Another vault ready to open, a bajillion more guns ready to shoot, and some new characters to meet along the way; Borderlands 4 is the latest in the looting and shooting series, but it promises plenty of new additions and some returning facets that fans are sure to love.

Whether you're a longtime player of the games and know all the lore, or you are brand new to the series and the promise of galactic bounty-hunting and vault hunting drew you in, there are some things you should know about before you pick your character and start shooting skags.

Some Old Friends Are Coming Back

Friendly Faces

As with any of the Borderlands games, Borderlands 4 builds upon the journey of the vault hunters before you. While some have sadly met their untimely demise, and they will be remembered, some of the previous friends you made are back to help you on your journey.

We've seen that Moxxi will play a crucial part in the story, and Claptrap seems ever-present at this point, but Zane (one of the protagonists from Borderlands 3) seems to have come out of retirement to help too. Who knows what other friendly faces are sure to pop up along the way?

...And Some New Enemies

Some Mean People

There is a new threat that's shown up in the Borderlands universe, and as per usual, the vault hunters are the leading force to take it on. This time it takes the role of The Timekeeper, who seems to be able to control the flow of time (thus the name) in their tyrannical approach to ruling.

They're sure to want the vault and the promised powers inside for themselves, which means they're a priority target for the new vault hunters to take out. The Timekeeper is sure to have their own minions and generals they're ready to throw at you though.

There's Even More Guns Now

Bigger Booms

A returning theme in the series is the sheer amount of weapons that the game throws at you, and Borderlands 4 isn't ready to stop that just yet. The creators promise the most guns you've ever seen in a Borderlands game so far, and that number definitely has some serious zeros behind it.

So, no matter what playstyle you want, there are sure to be guns to suit it with all the weapons manufacturers in the universe. Plus, you'll want to play it more than once to make sure you try for all the rare loot drops.

Your Echo Got An Upgrade

Robots For The Win

The Echo device is an overlooked, but necessary part of the Borderlands games, and while it usually takes the form of a walkie-talkie or tablet-like device, there have been some upgrades this time around.

The ECHO-4 is now a drone that seems to follow you around and not only shows you pertinent data like quest locations (and maybe the minimap, depending on your thoughts on the matter), it will also digi-store your ammo and guns. A great companion to have around.

There Are All New Vault Hunters

New Blood

What's a new Borderlands game without four new players to take on the universe with? We wouldn't know, because now you can choose from Amon, Vex, Harlowe, or Rafa. Each has their own strengths and abilities, which means you're sure to find a character that suits your style, especially with each having their own skill trees.

Special attention has been put on the backstories of these characters, with Amon having taken on the cosmic horror cult seen in Guns, Love & Tentacles, and Harlowe actually being a Traunt sibling, tying in the plots from the previous games too.

DLC Has Already Been Announced

There's Already More Content

Borderlands 4 is leaning into the idea of a live-service model this time around. Gearbox promises monthly content additions, and has shown off a roadmap for late 2025 and into 2026.

Included in this are new guns, new vehicles, a mysterious fifth vault hunter to play as, and a story DLC called Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned. So even if you get bored with the idea of multiple playthroughs, you're sure to have new content pretty early on.

There's A Whole New Setting

A New Playground

Borderlands 3 had you traveling across the titular borderland planets in the new and improved Sanctuary, but Borderlands 4 seems a little bit more locked in to a single planet.

Kairos is a prison planet on the borderlands, and it seems to be the only planet that the vault hunters really have interest in this time around. It is uncertain if other planets will come up, even in the DLC, but surely Pandora is never too far off for any vault hunter.

There Is A New Weapon Slot

A Bigger Backpack

Unlike the previous games, you aren't beholden to the four weapons to swap between (although you'll probably have to upgrade over time). You now will also have a slot for heavier weapons, think rocket launchers and similar larger crowd-control options.

Freeing up your four main slots for rifles and the like may bring quite a few more options for fighting off the various enemies of Kairos. Plus, who knows what skills you'll be able to add on to these new weapon slots too, with a class like Amon.

You Can Swim Now

A Life Aquatic

It's a rather random and somewhat minor addition to the series, but the new swimming mechanic is an interesting one nonetheless. We aren't sure how much of Kairos is water-logged, but at least at some point you'll be asked to traverse some watery depths.

It also adds a certain number of new ways to approach enemies. The possibility of perhaps sneaking up on enemies underwater or even shooting underwater could make for a fun amount of new gunplay. Plus, there are probably going to be some finned enemies that you'll have to kill too.

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Borderlands 4

Looter Shooter Action Adventure RPG Systems OpenCritic Reviews Released September 12, 2025 ESRB Rating Pending Developer(s) Gearbox Software Publisher(s) 2K Engine Unreal Engine 5 Multiplayer Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer Cross-Platform Play Yes - all
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WHERE TO PLAY

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