Borderlands has always been polarising, but its legacy and cultural impact is undeniable. Across its mainline entries selling in the millions, zany spin-offs, even an ill-fated movie, Gearbox’s series has cemented itself through a blend of chaotic FPS action, branching RPG progression, near-endless weapon variety, and tongue-in-cheek humour – single-handedly popularising the looter shooter genre in the process. Borderlands 2 – often hailed as the series’ best entry – perfected the formula with an addictive loot-gathering loop that went on to influence countless other titles from Fallout 4, to Destiny 2 and The Division.
However, by the time Borderlands 3 rolled along in 2019 cracks appeared in the series’ once rock-solid foundation. Whilst its gunplay was the sharpest the series had ever seen, 3’s cast of largely forgettable characters and stale humour sullied its reception. It wasn’t a bad game, and its 22 million-plus sales certainly indicate a commercial success, but the series needed reinvention. Now, with anticipation building for Borderlands 4 and fan excitement at an all-time high, the stage is set for a long-awaited revamp.
Principal in generating Borderlands 4’s buzz is a reportedly darker, more serious tone. Another one of the reasons Borderlands 2 is often hailed as the hallmark of the series is because the title nailed the series’ signature dark humour. Handsome Jack, for all his horrendous actions, was a deeply comical villain. His funereal wit was perfectly written, leaving a benchmark Borderlands 3’s Calypso Twins couldn’t reach. Borderlands 4’s shift to more somber tones looks to rectify this glaring issue players had with 3, and whilst details are limited on Borderlands 4’s new antagonist the Timekeeper, there’s hope that Gearbox’s writers can once again extract humour out of somberness as successfully as they did in Borderlands 2.
Of what we know: Borderlands 4’s new location, the prison planet Kairos, is ruled by the tyrannical Timekeeper, an unscrupulous leader who closely monitors the populace to ensure his strict order is obeyed. This is an unexplored culture in the Borderlands universe; before Pandora’s wayward moon Elpis teleports into Kairos’ orbit, the point in-game when Borderlands 4’s metaphorical party bus crashes into the Timekeeper’s pristine backyard, the planet maintained the status quo of oppression. The Vault Hunter’s arrival begins a duality of order versus chaos; dictatorship versus rebellion. There’re understandable question marks over how dark Borderlands 4’s tone will go, but, much like comedy and horror, these seemingly end-of-spectrum themes are actually opposite sides of the same coin. From this perspective, the outlook is good for Borderlands 4 to portray the terror of living under authoritarian rule whilst pointing out the absolute absurdity of it all. There’s humour to be mined here regardless of its sobering subject matter.
And given Borderlands 4’s narrative shift and its predecessor’s mixed reception, the series’ ability to still command large-scale attention might once have seemed unlikely. Yet, a look at the numbers tells a different story. The game currently sits fourth on Steam’s most-wishlisted chart – behind only Hollow Knight: Silksong, Subnautica 2, and Deadlock – but ahead of incoming heavyweights like Battlefield 6 and the much-hyped extraction shooter ARC Raiders. Fan reactions fare similarly; on YouTube, the April State of Play reveal drew overwhelmingly positive reactions, while Reddit threads have seen community pushback against the usual tide of knee-jerk ragebait that greets most big releases. The mood around Borderlands 4 is strikingly optimistic. This doesn’t feel like the follow-up to a middling threequel, nor simply a game leaning on a more serious tone. Instead, it reflects Gearbox’s effort to evolve the series thoughtfully, and to reinforce its legacy with confidence.
We discuss Borderlands 4’s wholesale evolution in other features, so you’ll have to check those out for more detailed analysis. For now, here are the headline changes: open world design across a new planet, expanded traversal and exploration capability, including instant vehicle summoning, the deepest skill trees and broadest gun customisation ever for the series, and four new Vault Hunters each with distinct abilities. There’s plenty more beyond these headlines, but the bottom line is Gearbox Software is rejuvenating the series by taking out what hasn’t worked in the past whilst embellishing the things that already make Borderlands great; that is, its moment-to-moment chaos, the absorbing growth of its role-playing inspirations, and loot. Lots and lots of loot.
These systems work in tandem. RPG-like progression is fuelled by loot drops, and as characters level up more valuable gear becomes attainable. The signature frenzied gunplay acts as the glue holding these systems together. In Borderlands 4, loot has been freshened up with new items such as RepKits – healing pick-ups which also add other bonuses such as reduced cooldowns, hardened elemental resistance, faster reloads and increased damage. RepKits provide extra opportunities for creative experimentation, and they’ll prove to be an addition to the series’ already mind-boggling array of weapon variations that veteran players will incorporate with ease.
And on that latter point, the introduction of three new weapon manufacturers clearly wasn’t a significant enough addition for Gearbox, hence Borderlands 4’s Licensed Parts System which is set to provide the biggest shake-up in how players accumulate and customise their arsenal. For the first time, parts, attachments, and components can be freely swapped between any gun model, regardless of manufacturer. In practice, this transforms loot hunting from a cycle of neverending upgrades into something flexible and more personal. Every weapon drop is no longer just another potential replacement but a source of new parts to mix, match, and refine. The Licensed Parts System revitalises the constant chase for more loot, keeping every discovery meaningful by providing novel building blocks for customisation.
There are some hyperbolic opinions circulating that Borderlands 4 is ‘make or break’ for the series, or that the fourquel’s release date advancing to September 12th reflects a reluctance by publisher Take Two to release Borderlands 4 too close to its perceived competition. However, Gearbox representatives are on record stating the game is polished and ready to go, their confidence in the experience the reason behind the unusual step to bring forward its release date. Likewise, does Borderlands 4 have any serious competition on the horizon? Marathon has its issues which Bungie are taking their time to iron out; the aforementioned ARC Raiders coming October 30th has potential to unseat Borderlands 4, albeit their formulas do vary.
Realistically, there’s very little out there that replicates the distinctiveness of Borderlands. Plus, Borderlands 4 already has something ARC Raiders doesn’t: an established community. Despite recent missteps, Borderlands maintains an enduring influence and a strong cultural foothold. The shifts in tone and its gameplay innovations should be seen as positives. At this point in time, Borderlands is a cultural artefact, and for something to continue thriving it must evolve in meaningful ways. Borderlands 4 isn’t just more of the same; it’s a thoughtful evolution of the series’ long-standing DNA.
Ultimately, whether or not it ends the year as one of 2025’s standout blockbusters, Borderlands 4 is probably shaping up to reclaim Gearbox’s reputation as champions of the looter shooter. It might not win Game of the Year, but everything’s in place to remind players why Borderlands became one of gaming’s most influential franchises in the first place, and that it probably has a bright future ahead.
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