Latest news with #Borderlands4
Newsweek
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Fans Are Ripping Gearbox for Controversial 'Borderlands 4' Decision
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Gearbox Software has made a name for itself by releasing the ever-popular "Borderlands" series. The shoot-em-up RPG features zany boss fights, hilarious and over-the-top toilet humor, and a ridiculous amount of guns to choose from. The series began in 2009 when the first "Borderlands" was released. The series, which includes three mainline games, and a series of spinoffs, has sold over 77 million copies, according to Wikipedia. Simply put, the "Borderlands" series is a mainstay, and the fourth installment is set for release on Sept 12, 2025. It has been six years since "Borderlands 3" was released, and fans are eagerly awaiting "Borderlands 4." While the trailers and looks at the upcoming sequel have been filled with excitement, there is one controversial change that has warranted major responses from fans. According to IGN, "Borderlands 4" contains a setting that will allow players to quiet down the lovable and quite annoying Claptrap. Claptrap was introduced in the first game, and he follows around the main character, spewing out random anecdotes, jokes, and so much more. Claptrap has also become the de facto mascot of the series, leaving fans wondering why this setting even exists. Claptrap, the cutest robot buddy Claptrap, the cutest robot buddy Gearbox "Isn't the entire point of Claptrap to annoy the player as much as possible?" one fan wrote. "The Easter egg is the setting works in reverse and he only gets louder because he knows you tried to silence him 😂,": another replied. "I will NOT make Claptrap quieter....i LOVE CLAPTRAP😭," wrote. "Why would you want claptrap to be quiet? He's the main protagonist," another questioned. Though the idea for quieting Claptrap down might be to give the main character some peace and quiet, fans are rallying to question why Gearbox Software would make such a controversial setting. Granted, Claptrap can be quite burdensome throughout the series, but he also serves as the comic relief throughout the series. His presence is one of the most welcome, albeit he has to talk and prattle on every chance he gets. The "Borderlands" series got so popular that a movie adaptation was created. Sadly, the adaptation was not a massive hit and bombed at the box office. Deadline reported that the adaptation lost $80 million. Despite the box office bomb, the characters in the adaptation included the beloved Claptrap, who was voiced by fan-favorite actor Jack Black. Simply put, there has been a lot of effort made for the character Claptrap to remain his zany self, and it appears fans are not keen on "Borderlands 4" having a setting where you can shut off the robot. For more video games, head to Newsweek Video Games.
Forbes
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Borderlands 4' Is Now My Most-Anticipated Game Of The Year
Borderlands 4 The vibes are good around Borderlands 4. That may sound like a pretty vague statement, but I've been doing this long enough to hold my finger to the wind and know which way things are moving. And in the case of Borderlands 4, all signs point to a successful launch in September, even in the wake of many that may have become disinterested in the series after its last installment. I've always been a huge Borderlands fan, the genesis of the looter shooter genre that Destiny eventually took and ran with (granted, Borderlands originally took a lot from Diablo and the like). Borderlands has avoided being a live service, and that still seems true for 4. But it also has learned significant lessons from its last installment, Borderlands 3, which attracted a lot of criticism despite big sales and made fans concerned for the future of the franchise. Now? Those fears are mostly gone. Almost entirely gone, for me especially. I have more or less not seen anything bad released for the promotion for this game. Not trailers, not interviews and now not an elaborate dump of first-impression previews and active streams of the game from creators. I know marketing is obviously meant to make games look good, but Borderlands 4 looks very good. There are a number of ways the game looks to have improved itself, but I'm most excited about three of them in particular: The Tone, thank god, The Tone – Borderlands 2 started this in some capacity, but Borderlands 3 went way off the deep end when it came to pop culture references (all of which are now significantly dated) and 'edgy' humor like the main villains being livestreamers. Even if the game was fun, the story was…rough in multiple ways. Now? Just watch any of the trailers, especially this latest one, where the game will not forgo humor entirely, of course, but it's a lot more focused on actually menacing villains over Butt Stallions and the like. The writing everyone hated appears, at least, to have taken a hiatus, direct feedback producing clear results, something the game's writers have talked about explicitly. Mobility – For being a game entirely focused on guns, abilities and combat, Borderlands has never exactly been the best-feeling shooter on the market. It appears Borderlands 4 has realized that's a missing component of most combat powers outside of some specific class abilities and has changed with alterations like a grappling hook everyone has access to, and a Warlock-like hover