Randy Pitchford, the development chief at Gearbox, has firmly stated that the decision to advance the release date of the cooperative first-person shooter Borderlands 4 was not influenced by the launch schedules of other games, such as Marathon or Grand Theft Auto 6. Originally set for a September 23 release, Borderlands 4 will now hit the shelves on September 12 across multiple platforms including PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
This unexpected 11-day shift in release date has fueled speculation that it might be a strategic move to avoid a direct competition with GTA 6, which is slated for a fall 2025 release. Both games fall under the umbrella of Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of GTA developer Rockstar and Borderlands publisher 2K Games. There was also talk that the shift might have been to avoid clashing with Bungie's Marathon, another co-op focused extraction shooter set to release on the same original date of September 23, 2025.
However, Pitchford took to social media to dismiss these speculations, emphasizing that the early release of Borderlands 4 stems purely from confidence in the game and its development progress. He stated, "Borderlands 4 shipping early is 100% the result of confidence in the game and development trajectory backed by actual tasks and bug find/fix rates. Our decision is literally 0% about any other product’s actual or theoretical launch date."
Despite Pitchford's assertions, industry expert Chris Dring expressed skepticism about the decision, highlighting the rarity of moving a release date forward. Dring noted that such a move, especially after publicizing a date, typically requires a strong commercial justification.
In a video message, Pitchford shared his excitement about the game's development, describing it as a best-case scenario and confirming the new release date. "Everything is going great, actually. In fact, everything is going kind of the best-case scenario. The game is awesome, the team is cooking, and so the launch date for Borderlands 4 is changing. We’re moving it forward. The launch date is now September 12."
It's important to consider that both Gearbox and the Borderlands IP are owned by Take-Two, as is Rockstar, the developer of GTA 6. At the executive level, including CEO Strauss Zelnick, there is likely a strategic overview of all game releases to ensure each title has the best chance of success. In an interview with IGN, Zelnick mentioned that Take-Two plans its releases to avoid cannibalization, emphasizing the importance of giving consumers time to enjoy one hit before moving to the next.
Amidst this, there's ongoing speculation about potential delays for GTA 6, with possibilities of it shifting to early winter or even into 2026. Zelnick responded cautiously to these concerns, acknowledging the inherent risks of delays but expressing confidence in the current schedule.
Borderlands 4 is set to be showcased in a PlayStation State of Play broadcast on April 30, where more details about the game and its early release might be revealed.
