Borderlands 4 is shaping up to be a game that finally reminds us of why we fell in love with the series in the first place. The trailers and shorts we’ve seen so far show a team that has rediscovered the balance between chaos and craft, humour and heartbreak.
Celebrated for its absurdist worldbuilding and irreverent jokes, what truly made its writing shine was the ability to slip into something serious without losing its edge. I still think about the Angel Core mission in Borderlands 2, where the tone flipped from manic to heartbreaking in the space of minutes; which made me love the series as a teenager, playing for hours with friends.
When Gearbox spoke about “better writing” and “a darker tone”, they weren’t kidding. The levity still remains—the one liners, the slapstick, the colourful explosions—but this time it evened out against a more grounded core. And the released character shorts leading up to tomorrow's game launch have been brilliant for this. The new Vault Hunters tell stories of their histories around a campfire and that has given us more personality than we’ve ever seen in the series. And honestly? I’m loving it. For the first time, I actually feel invested in these characters before the game’s even out.
Of course, Vault Hunter backstories aren’t entirely new. Lilith’s origin as a Siren was detailed in the Borderlands Origin comic and even the original game manual. Later entries expanded the lore through the Typhon Logs, which introduced the very first Vault Hunter, and the lore book Worlds of Borderlands added even more depth. What feels different in Borderlands 4 is the way these histories are brought to the forefront, giving every Vault Hunter a clear personality before you even start playing.
With the first character to be introduced, Vex is the series’ darkest Siren yet, bringing chaos and energy to the battlefield (I've always played sirens so I can't wait to play as her). Her powers revolve around elemental strikes, and she can summon spectral pets to fight alongside her, from a loyal cat familiar to a deadly clone minion. Next is Rafa, an agile exo-soldier who excels in close range combat. His high-tech suit allows him to swing twin blades, deploy turrets, and unleash an explosive lance; blending melee brutality with tactical firepower.
Furthermore, Amon, the Forge Knight is a powerhouse. He looks like a tank but does he play as one? Fusing cybernetic tech with sheer combat strength, he wades into battle with heavy melee weapons while drones back him up. And lastly, Harlowe brings brains to the fight. The ex-Maliwan scientist manipulates gravity with advanced gadgets and force fields, reshaping the arena to her advantage.
The game itself also leans into personalisation. It introduces the most robust skill system yet, where players can’t unlock every node when they finish the game. You’ll need to specialise, make choices, and build a character that feels distinct. On top of that, Gearbox has finally added the option to skip the campaign and start new characters at level 30. It’s been a long time coming after all the cries during Borderlands 3, and while levelling a character from scratch has always been part of the grind I love, at least now it’s a choice rather than a chore.
Gearbox’s marketing campaign has been just as lively as the game itself. Those mysterious “Quit Earth” billboards that popped up around the world had the majority of the population scratching their heads. Even the fans are stymied. That's when it's revealed that the new setting for Borderlands 4 is Kairos. Soon the live-action trailer, full of manic energy, showing people and Borderlands characters piling onto a rocket ship to leave Earth behind.
It’s exactly the kind of stunt the series thrives on and the community seems to be on board too. At Fan Fest in June, well known Borderlands creators like Joltzdude139 and Ki11er Six, alongside newcomers from completely different corners of gaming, were invited to livestream a slice of Borderlands 4; the reactions were almost universally positive.
I’ll admit it, the Borderlands series hasn’t always been perfect. The last entry didn’t slap the same as the earlier ones did. But there's always a soft spot for it. From everything I’ve seen of Borderlands 4, it feels like that spirit is alive again. And when it drops, if you spot me on Kairos, you can bet I’ll be playing the Siren once again.
Borderland 4 will be released 12 September, 2025 (it's tomorrow, by the time this post goes live) and is available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Nintendo Switch 2 and Microsoft Windows. Pre-orders are now open.
