Borderlands 4 reveals new release date and two Vault Hunters

Borderlands 4, the much-anticipated looter-shooter sequel, is coming later this year in September. But when? The release date, previously scheduled for September 23, 2025, has been brought forward to September 12!

Along with the release date reveal, developer Gearbox recently dropped a gameplay deep dive video to exhibit some of the wrinkles it's adding to the Borderlands blueprint. (If you're new here: Hundreds of quip-screaming enemies, millions of possible gun combinations, bring your friends.) We recommend you check it out for yourself, but we've collected all of the highlights below.

The first big reveal from this extended gameplay footage is two of the four new Vault Hunters coming to Borderlands 4, in the flesh and ready to rock. It wouldn't be a Borderlands game without adding another Siren to the mix, and that's exactly what we're getting with Vex. Described as an elemental damage specialist who can summon strange shades to do her bidding, it's safe to say that you'll never be lonely if you choose her.

The other hero revealed today is Rafa the Exo-Soldier, a former trooper for the Tediore corp who wears an experimental exo-suit that can "Digistruct" a number of weapons at will. Gearbox says that Borderlands 4 will have the most advanced skill tree system that the series has seen yet, so experimentation is definitely encouraged.

Players will fill the shoes of one of these Vault Hunters as they battle against a notorious villain known as the Timekeeper. The Timekeeper is the master of Borderlands 4's key setting, Kairos, a previously unknown planet. Kairos's existence was kept a secret for thousands of years through the machinations of this Timekeeper, who uses cybernetic implants to control the planet's native population.

Today's Borderlands 4 gameplay deep dive shows off a region of Kairos known as Terminus Range, a frozen waste with plenty of loot for the taking. The footage reveals a number of key mechanical changes from previous entries in the series that'll make a big difference in how you approach not only basic combat situations, but your character's build in general.

One of the most significant changes is the introduction of the Licensed Parts system, which allows you to combine different traits and abilities from several of the game's eight iconic weapons manufacturers into a single weapon. For example, in Borderlands 3, Tediore weapons are associated with fast reload speed and low damage, while Torgue guns deal high damage and aren't particularly accurate. By mixing and matching these Licensed Parts, you can create a gun that offers the particular permutation of stats you want.

Another major shift is the addition of a dedicated Enhancements gear slot, which will allow you to augment your favorite guns on a per-manufacturer basis. And unlike previous games, grenades and heavy weapons will now use a single Ordnance slot that recharges on a cooldown, so you don't need to worry about hoarding valuable ammo for that pesky boss who may or may not show up. There's also a new category of gear called Rep Kit, which can either heal you or activate temporary buffs when you're caught in a tight situation.

The Borderlands series is still heaps of fun as a solo player, but Gearbox has also taken additional steps to make sure that you can have the best possible co-op experience with friends. A new "Buddy System" lets you drop in and drop out of a game with up to four players online, with dynamic level scaling, instanced loot for each player, and difficulty that's adjusted on a per-player basis so that it's fun and engaging for everyone playing together.

With all of these fresh additions to the award-winning series, you can expect to lose hours and hours to the just-one-more-loot-drop rush of Borderlands 4.

Borderlands 4 releases on the Epic Games Store on September 12, 2025.