Gearbox’s highly anticipated first-person shooter, Borderlands 4, is set to launch 11 days earlier than originally scheduled. This update was confirmed by Gearbox founder and development lead Randy Pitchford in a video that appeared online ahead of its official release.

Originally slated for September 23, Borderlands 4 will now arrive on September 12, 2025, and will be available across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2.

In the video, Pitchford expressed his excitement: “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 added with enthusiasm: “What?! This never happens you guys! This never happens! We’re moving the launch date forward! You’re gonna get Borderlands 4 earlier!”

Pitchford also mentioned that an upcoming PlayStation State of Play presentation dedicated to Borderlands 4 is coming soon.

Naturally, questions arise about whether this early release could be a strategic move tied to the anticipated arrival of Grand Theft Auto 6. Currently scheduled for a fall 2025 release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, GTA 6 looms large over the gaming calendar. Could launching Borderlands 4 earlier provide more visibility before Rockstar’s massive title?

It’s worth noting that Borderlands 4 is published by 2K Games, which falls under the umbrella of Take-Two Interactive—the same parent company behind Rockstar Games. At the executive level, including CEO Strauss Zelnick, there’s a clear understanding of the development timelines and market positioning of all major titles. It’s possible that GTA 6’s release window has recently solidified, prompting a shift in Borderlands 4’s schedule to ensure both games have room to shine.

With Borderlands 4 now set for September 12, it becomes less likely that GTA 6 will debut in August or September. October, November, or even December 2025 are now potential options. However, there remains a concern that releasing multiple flagship titles too closely together could result in internal competition—especially when considering other high-profile releases like Mafia: The Old Country, expected in summer 2025.

When asked about this potential conflict during a February interview, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick emphasized the company's commitment to thoughtful scheduling.

“No, I think we will plan the releases so as not to have that be a problem,” Zelnick stated. “And what we found is when you're giving consumers hits, they tend to be interested in pursuing other hits. In other words, even when the hits aren't ours, they're a good thing for the industry. In this case, we hope that the hits will largely be ours. So we feel really good about it and I think that we will time our releases so as to respect the consumer's need to spend a lot of time playing these hit games before they go on to the next.”

Still, speculation continues around whether GTA 6 might face delays into early winter 2025 or even spill into Q1 2026.

“Look, there's always a risk of slippage and I think as soon as you say words like absolutely, you jinx things,” Zelnick replied when pressed on how confident he was in hitting the fall 2025 window. “So we feel really good about it.”