Key Takeaways
- Gearbox should refine loot systems in Borderlands 4 for a more fulfilling endgame
- Borderlands 4 needs to treat core characters with respect for a better narrative experience
- Borderlands 4 should move to a new setting, optimize for current hardware and avoid launch issues
During Gamescom Opening Night Live , Gearbox announced Borderlands 4 is debuting in 2025 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X / S. Following the middling community reception surrounding 2019’s Borderlands 3, the developers have a real shot at making Borderlands 4 an exceptional looter shooter.
Gearbox is still keeping things quite close to its chest. The Borderlands 4 teaser trailer says the awaited sequel sees players once again taking on the “role of a legendary Vault Hunter as they blast their way through hordes of enemies in search of new treasures to loot on an all-new planet.” All of this fits the series’ MO, leaving us with plenty of room to speculate on how Gearbox will leverage the IP’s roots as a looter shooter. At one point, Borderlands was the poster child of the genre. Now, looter shooters have evolved and expectations of what Borderlands 4 needs to have as well.
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Borderlands 4 needs to refine its loot systems
Gearbox can focus on a more fulfilling endgame rather than a slew of different weapons
Gearbox
Borderlands 4
- Franchise
- Borderlands
- Released
- 2025
When Borderlands 2 defined the looter shooter genre back in 2012, having over 2,000,000 different weapons in the game was so novel. Most of them were generated by different manufacturers, rarities, stats, and buffs. Nowadays, players want more meaningful weapon options to seek out in the game. Games like Destiny 2, The Division 2, and The First Descendant all show way more restraint.
Part of Borderlands’ DNA is the number of weapons. However, by scaling back its weapon pool, Borderlands 4 could concentrate on a refined loot system in its endgame content. Give players a large handful of higher-tier weapons to chase. Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands showed that the tighter the endgame experience, the better the reception.
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Treat the characters with respect in Borderlands 4, please Gearbox
Core characters were done dirty in the third core installment of the franchise.
Gearbox
Without spoilers for those who haven’t played Borderlands 3, certain characters weren’t treated well at all. This left a lot of fans frustrated and downright upset by the time credits rolled. Borderlands arguably hasn’t placed story or narrative front and center. Instead, the game has built a following for its open world co-op escapades and looter shooter mechanics. However, since 2019, fans have followed the likes of Lilith, Roland, Claptrap, etc.
What really stung for the fanbase (including myself) was that Borderlands 3 followed Telltale’s Tales From the Borderlands. This game gave us our first real example of how and why stories within this franchise matter. Gearbox has never wavered from its fun gameplay loop. However, it was disappointing when the story of Borderlands 3 missed the mark in so many ways. Go back to the basics and give the tentpole characters some substance.
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Move away from Pandora
Pandora has been a character unto itself in many ways but has overstayed its welcome.
Borderlands 4 would be wise to introduce a brand-new setting to explore. Judging by the trailer’s caption, it seems Gearbox agrees. As I sit here, thinking about this “all-new planet,” I hope Gearbox can craft a new environment on the same level as Pandora. Exploration across Pandora was half the fun of playing through the series. Looting and shooting across areas like the Salt Flats and Dahl Headlands, I have some great memories playing with friends.
However, I think the series is in need of a refresh of sorts. With an all-new planet to explore, this is a phenomenal chance for Gearbox to flex its muscles in level design and the creation of environments. It’ll take a lot for this new planet to become as widely loved as Pandora. Though, it’s a means to an end to help make Borderlands 4 a great looter shooter.
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Optimize Borderlands 4 for the current hardware
Gearbox needs to avoid launch day woes by prioritizing optimization across PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Gearbox
I’ll never forget the state Borderland 3 was in at launch. Navigating the menus, even on an Xbox One X at the time, was a slog. Tabbing through the different options would take several seconds. Borderlands 3 also suffered from poor framerates and shoddy split-screen support. Thankfully, by 2025, Gearbox will have had a good amount of time to work on this next entry.
Based on the teaset trailer, Borderlands 4 will only be playable on current-gen systems. That should bode well for the development team as they won’t have to scale their vision back to compensate for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. I’ll have my fingers crossed that Borderlands 4 can take advantage of VRR, short loading times, and ray tracing to compliment the game’s iconic cell-shaded look.
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