If there is one thing Gearbox has made clear ahead of Borderlands 4's release, it's that it is doing everything in its power to redeem the series after the shortcomings of Borderlands 3 left many fans wanting more. While there were a lot of grips about what Borderlands 3 could have done differently, one of the loudest ongoing cries is that each of the more recent titles has been little more than "just another Borderlands game," and Borderlands 4 seems to be a response to that. However, this also means that the next entry is leaving some of the series' longest-standing traditions behind, and that might see Borderlands 3 being the last of its kind.
It almost goes without saying that one of Borderlands 4's biggest new features is its seamless world design within the new planet Kairos. Though not a true open world as the developers have confirmed, Kairos has almost no loading screens between zones, which is a far cry from what the series has done in the past. On paper, everything Kairos promises sounds great, and it could very well signal a new era for Borderlands if it delivers. What that could mean, though, is that Borderlands 3 and everything that came before it will be collecting dust in a museum while the rest of the franchise moves in an entirely different direction from here on out.
Borderlands 4's Quietest Reveal Could Be Its Best News Yet
A small detail in Borderlands 4’s Lilith mission may hint at a bigger design shift, but only those watching closely would know why it really matters.
Borderlands 4's World Design Could Signal the End of a Longstanding Series Tradition
BL3's Compartmentalized Maps Represent a Bygone Era
Borderlands 3, like every entry before it, built its world out of interconnected maps separated by loading screens — a design choice that, at one time, felt efficient and even allowed for better performance across platforms. Players could hop between planets, fast-travel from zone to zone, and complete missions in locations that were relevant to each story beat and side quest. There's no denying that it worked well, keeping things clean and manageable, especially when players had to juggle multiple quests at one time.
Now, with the industry's growing push toward immersion and a widespread desire for fewer loading screens in games, that fragmented design now feels like something that might be better off left in the past. Borderlands 4 is aiming for a seamless world that connects its distinct biomes organically without those constant interruptions, thereby putting the classic structure that Borderlands 3 kept intact at risk of being nothing more than a memory. If players can now travel through the world seamlessly and more naturally than ever before in a Borderlands game, then the old map model may feel more like a limitation than the strength it once was.
If Borderlands 4's Seamless World Works, There May Be No Going Back
It happened with The Legend of Zelda after Breath of the Wild abandoned a decades-old formula in exchange for what is now considered a standard in open worlds, leaving subsequent entries with the question of whether going back to the way things were was actually a good idea. As it turns out, the answer to that question was apparently "no," as both Tears of the Kingdom and Echoes of Wisdom stayed true to the new formula, all but guaranteeing a new direction for the series as a whole.
If players can now travel through the world seamlessly and more naturally than ever before in a Borderlands game, then the old map model may feel more like a limitation than the strength it once was.
In the same way, should Borderlands 4's new approach to world design deliver a worthwhile experience, it's likely players will never see another Borderlands game adopting the structure the series once did. If that's the case, then Borderlands 3 may end up serving as the last example of how the series used to function. In the end, for better or worse, Borderlands 4 would thus mark the turning point where the franchise fully committed to evolving beyond its original identity.
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
