Gearbox Entertainment’s Borderlands 4 recently had several previews and hands-on impressions going live, and they’ve been largely positive. However, one of the minor complaints involved the lack of a minimap, a staple of Borderlands 2 and 3. In a series of tweets, studio CEO Randy Pitchford has confirmed that an optional combat radar will be available at launch.
Off by default, Pitchford reveals that was possible thanks to the efforts of creative director Graeme Timmons and members of the UI team, Jason Brown and Justin Dooley (with art by Ray Peña). Since it didn’t “come online early enough,” you won’t see it during the Borderlands Fan Fest on June 21st. However, it should help with combat situational awareness at launch.
Pitchford also extensively discussed the reasons for omitting a minimap, from problems in environments with verticality to the “huge” CPU and memory cost, which “isn’t worth the trade-off. “High performance and memory for other visual feedback elements and player data is much more important, especially given the evolution of the game design for Borderlands 4.” Instead, the team chose to invest in the main map and navigation functions like ECHO-4 and the compass.
You can check out most of the discussion below. Borderlands 4 launches on September 12th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC for $69.99. Check out our feature for all the latest details, including how two of the new Vault Hunters play and what to expect post-launch.
