I used to love Borderlands. The first two games were chaotic, hilarious, and genuinely fun—a perfect blend of co-op shooting, loot-driven progression, and over-the-top storytelling. Even Borderlands 3, despite its cringe dialogue and hit-or-miss writing, still had solid gameplay that made it worth playing.
But now? Borderlands 4 is coming.
And instead of feeling hyped, I just feel… tired.
Not because I think it’ll be bad, but because I’m starting to wonder: Does anyone actually care about Borderlands anymore?
What We Know About Borderlands 4
Gearbox has officially confirmed Borderlands 4 is in development, and it’s set for a September 2025 release.
- It’s still a looter-shooter, meaning tons of guns, randomized loot, and the same core gameplay loop.
- The game is expected to feature a new cast of Vault Hunters, with returning characters making appearances.
- Gearbox has teased a “bigger, more open world” compared to previous games—potentially moving closer to an open-world RPG structure instead of just a series of big, linear maps.
And, of course, it’ll have co-op—because no matter what changes, Borderlands is always better with friends.
Will Borderlands 4 Fix the Mistakes of Borderlands 3?
Let’s be honest—Borderlands 3 wasn’t a disaster, but it wasn’t a home run either.
- The gameplay was solid—the shooting felt better than ever, and the skill trees gave more room for creative builds.
- The loot was insane—more guns, more variety, more ridiculous effects.
- The world design was hit or miss—some locations were amazing, others felt like filler.
But where Borderlands 3 completely fell apart was the writing.
- The humor was painfully unfunny, like a TikTok comment section come to life.
- The villains, Troy and Tyreen, were nowhere near as good as Handsome Jack.
- The dialogue felt like it was trying way too hard to be edgy, meme-worthy, and “quirky.”
It was a game that felt stuck in 2012—as if Gearbox didn’t realize that humor and storytelling had evolved since the early days of Borderlands 2.
So the big question for Borderlands 4 is: Will they finally move past this outdated writing style and actually give us a story worth caring about?
The Looter-Shooter Genre Has Changed
Back when Borderlands first came out, looter-shooters were fresh.
Now? We’ve had a decade of live-service shooters, battle passes, and games that feel like never-ending content grinds.
- Destiny took the looter-shooter formula and turned it into a live-service model with constant updates.
- The Division tried to do the same thing with RPG-style loot and endgame grinding.
- Outriders came and went, proving that not every looter-shooter needs to be a live service.
So where does Borderlands 4 fit in?
If it tries to go full live-service, it’ll fail—because nobody wants another looter-shooter that forces you to log in daily.
If it stays the same as Borderlands 3, it risks feeling stale—because the genre has evolved, and people want more than just “here’s a billion guns, go shoot stuff.”
The best move? Make it a true RPG.
- Give players meaningful choices beyond just “which gun is better.”
- Make the world more reactive to player actions.
- Stop relying on forced, meme-heavy writing and actually invest in a good story.
Can Borderlands 4 Still Be Relevant?
Right now, Borderlands 4 has a huge uphill battle ahead of it.
- The looter-shooter genre is oversaturated.
- The Borderlands formula is starting to feel old.
- The writing needs a major overhaul to avoid being another cringe-fest.
But if Gearbox learns from their mistakes, if they modernize the game without losing what makes it fun, and if they stop trying so hard to be “funny”, Borderlands 4 could be exactly what the series needs to stay alive.
If they don’t?
Well… at least we’ll always have Borderlands 2.