Randy Pitchford: Borderlands 4's Early Release Not Tied to Other Game Launches

Randy Pitchford, the development chief at Gearbox, has firmly stated that the decision to advance the release of Borderlands 4 was not influenced by the release schedules of other games, amidst rumors that the move could be related to titles like Marathon or Grand Theft Auto 6.

Originally slated for a September 23 launch, Borderlands 4—a cooperative first-person shooter—will now hit the shelves on September 12, available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and the Nintendo Switch 2. This shift by 11 days has fueled speculation that the move was strategically planned to avoid competing directly with GTA 6, which is set to launch in the fall of 2025. Both games are under the umbrella of Take-Two, the parent company that also owns Rockstar, the developer of GTA 6.

Additionally, there were whispers that the timing change might be to sidestep a release clash with Bungie's Marathon, another cooperative-focused extraction shooter. Marathon is a pivotal title for Bungie, which is owned by Sony, and was initially scheduled for the same release date as Borderlands 4, September 23, 2025. Borderlands 4 is also set to feature in a PlayStation State of Play event today, April 30, at 2pm PT / 5pm ET / 11pm CEST.

However, Pitchford took to Twitter to clarify that the decision to bring Borderlands 4 forward was solely based on "confidence" and the "development trajectory" of the game. He emphasized that the move had "literally 0% to do with any other product's actual or theoretical launch date."

While it's more common for game release dates to be delayed rather than advanced, Chris Dring, Editor-In-Chief and Co-Founder of The Game Business, expressed skepticism about the reasons given for the shift. He pointed out that the original date was widely publicized and questioned the commercial rationale behind changing it without external pressures.

In a video message released early, Pitchford shared the news of the new release date with enthusiasm, highlighting that the development was going exceptionally well and described the situation as "the best-case scenario." He expressed excitement about bringing the game to players earlier than expected.

It's important to note that Borderlands 4 is published by 2K Games, a subsidiary of Take-Two, which also owns Gearbox and the Borderlands IP. At the executive level, including CEO Strauss Zelnick, there is an overarching strategy to ensure the success of all Take-Two titles, including those from Rockstar, the developer behind GTA 6.

In a February interview with IGN, Zelnick discussed Take-Two's approach to game releases, emphasizing a strategy to avoid cannibalizing their own titles. He stressed the importance of respecting consumers' time and their desire to engage deeply with each game before moving on to another.

Amidst this, there is ongoing speculation about the potential delay of GTA 6 into early winter or the first quarter of 2026. Zelnick, while optimistic about meeting the fall 2025 release for GTA 6, acknowledged the inherent risks of delays in game development.