Borderlands 4 Release Date Moved Up: Impact on GTA 6?

Gearbox's much-anticipated first-person shooter, Borderlands 4, is set to hit the shelves 11 days earlier than initially planned. This exciting news was confirmed by the development chief, Randy Pitchford, in a video that inadvertently went live before its intended time.

Originally slated for a September 23 release, Borderlands 4 will now launch on September 12. Gamers across multiple platforms, including PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, can dive into the action-packed world of Pandora sooner than expected.

In the revealing video, Pitchford expressed his enthusiasm, 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 further emphasized the rarity of such an occurrence, exclaiming, "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 teased that a PlayStation State of Play centered around Borderlands 4 is on the horizon, promising more details soon.

The decision to advance the release date of Borderlands 4 has sparked speculation about its potential connection to the looming release of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6). GTA 6 is slated for a fall 2025 release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, though the exact date remains unspecified. This broad release window raises concerns about competition and the potential overshadowing of other titles like Borderlands 4. Could the shift in Borderlands 4's release be a strategic move to carve out its own space in the market?

It's noteworthy that Borderlands 4 is published by 2K Games, a subsidiary of Take-Two, which also owns Rockstar, the developer behind GTA 6. At the executive level, led by CEO Strauss Zelnick, there is likely a strategic oversight of all game releases to maximize their success. The adjustment of Borderlands 4's release could be a response to a clearer picture of GTA 6's timeline, aiming to ensure both titles thrive without overlapping too closely.

With Borderlands 4's new release date set for September 12, it seems unlikely that GTA 6 will launch in the same month or in August. This leaves October, November, or December 2025 as potential release windows for GTA 6. However, there's a risk that Take-Two might inadvertently cannibalize its own major releases if they are too closely scheduled. Additionally, another 2K title, Mafia: The Old Country, is set to launch in the summer of 2025, adding another layer to the scheduling puzzle.

When questioned about the potential harm of releasing major titles too close to each other, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick emphasized that the company plans its releases to avoid such risks. He highlighted the importance of respecting consumers' time with hit games, stating, "No, I think we will plan the releases so as not to have that be a problem... And what we found is when you're giving consumers hits, they tend to be interested in pursuing other hits... 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."

Amidst this strategic maneuvering, there remains the possibility that GTA 6 could face delays, potentially shifting to early winter or the first quarter of 2026. When asked about the confidence in meeting the fall 2025 release for GTA 6, Zelnick cautiously responded, "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."