drift moving from locations. This may not be the highest-profile thing discussed about the game, but I think it's going to be key once everyone gets their hands on gunplay. Borderlands 4 Open World – I don't know how many hours I've spent looking at loading screens between the 20+ zones of a given Borderlands game, but that seems to be getting majorly reduced or eliminated with the inclusion of an open world this time around. I know for a time, switching to an open world seemed like an Ubisoft-style gimmick, but I genuinely believe Borderlands 4 will benefit from this. Early previews have also suggested this is a 'dense' world that won't have just endless sprawling spaces, but rather lots of things to find and do across the entire map in large quantities. I'm excited. I can't think of anything else coming out in the latter half of the year that I am personally looking forward to more. While I was always going to be excited for a new Borderlands, the previews for 4 have just been so reassuring they got it right this time. I hope that's the case. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Borderlands 4 stirs controversy amid price talk
Borderlands 4 may be 2025's most anticipated looter shooter title, so hopefully its studio, Gearbox, will try its best to remain tight-lipped for the next few months. A few weeks ago, when asked online about Borderlands 4 possibly being a US$80 title, chief executive officer Randy Pitchford said that: (a) it's 2K Games' call, not his, and (b) true fans will find a way to buy it if it came to that. That's a rather tone-deaf response, especially amid ongoing economic instability and upheaval in the games industry. What is perplexing is that Randy Pitchford gave a much better answer about pricing a month ago. We're not sure who handled Pitchford's Twitter account, or if the man himself truly forgot what he said a month earlier, but it is a bad look for him and Gearbox. This isn't the first controversy he has gone through. Online, you'll find longstanding allegations, including a story about him allegedly leaving a USB containing sexually explicit material at a Medieval Times restaurant, stories of him and his company siphoning money off Sega meant for an Aliens game (which went to Borderlands 2), and lying about the state of the game pre-launch, and the mishandling of Duke Nukem Forever. And his involvement in 2024's worst movie, the Borderlands live-action film adaptation. Even with the possible success of Borderlands 4, the internet truly never forgets. Which is why, more than ever, if Gearbox needs to truly succeed with its upcoming looter shooter at launch and beyond, publisher 2K Games must manage Pitchford's public presence more carefully. Short Beats The Nintendo Switch 2 will be out in Malaysia on July 3, 2025. The console will cost RM2,488. China's NetEase Games has announced a new triple-A, single-player action title called Blood Message. The game will be out for PC and consoles, though no release date or year has been announced. Despite controversy from its CEO, Gearbox Software's upcoming looter shooter title Borderlands 4 will not cost over US$80. FromSoftware has launched post-launch downloadable content for its roguelite action title Elden Ring: Nightreign. Longtime VR rhythm game Beat Saber will no longer receive new content and support on PlayStation VR and PlayStation VR2. Other versions of the title will still get support, though. Op-Eds We celebrated Father's Day last Sunday with our tribute to the best dads and dad figures in video game history. Games Out This Week Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is a remake of a 2006 action Japanese role-playing title spun off from the Shin Megami Tensei series. You play a devil summoner and detective rolled into one as you solve cases in 1930s Japan using your wits, blade, and demons based on mythical spirits and legendary creatures. FBC Firebreak is the major release of the week. It's the player-versus-player spin-off to 2019's action-adventure title Control. Lost in Random: The Eternal Die is a new isometric-perspective action roguelite title where you play a dethroned queen fighting her way out of a gothic game board-themed slew of dungeons and adversaries. Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond is the sequel to digital collectible card game Shadowverse. Much like Hearthstone, players battle as spellcasters and warriors using cards to summon creatures or sling magic. The card game is out for iOS, Android, and PC, with the latter version getting overwhelmingly bad reviews. Tron Catalyst is a new adventure game based on Disney's Tron universe. With your Identity Disc and Light Cycle, fight to escape by wielding the power of the Glitch loop. Electrifying action and a rich story combine in a new adventure set within Disney's iconic Tron universe. Rematch is a new football game from Clap Hands, the makers of Sifu. Control one player on your team and compete in fast-paced 5v5 matches from an immersive third-person perspective. Gex Trilogy is a compilation of a classic late 90s 2D and 3D platformer series starring a tail-whipping, channel-surfing gecko named Gex. Recommended Viewing YouTuber TheOtherFrost has released an insightful video on the relationship between content and sponsorship via ads. Fighting game esports tournament CEO 2025 just wrapped up this Monday; here are the highlights and best moments of high-level competition from the USA-based event.
