Randy Pitchford: Borderlands 4 Release Date Not Influenced by Other Products

Gearbox's development chief, Randy Pitchford, has firmly stated that the decision to release Borderlands 4 earlier than planned was not influenced by the release dates of other games, such as Marathon or Grand Theft Auto 6. Originally set for September 23, Borderlands 4 will now launch on September 12 across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

This shift of 11 days sparked speculation that the move might be a strategic response to avoid clashing with GTA 6, which is slated for a fall 2025 release. Both Borderlands 4 and GTA 6 are under the umbrella of Take-Two, the parent company of 2K Games and Rockstar Games, respectively. There was also speculation that the change might be to avoid a direct competition with Bungie's Marathon, another co-op focused shooter set for the same original release date of September 23, 2025.

However, Pitchford took to Twitter to dispel these rumors, emphasizing that the decision to move Borderlands 4's release date forward was purely based on the team's confidence in the game and its development progress. "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," he stated. He further clarified that the decision had "0% to do with any other product's actual or theoretical launch date."

Despite Pitchford's assurances, the move has been seen as unusual in the gaming industry, where delays are more common than advances. Chris Dring, Editor-In-Chief and Co-Founder of The Game Business, expressed his skepticism about the move, noting the logistical challenges of changing a well-publicized release date. "They’ve gone out with a date," Dring tweeted. "It’s on calendars, market materials, social assets... Put ‘Borderlands 4 release date’ into Google and it still says Sep 23. There’s surely got to be a good commercial reason to shift a date."

In a video message, Pitchford shared his excitement about the development progress, stating, "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." He expressed his surprise and enthusiasm, noting that moving a release date forward is a rare occurrence in the industry.

The context of Take-Two's broader strategy also came into play, with CEO Strauss Zelnick mentioning in a February interview with IGN that the company plans its releases to avoid cannibalization and respect consumer needs. Zelnick emphasized the importance of giving consumers time to engage with hit games before moving on to the next. He also acknowledged the possibility of delays for GTA 6, saying, "Look, there's always a risk of slippage and I think as soon as you say words like absolutely, you jinx things. So we feel really good about it."

Amidst this, Borderlands 4 will have its own PlayStation State of Play broadcast on April 30 at 2pm PT / 5pm ET / 11pm CEST, further highlighting its significance in the gaming calendar.