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

Randy Pitchford, the development chief at Gearbox, has firmly stated that the decision to bring forward the release date of the cooperative FPS, Borderlands 4, was not influenced by the release schedules of other games. Originally slated for a September 23 launch, Borderlands 4 will now hit the shelves on September 12, available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch 2. This shift sparked speculation that it might be a strategic move to avoid competition with other high-profile titles like Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) and Bungie's Marathon, both of which were also set to release around the same time.

GTA 6, developed by Rockstar and owned by Take-Two (the same parent company as 2K Games, which publishes Borderlands 4), is still planned for a fall 2025 release. Marathon, a crucial release for Bungie (owned by Sony), was set to launch on the same day as the original Borderlands 4 date, September 23, 2025. These overlapping release dates fueled the speculation that Borderlands 4's date change was to avoid direct competition.

However, Pitchford took to Twitter to dismiss these theories, emphasizing that the decision to move up the release date was purely based on "confidence" in the game and its development progress. He stated, "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. Our decision is literally 0% about any other product’s actual or theoretical launch date."

This move to advance a game's release date is unusual in the industry, where delays are far more common. Chris Dring, Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Game Business, expressed his surprise at the move, noting the logistical challenges of changing a widely publicized release date. He questioned the lack of a commercial rationale behind such a decision, suggesting that there must be a significant reason behind shifting a date that's already set in various marketing materials and public calendars.

In a video message, Pitchford shared his excitement about the game's progress, describing the development as a "best-case scenario" and expressing his enthusiasm about the team's performance. He announced the new release date with evident delight, emphasizing the rarity of moving a launch date forward.

It's important to note the corporate connections: Borderlands 4 is published by 2K Games, and both Gearbox and the Borderlands IP are owned by Take-Two, which also owns Rockstar, the developer of GTA 6. At the executive level, decisions about game releases are made with a broad view of the company's portfolio, aiming to optimize each title's success.

Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, has previously discussed the company's strategy to avoid cannibalizing its own releases. In an interview with IGN, he emphasized planning game launches to respect consumers' time and interest in playing multiple hit games without overlap. Zelnick expressed confidence in this strategy, suggesting that the company feels good about its release timing and hopes to continue delivering successful titles.

Amid these developments, there remains the possibility that GTA 6 could face delays, potentially shifting to early winter or even into the first quarter of 2026. Zelnick acknowledged the inherent risks of delays in game development but expressed optimism about meeting the planned fall 2025 release for GTA 6.

Borderlands 4 is set to have its own PlayStation State of Play broadcast on April 30, further highlighting the game's upcoming release and the excitement surrounding it.