Borderlands 4 state of play gameplay reveal highlights

Time of India

01-05-2025

Gearbox Software
has just dropped Borderlands 4 during the PlayStation's latest State of Play. The 20-minute deep dive into the anarchic world highlights some fresh
Vault Hunters
, a revamped loot system, and the mysterious planet Kairos to push the signature chaos of the series to newer heights.
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But the biggest of all surprises was the release date of the game, September 12, 2025.
Let us break down all that was revealed with the
Borderlands 4 gameplay
.
Borderlands 4 features new vault hunters, action, and more
Borderlands 4 - State of Play Deep Dive | PS5 Games
The demo introduced Rafa the Exo-Soldier and Vex the Siren, the two of the 4 playable characters. While Vex summons the spectral beasts (through siren powers), including the ghost-tiger, manipulating the phase energy, Rafa is the former Tediore soldier who uses advanced weapons like an exo-suit (allows him to materialize the weapons) in the middle of combat.
Their skills are the most complex within the series and offer deep customization with passive upgrades, class traits, and capstone abilities. They perfectly cater to the support, aggressive, or tactical playstyles.
The gameplay takes place in Terminus Range, the frozen wasteland where this duo raided the black site facility. The action was completely Borderlands, with explosive gunplay, new movement options (ziplining, gliding, and double jumps), and wild abilities.
The biggest twist here was that the vehicles now are instant summon hovercrafts or Digirunners). They let the players speed through the open zones without the load screens.
Kairo and Timekeeper in Borderlands 4
Kairo, the new setting of the game, is the planet shackled by Timekeeper (cosmic dictator), the villain who uses cybernetic implants (bolts) to control the inhabitants. The players would battle through the 4 distinct biomes— frozen tundras to the blacksite facilities.
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They will be battling robot enforcers or The Order and dismantling the synthetic army of Timekeepers. They will also recruit allies like Armata from Borderlands 3 and some other returning faces like Moxxi Zane, Claptrap, and more.
The demo showed a seamless transition between combat and exploration, with zero loading screens. It emphasizes the focus of Gearbox on the immersion. As for the Lilith, it might have caused a rogue moon crash, which kickstarted the rebellion of Kairo— a classic Borderlands chaos.
There are also some side activities, such as the Assassin's Creed-style world events. They offer the loot without any mandatory quests. The split-screen and the crossplay co-op are also confirmed with the instanced loot and the scaled difficulty for keeping the teams balanced.
Borderlands 4 Game-changing loot, movement, and combat upgrades
The movement gets a major upgrade with the ziplines, gliding, and the Digirunner, the single-seat hoverbike that can be summoned anywhere.
The tools aren't just for the traversal, but they are woven into the combat, allowing the players to flank the enemies or even escape the firefights vertically. Combining it with the returning mechanics like double jumps and sliding makes the Borderlands 4 battle feel much more dynamic than it was before.
The weapon system has been overhauled by Gearbox Software with,
Licensed parts- guns mix the manufacturer traits, like the Jakob rifle with the Hyperion scope, etc.
As part of enchantments, there are some manufacturer-specific buffs like Tediore reloads that deal the bonus damage, exploding harder.
The ordnance slot combines heavy weapons (rocket launchers) and grenades on the cooldown. It will ensure you never get stuck without crowd control.
The rep kits allow players to buff or heal themselves mid-fight.
Legendaries will be rare but stronger than it was in Borderlands 3, while the replayable bosses will let players farm the gear effectively. The goal is to make all drops feel meaningful.
The instanced loot, split-screen co-op, and crossplay show how Gearbox is giving priority to the solo grinders and the chaotic couch parties.
Is Borderlands 4 a return to the form?
As per the promises of Gearbox Software, Borderlands 4 will be more grounded than the original. It will blend refined combat and classic humor. Its release in September avoids the shadow of GTA 6, as per Randy Pitchford, and, with the deep builds, crossplay, and a variety of insane loot, it might be the series' best entry to date.
As per the previews, Gearbox is definitely listening to the fans and ensuring to fix the BL3 loot spam while adding mobility and tightening the story.
Also, if the final game actually delivers right, the Vault Hunters are definitely in it for the wild ride.
Borderlands 4 will be available to play on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC (Steam/Epic), and Switch 2. It will be released on September 12, 2025.