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

Randy Pitchford, the development chief at Gearbox, has firmly denied that the decision to move up the release date of Borderlands 4 was influenced by the release schedules of other games. Originally slated for September 23, 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 11-day shift has fueled speculation that the move was made to avoid competition with high-profile titles like Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) and Marathon.

GTA 6, developed by Rockstar and owned by Take-Two, is still scheduled for a fall 2025 release. Meanwhile, Marathon, a co-op focused extraction shooter from Bungie, was set to launch on the same day as the original Borderlands 4 release date, September 23, 2025. The timing of Borderlands 4's new release date has led to theories that Take-Two might be strategically positioning its games to avoid direct competition.

However, Pitchford took to social media to clarify that the decision to advance Borderlands 4's release was purely based on "confidence" and the game's "development trajectory." He emphasized that the move had "0% to do with any other product's actual or theoretical launch date."

Despite Pitchford's assurances, the decision to move a game's release date forward is unusual in the industry, where delays are more common. Chris Dring, Editor-In-Chief and Co-Founder of The Game Business, expressed skepticism about the move, suggesting that there must be a compelling commercial reason behind it, especially given the marketing materials and public announcements already tied to the original date.

In a video message, Pitchford shared his excitement about the game's progress, 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."

It's important to note that Borderlands 4 is published by 2K Games, which, along with Gearbox and the Borderlands IP, is owned by Take-Two. This same company is the parent of Rockstar, the developer behind GTA 6. At the executive level, decisions about release timing are made with an eye toward maximizing the success of all titles under the Take-Two umbrella.

In a February interview with IGN, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick discussed the company's strategy for release timing, emphasizing a desire to avoid cannibalization and respect consumers' time with hit games. He expressed confidence in the company's ability to manage its release schedule effectively.

Amidst the speculation about Borderlands 4's release date shift, there's also talk about potential delays for GTA 6, which could push its release into early winter or even the first quarter of 2026. Zelnick acknowledged the inherent risks of delays but remained optimistic 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 at 2pm PT / 5pm ET / 11pm CEST, where fans can expect more details about the game.