jack.
- The game will be set on a new planet, likely not Promethea, as some previously assumed.
- Multidimensional travel might play a role in the game's plot, possibly involving the Eridians.
After many rumors and leaks that it was in development, Borderlands 4 was finally revealed not too long ago via a teaser trailer during Gamescom 2024. As teaser trailers are, Borderlands 4's is very cryptic and doesn't reveal too much, aside from what Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has said is a much more "dangerous and sinister" villain than Borderlands 2's Handsome Jack. Based on the hands that pick up the Psycho mask in the trailer, however, the villain is likely Eridian. Since the official announcement of Borderlands 4, its villain has naturally been at the forefront of conversations surrounding the game.
While fans have been quick to jump on theories about the potential identity of Borderlands 4's villain, the trailer revealed something else as well. Specifically, as meteors come raining down from the sky, they land on what can only be assumed is Borderlands 4's new planet. There are also elements of multidimensional travel sprinkled into the Borderlands 4 teaser trailer that could reveal more about its setting and premise.
Borderlands 4's Trailer Teases Its Setting
Borderlands 4 Has Been Confirmed to Be Set on a New Planet
At first glance, the planet shown in the Borderlands 4 teaser trailer seems like it could be Promethea, a location that has been highly requested to return since its debut in Borderlands 3. These requests are, after all, merited, considering Promethea offered players a setting much different than the sands of Pandora they were more than familiar with. It's also natural to assume it could be Promethea due to the planet's appearance in the Borderlands film and New Tales From the Borderlands. However, some key details, including an official confirmation, seem to suggest otherwise.
Firstly, it's worth noting that the skyscrapers that appear on the planet look like they could be Promethean, but their design is a bit more rigid than what players can find on Promethea. Additionally, the planet shown in the Borderlands 4 teaser trailer is very lush and green, with only the exterior of Promethea having greenery, and less than what is on display in the trailer. Overall, no planet has ever been featured in the Borderlands series that bears this appearance. Furthermore, Gearbox has outright confirmed that Borderlands 4 will be set on an all-new planet, which seems to nip in the bud the possibility of the planet shown in the trailer being Promethea.
That being said, if the planet shown in the trailer is the new planet the game is set on, it does confirm the biome for Borderlands 4's setting, which may be, like Promethea before it, a refreshing divergence from the desert lands of Pandora.
Borderlands 4 May Involve Some Sort of Multidimensional Travel
Something else to note about the Borderlands 4 teaser trailer happens once Elpis appears out of nowhere by way of Lilith, who teleported the moon at the end of Borderlands 3 to prevent it from tearing Pandora apart. What's most interesting is that Elpis appears to tear a hole in space, possibly opening up a wormhole to another dimension in the process. It could be that the new planet players will be visiting in Borderlands 4 is the Eridian homeworld of Nekrotafeyo in another reality, perhaps before its desecration. However, as it has been confirmed that Borderlands 4's setting takes place on a brand-new planet, unless Gearbox means "new" as in players have never seen Nekrotafeyo this way before, it's likely not the Eridian homeworld and is a new location altogether.
Whatever the case may be, it does seem like Lilith has somehow teleported Elpis to a point where it rips a hole in the fabric of time and opens a gateway to another world. Whether that truly is the premise for Borderlands 4 remains to be seen, but what can be assumed is that the next Borderlands game will likely see players reuniting with Lilith at some point. Until Borderlands 4's next reveal, it's likely going to continue being a guessing game.
Borderlands 4
-
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.
- Franchise
- Borderlands
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
