We were invited to Take-Two's offices in London for a hands-on preview of the upcoming Borderlands 4, a game that's set to give the series a big refresh.
Executive producer Chris Brock has worked on Borderlands since the very start. Lead writer Taylor Clark joined the series for 2022's New Tales from the Borderlands. I sat down with the two of them to chat about the upcoming game.
"That's tough," Chris immediately chuckles. "So much of Borderlands is a vibe, you know? It's not about the actual pieces that you put into it. It's more about what the mixture of those pieces is."
Chris explains the challenge between iterating and evolving the series without losing that Borderlands magic. "You could have all of those things in there, but if the mix isn't right, it doesn't feel like Borderlands, right?"
Chris explains: "[In BL3] we added slide and mantle. What if we just went all in on movement, all in on the traversal stuff. What if we just doubled down on that stuff so that was kind of the core?
Double jump and glide have indeed both made it into the game, but so have a dash and even a grapple, all of which add a huge amount to both exploration and combat, and it will be tough to return to a Borderlands without these mechanics, something that Chris himself has experienced.
While movement plays a bigger role in combat and traversal, the world you traverse has seen significant upgrades too. BL4 features a huge, seamless world – go anywhere you want, loading-screen-free.
"Because of the limitations of the time, that wasn't really plausible for us to do. So, as technology has evolved, this is actually kind of how we've imagined Borderlands for a long time, it's just that we can finally build it."
"Borderlands 4 has a big map that you can explore in whatever order you choose, right? But at the same time, it is a very bespoke experience," says Chris.
"They're individual stories that don't require you to understand other parts of the game, and I think that's what combats that feeling that you're talking about. That feeling of there just being things in the game to create content, and I do mean content."
Rematching bosses for a chance at the best loot is a core part of the Borderlands formula – I ask Chris and Taylor about their approach in BL4.
Naturally, the two are unable to let much slip regarding BL4's endgame, but they very proudly extol the virtues of their new boss rematch system, which lets players immediately fight defeated bosses without having to replay entire levels.
"A core part of endgame stuff is being able to go back and replay content, right? I think that's easier than ever in Borderlands 4," Tyler adds.
"I wouldn't formulate the thinking on it like that," Taylor replies. "We listen to the fans, to the times, but more than that, we look at the story that we're trying to tell, and we try to cater the voice of the game to the stakes.
"Whereas here, we have this dystopia. People are being crushed under this ominous Timekeeper character. It would be weird if we were just constantly playing with wackiness all the time."
"There is a more grounded tone for sure, especially in the main content," Taylor says of BL4, " but you will find in the side stories a real diverse mix of some classic wacky Borderlands missions, some serious, some sombre, some thoughtful and touching.
Borderlands 4 may harken back to the olden days of the series in some regards, but it is perhaps as fresh and vibrant as the series has ever been, and one that aims to continue to push forward and innovate.
Borderlands 4 releases on 12th September 2025 for PC, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.
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