Borderlands 4’s elusive Switch 2 release date has finally been revealed, but there might be a few jealous glances from series fans planning to get stuck in on Nintendo’s platform: developer Gearbox has announced the Switch 2 version won’t release alongside other versions in September. Don’t be too sad, though; Borderlands 4 for Switch will trail other platforms by just a few weeks, launching on 3rd October.
Borderlands 4 was, of course, announced last August, and we finally got a first look at the looter-shooter sequel when The Game Awards rolled around in December. Since then, we’ve had thoughts on that Borderlands film flop, a promise to cut back on the toilet humour for the series’ fourth instalment, and Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford putting his foot in it so many times on social media, it’s a miracle publisher Take-Two didn’t hide his phone.
It’s been an eventful ride then, but finally Borderlands 4 is almost here. It’s due to launch for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC (on both Steam and Epic this time around, because it turns out that Epic-exclusive business perhaps wasn’t such a great idea) on 12th September, a little earlier than its originally announced release date. As for the Switch 2 version, all we knew previously was that it would arrive “before the end of the year”, but Pitchford has now locked that date down to 3rd October in a new video on social media.
“I know that you’re worried about [Switch 2],” he told fans, “because we haven’t yet announced a launch date, we haven’t yet opened pre-orders, and many of you take that as a sign that the game isn’t coming out any time soon… But we do have a date now… It’s not next year, it’s not even the holiday. It’s so much before Christmas, it’s so much before Thanksgiving*, it’s October 3rd”. Pitchford then repeatedly honked like a horn, insisting he was “psyched”.
So there you go! Borderlands 4 will feature four new Vault Hunters when it eventually shows up on your platform of choice, with players able to choose between three signature abilities for each. There’s also talk of unique class Traits, special augments, capstone abilities, and three branching upgrade paths of passive skills. That’s alongside a personalised Digirunner vehicle players can summon to zip around the seamlessly interconnected planet of Kairos, as well as new movement abilities, including gliding, dashing, double-jumping, and point-grappling.
Additionally, the minimap is back after fans lamented its removal; you’ll finally be able to shut Claptrap up; and better still, it won’t cost $80, meaning you don’t have to be a “real fan” to buy it. So to recap: Borderlands 4 launches for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC on 12th September, and for Switch 2 on 3rd October. And after that? There’s a bunch of DLC on the way.
*Similar to Turnip Thursday in the UK.