Summary
- The new villain in Borderlands 4 is named The Timekeeper.
- A new trailer for the game was shown at The Game Awards 2024, highlighting gameplay and four new Vault Hunters.
- Borderlands 4 will be released in 2025.
During The Game Awards 2024, fans got their first look at the new villain set to appear in Borderlands 4. Four fresh Vault Hunters were also shown in the newest look at the next mainline entry in the long-running series, with Borderlands 4 still aiming for a 2025 release.
The Borderlands franchise has continued to be a beloved part of the FPS genre for the past 15 years, inspiring multiple spin-off titles, comic books, novels, a card game, and a recent live-action film. Since the release of Borderlands 3 in 2019, fans have been eager to see where the next mainline entry would take them, with details remaining scarce until a brief teaser trailer surfaced during Gamescom in August 2024. As the promised release window for Borderlands 4 approaches, the developers at Gearbox Software have finally revealed more about the highly anticipated looter shooter.
Borderlands 4 Shouldn’t Miss The Chance to Revive a Neat Borderlands 3 Strategy
Reviving one discontinued feature from Borderlands past games could be advantageous for Borderlands 4, as well as the franchise as a whole.
In a new trailer shown during The Game Awards 2024, fans were treated to an action-packed glimpse at what they can expect when Borderlands 4 releases in 2025. The developers had previously announced that Handsome Jack would not be the villain in the new entry, despite many fans claiming to see the popular character's outline in the initial teaser trailer. This has now been confirmed, as the new bad guy has been dubbed The Timekeeper, who is said to be a ruthless dictator who rules those on the exceptionally dangerous planet of Kairos. When this new world falls into chaos after a cataclysmic event, The Timekeeper's authority is threatened, and it will be up to four new Vault Hunters to put things right in Borderlands 4.
Borderlands 4 First Look Trailer Revealed
While the new Vault Hunters are shown in the newest trailer, details surrounding them remain a mystery. Gearbox promises that these characters will feature the most diverse skill trees found in any Borderlands game to date, with customization being a key feature of the upcoming title. In addition, the developers promise that players will be able to travel easily between different zones, with Borderlands 4 packed with discoverable side missions meant to encourage exploration. Additional traversal mechanics have also been teased, and to make getting around easier, players will be able to summon a vehicle from anywhere on the map. As in past entries, both solo and co-op play will be included.
While Borderlands 4 doesn't have a concrete release date, it is currently available to wishlist, and the newest trailer states that it will be released in 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Many fans believe that 2K will aim to give Grand Theft Auto 6 a wide berth, potentially putting Borderlands 4 on store shelves in late spring or early summer 2025.
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.
- Franchise
- Borderlands
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
