Borderlands 4 made a loud debut during a dedicated State of Play, dropping over 20 minutes of chaos-packed gameplay. We got a proper look at the game’s new Vault Hunters, its war-torn new planet Kairos, and some truly absurd gear. The footage was pure mayhem — in a good way — and teased plenty for fans to dig into before launch.
Since its reveal back at The Game Awards 2024, Borderlands 4 has been on every looter shooter fan’s radar. We even covered the release date shift and this State of Play announcement in our earlier article: “Borderlands 4 Release Date Moved Up, Dedicated State of Play Set for April 30.”
Now we’ve got skill trees, loot systems, grappling hooks, and at least one Vault Hunter with a ghost cat. The game hits PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on September 12, with a Switch 2 version coming later this year. Let’s break down the big takeaways from the gameplay deep dive.
Vex and Rafa Aren’t Here to Mess Around
Two of the four new Vault Hunters got the spotlight during the gameplay deep dive, and they’re not exactly subtle. Vex is a Siren who can summon spectral minions and boost her own damage with elemental phase energy. Oh, and she has a ghost cat named Trouble who mauls enemies mid-fight.
Then there’s Rafa, a former Tediore soldier who’s basically a walking arsenal in an exo-suit. He digistructs weapons on the fly and brings serious firepower when things get hectic. Each character has three Action Skills, a custom Trait, and a branching skill tree with tons of passive bonuses.
Vex’s Trait links her abilities to the element of whatever weapon she’s holding, encouraging flexible loadouts. Rafa’s all about soaking up hits and dishing out damage with heavy weapons and cooldown management. The skill trees are deeper than ever, and new movement options like dashing, gliding, and grappling keep things fast.
Welcome to Kairos — It’s a Mess
Borderlands 4 takes place on Kairos, a planet that’s basically falling apart in every possible way.
It was hidden from the galaxy for centuries by the Timekeeper, a tyrant who ran things using brain implants and killer robots. Then a rogue moon showed up and blew the cover off — literally.
Now the planet’s in full revolt, and your crew of Vault Hunters is caught right in the middle.
There are four distinct regions to explore, each with their own factions, dangers, and things trying to shoot you. You’ll see returning characters like Claptrap, Moxxi, and Zane, plus new allies ready to join your resistance.
To get around, you can summon a Digirunner vehicle and ride across the planet’s connected zones.
Zip lines, grappling points, and a floating robot named ECHO-4 help you reach hidden spots or loot-rich Silos. The world’s big, chaotic, and full of optional stuff to do—but you can still mainline the story if you’d rather keep moving.
Loot, Guns, and Way Too Many Explosions
Borderlands 4 is doubling down on what the series does best—ridiculous guns and even more ridiculous ways to use them. There are eight weapon manufacturers, with newcomers Order, Ripper, and Daedalus joining the usual suspects like Tediore and Jakobs. Each one plays differently, from burst fire precision to guns that explode when you reload them.
The new Licensed Parts system mixes traits from different brands into single weapons, making loot feel way less samey. Gear gets even deeper with three new slots: Enhancements, Ordnance, and Rep Kits.
Enhancements boost your loadout based on brand synergy, while Ordnance gives you heavy weapons and grenades on cooldown. Rep Kits let you heal mid-fight or trigger short buffs when things go sideways.
Legendary guns are now rarer—but when one drops, it’s a big deal again. Boss fights are tuned around this, with enemies like Vile Lictor in Terminus Range putting your whole build to the test. You’ll also be able to rematch bosses and replay missions through Moxxi’s Big Encore Machine.
Co-Op Is Still King
Borderlands 4 is built for co-op from the ground up, and it shows. You can squad up with up to four people online or play side-by-side in two-player split-screen. Crossplay? Yep, it’s in from day one across all platforms.
The new lobby system makes it easier to party up and jump between modes without breaking the group.
Instanced loot means nobody’s fighting over that one shiny gun, and level scaling keeps everyone on equal footing. You can even set your own difficulty without messing up your friend’s experience.
Want to fast travel to a teammate? You can. Want to play solo but still feel like a one-person wrecking crew? Also doable. The setup is flexible, smooth, and clearly designed to keep the chaos going with as few headaches as possible.
Hands-On and More Mayhem
If all this sounds like a lot—it is. But Gearbox isn’t done yet. A hands-on event is coming this June, giving fans their first real shot at playing Borderlands 4. Expect even more details before launch, including the last two Vault Hunters still under wraps.
Between the revamped loot, deeper builds, and a planet full of chaos, this looks like the biggest Borderlands yet. And with full crossplay and support across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Switch 2, it’s ready for everyone.
Borderlands 4 launches September 12, 2025. So… who’s getting ghost-cat Vex and who’s locking in Rafa? We’ve got some decisions to make.
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