Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has revealed that upcoming co-op looter shooter Borderlands 4 will be a much more open game than its predecessors. Speaking at a PAX East Panel, Pitchford described the new setting of Borderlands 4 – Kairos – as “by far the biggest universe that we’ve built,” according to GamesRadar. “And it’s seamless,” he continued. “There’s no load times.”
During the panel, Pitchford also spoke about how overall open Borderlands 4 will be for players, saying that just about anything a player sees around them isn’t merely artwork that is part of the scenery and that it can be travelled to. “You see something anywhere on the screen, a mile away, up in the sky, you will be able to get there,” he said.
Pitchford had also spoken about other aspects of Borderlands 4, including the fact that the game won’t feature a minimap to help players navigate. Once again talking about how big the in-game world will be, Pitchford spoke about a minimap being a tool that may not be entirely well-suited for navigation in a big world.
“A lot of the things you do can be local space, but a lot of the things you do or want to do are out there, and a local space map is not a good way to navigate when you’re thinking about objectives and opportunities – several at the same time that might be miles away – and a compass really helps us do that,” said Pitchford.
He noted that the decision was also made as part of Gearbox’s new design direction, where the studio wants players to pay more attention to the game itself rather than just the minimap. It is also worth noting that players will still have access to a map in the menu. “So we made a commitment, and we put all of that investment into this compass system, and you still have the big map,” said Pitchford. “It’s one click away.”
“And we put more cool stuff in there than we’ve ever done before. We even have, like, an AI-driven kind of navigation system that will give you a GPS on the big map to show you the line of where you can go.”
On social media, Pitchford has also confirmed that the studio is targetting 60 FPS. While he didn’t specify if this was for the console versions, the 60 FPS target at minimum would likely apply to the Performance mode in Borderlands 4.
Regarding game balance, Pitchford has also said he doesn’t worry too much about it. “Make a sick build with some god-drop loot and melt bosses,” wrote Pitchford. “Be a legend.” He did say that the balance will be handled by creative director Graeme Timmins, however. When it came to the possibility of nerfs, he said that the studio would interfere when unintended things, like game-breaking drops come into play.
Borderlands 4 is slated for release on September 12for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
