Borderlands 4 made a huge splash at the Game Awards 2024 with its revealing new trailer. The first teaser for the next installment of the premier looter shooter series hit a lot of different notes: looks at the new vault hunters for Borderlands 4, updates on fan-favorite characters, and of course, plenty of new guns. But perhaps more interesting than anything else was the first look at some of the story beats of the fourth game, including a first look at the next villain trying their hand at taking over Pandora.
The story in Borderlands 3 was something of a weak point for the title, with a lot of fans citing the Calypso Twins’ inferiority to their handsome predecessor as a reason that the threequel didn’t hit the same highs as previous installments. One key moment in the trailer might indicate that Borderlands 4’s story intends to take the series to the next level by finally addressing one of the most mysterious hanging plot threads from one of the series' most underappreciated entries.
One Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Feature Should Live On in New Shapes in BL4
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel had a lot of unique ideas built into it, and one of them deserves to be brought back in Borderlands 4.
Borderlands 4 Seems to Finally Deliver on the Watcher's 'Vault Hunter War'
A Plot Thread Ten Years in the Making
Though it’s sometimes overlooked, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel might have set up the plot for Borderlands 4 a full decade ago, back in 2014. That game ends with the Watcher, an enigmatic alien entity making itself known on Sanctuary before ominously warning the characters of an impending war that would require all the Vault Hunters they could get. The subsequent Holodome DLC revealed that Axton and Gaige had been off-world looking to recruit Aurelia, but after that the “war” became something of an afterthought.
Borderlands 3 largely ignores this plot thread in favor of focusing on the Calypsos and the Children of the Vault Cult, but the first looks at Borderlands 4 might indicate that Gearbox is dusting off the Watcher’s long-foretold war. Borderlands 4’s reveal trailer shows hordes and hordes of enemies rushing headlong into battle with the game’s four new Vault Hunters standing in their way.
That’s much more “war-like” imagery than the series has arguably delved into before and a possible sign from Gearbox that it’s finally going to fulfill the promise of the Pre-Sequel. The new villain of Borderlands 4, the Timekeeper, is something of an enigma as of now. There’s no telling their exact motivations, but whatever they are, it seems like they’re willing to bring an army to help them further their own goals.
As Exciting as the Vault Hunter War Is, It's Good the Series Gets to Move on To New Stories
The Watcher was a mysterious player in The Pre-Sequel, only really appearing onscreen twice in the game’s runtime. Almost nothing is known about it save for the fact that it is definitely Eridian in origin. This war, and maybe even the Timekeeper, might also trace their origins back to the Borderlands series' most enigmatic faction. This would certainly explain why the Watcher was clued in so early to the inevitable danger. The war could very well be the result of a resurgence of Eridian presence in the galaxy, as most longtime fans of the series will agree that they’re not totally convinced every Eridian is extinct.
No matter the exact details of the conflict of Borderlands 4, there's a clear chance that it involves the Vault Hunter War players have been waiting for since 2014. If so, it’s good that Gearbox is finally delivering on it, since it’s been far and away the largest lingering Borderlands plot thread that’s been left unaddressed and unresolved. Closing the book on the Watcher’s War would let the series keep moving forward with new ideas and concepts, and give some long-overdue resolution to the most underrated game in the series.
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
