The trailer forBorderlands 4may not have given much away but fortunately for fans,Gearbox has decided to share a sneak peek of what players can expect. The long-teased fourth mainline entry in the popular shooter franchise kicked off the recent Gamescom Opening Night Live event, and while the teaser is fairly enigmatic, that hasn’t stopped the community from expressing their excitement. As many dissect the footage to uncover any hidden messages or secret Easter eggs, Gearbox is parting the curtain ever so slightly.
PerGamespot,Gearbox showed off some concept art ofBorderlands 4during a panel at PAX West.
The images show off various scenes of the new setting, a major change for the series given that every other mainline game has focused on Pandora; evenBorderlands 3, which allowed players to travel to different planets, was still deeply tied to Pandora, even if it was more barren than ever.The images themselves depict a world that’s much darker than previous games, featuring vast displays of technology and futuristic design choices with traditional architecture and layouts.
What Can Fans Expect From Borderlands 4?
Out With The Old, But Not All Of It…
DiscussingBorderlands 4, art director Adam May noted that while they can’t say much about the concept art,the game does represent “a chance to play… with some of that high technology stuff"that’s depicted in every image.Borderlandshasn’t shied away from technological displays but the more advanced equipment is generally found off-planet, so the team is making it more central to the core location. May also said thatGearbox is excited to see something new, insisting thatthe studio doesn’t want to “keep rehashing the same world over and over.”
Details onBorderlands 4are scarce right now butsome fans are convinced the game will see the return of a beloved villain: Handsome Jack. The teaser trailer concludes with a brief “glitch” that shows a face seemingly branded by a Vault Symbol in much the same as Jack, leading to speculation that he could be back despite his death inBorderlands 2(andhis second “death” inTales From the Borderlands). Decoded text also has enthusiasts guessing that the enigmatic Watcher will feature in the story but all of this is pure speculation.
10 Best Borderlands Characters, Ranked
With multiple games of content building up the universe of the Borderlands franchise, there’s no shortage of great characters to find in Pandora.
Borderlands 4certainly has some big shoes to fill given thepopularity of the previous gamesin the series. Not only that, butit also has the unenviable job of making up for the live-actionBorderlandsmovie, which is widely agreed to beone of the worst films of 2024. With all that pressure, one can only hope thatBorderlands 4can stick the landing.
Borderlands Needs An Overhaul
Is It Time To Go Truly Open-World?
TheBorderlandsseries may be known for featuring massive maps filled with all manner of bizarre enemies and encounters, butone has to admit that the presentation of each location quickly grows stale. Whilethe originalBorderlandsand its sequelcan get away with a segmented world design, many players were frustrated to learn thatBorderlands 3, a game that launched atthe peak of the open-world trend, didn’t capitalize on it. The third game provided some additional movement options but many maps were simply linear sprints from one end to the other.
One has to hope thatBorderlands 3changes that process by granting players an actual open world where the action isn’t separated from the core hub. While it may take awaysome of the dungeon-crawling elements,it’s not difficult to imagine aBorderlandsgame thatuses some elements ofFar Cryto provide a more seamless exploratory experience. Whether or not that’s the plan remains to be seen, but the tease that a new planet will seemingly be core to the game’s experience suggests Gearbox is considering some major changes.
Borderlands Players Are Tired Of Pandora
It’s Time For Some New Scenery
Pandora has served theBorderlandsfranchise well, acting as the main backdrop to the series since the first game launched in 2009. As much as it’s become a staple,it’s also time to acknowledge that the planet itself isn’t all that impressive. SeveralBorderlandscharacters have even quipped that all the blood shed over the world doesn’t seem worth it when Pandora itself is only really good for mining Eridium, a mineral that’s of great importance to the corporations vying for control but only makes the lives of the settlers harder.
Gearbox’s projects are often hit-or-miss butBorderlandshas consistently proven to be the studio’s most coveted property.
Pandora has become repetitive, the only constant in a franchise that aims to surprise players with each game.While spinoffs likeBorderlands: The Pre-SequelandTiny Tina’s Wonderlandsmay have divided audiences, many will agree that the best part of both games is the new environments.Pre-Sequelmakes some fun changes to movement by placing players on one of Pandora’s moons whileWonderlandsis a major tonal shiftthanks to its medieval fantasy theme.
I’m Disappointed In This Major Borderlands 4 Change
2K and Gearbox finally revealed Borderlands 4 during the Gamescom Opening Night Live event, but I’m not sure how I feel about one thing…
There are still many questions surroundingBorderlands 4but knowing Gearbox, players won’t need to wait too long for answers.The game is slated to arrive in 2025, so the next few months will see details dripping out of the studio before a torrent of information comes spilling out in the months just before launch. Gearbox’s projects are often hit-or-miss butBorderlandshas consistently proven to be the studio’s most coveted property.
Borderlands 4
InBorderlands 4, players assume the role of a legendary Vault Hunter, exploring a new planet in search of secret alien treasures.