Forbes
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Borderlands 4' Adds A Hugely Requested Feature Months Before Launch
Borderlands 4 Gearbox Borderlands 4 has officially become my most-anticipated game of the year, between how good its previews have looked and the glowing hands-on reviews that have just hit the internet this past week. Now, I am deeply impressed by what Gearbox has just announced. Due to a load of fan feedback and debates about the issue, they have added a feature to the game that will launch with it in September, a demonstration of both listening to the playerbase and nimble development. The debate was whether or not the Borderlands 4 'compass' system of locating objectives and enemies was better than a 'minimap' system that did the same thing but in a different format. Gearbox adamantly defended the compass decision, but the conversation was so pervasive that it has just been announced that Borderlands 4 will indeed launch with a combat minimap option. Here's Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford showing off the system during a 32-tweet thread covering the issue: Randy credits the community for helping to reinforce how important this issue is and that it needed to be addressed: 'This happened because of the best elements of our community. I'm talking about the real fans who sincerely want the best for the game and gave constructive notes and made reasonable arguments. You know who you are and you rock! You made this happen!' I'm not exactly sure which side of this I come down on. I think perhaps the compass, as it seems less intrusive in the UI, but I'll try both out to be sure. Regardless, it's great that there's an option, and you really do not see this sort of thing happen this quickly and way ahead of launch, rather than a 'yeah, we'll look into that for the future' sort of thing. It seems like it's all green lights for Borderlands 4 so far. The only negative things I've heard about it are not about the game itself, but people saying they didn't like Borderlands 3 , so they're not excited about 4. But a lot of the praise about Borderlands 4 is that it's fixing many of the issues of 3, from combat movement to looting to even the tone of its writing. That, combined with what appears to be a very reactive dev team on top of their game, I think this is going to be a big fall launch, particularly with a number of other games moving out of its way. Can't wait to play. Follow me on Twitter , YouTube , Bluesky and Instagram . Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy .
Geek Culture
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
‘Borderlands 4' Goes Back To Series Roots, Even As Gearbox Software Expands Core Concepts
In the crowded first-person shooter (FPS) genre filled with overly serious military simulators, hectic multiplayer PvP experiences, and nostalgic boomer shooters, one franchise stands out and above because of the absolute nonsense it brings to the battlefield – Gearbox Software's Borderlands . While many IPs struggle to find that balance between providing an engaging narrative alongside solid gameplay fundamentals, while not being too reliant on a multiplayer aspect to keep a player engaged in the long run, Borderlands' three mainline entries and two spin-offs have provided an addictive gameplay loop alongside an engaging narrative to boot, balancing equal parts humour and drama. Granted, some changes have sat better with fans since its 2009 debut, especially with the last mainline entry, 2019's Borderlands 3 , drawing criticism for its writing, in part due to the game's influencer-like main villain duo, the Calypso Twins leading the game's overall tone which tried to cater to a target audience that didn't exist. Well, fans would be glad to know that the criticisms did not go unnoticed by the studio, because with its upcoming sequel, Borderlands 4 , the studio is going all out to ensure that the highly anticipated outing not only makes an effort to ground the series to a level that fans can appreciate. ' Borderlands has always been in the borderland between drama and comedy, there's its centre line that has always been serious, and on the fringes it was ridiculous,' explains Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford during an exclusive interview with Geek Culture alongside an accompanying preview session. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford (far left), Gearbox Global Creative Executive Officer Andrew Reiner (far right) 'But it's neither, it's never been either a drama or a comedy, but it's both of that. It's this weird thing in between, and that's what Borderlands is, it's always the in-between space of things that don't belong together.' As a series, Borderlands has always leveraged its humour as a selling point, constantly ramping up the ridiculousness with every entry, and while this growth has seen its share of hits and misses, the team has taken it all as a learning experience. 'I think Borderlands 1 was probably the most serious version of Borderlands , and Borderlands 3 was probably the most ridiculous.' Pitchford adds, 'The more we've done, the more experience we have, and I think we now know the right place to dial in Borderlands 4 for where we are at this time and place, and that's where we're at now.' At the core of the Borderlands experience lies its jokes, an area where the third entry unfortunately fell flat due to its focus on quantity over quality. To this end, the game's narrative director, Sam Winkler, previously teased that the game would feature 'more situational' humour this time around, a point that we asked Pitchford to elaborate on. 'In the past, there was a moment when we felt like we would do a lot of jokes at once, because different jokes would hit for different people, and because not everyone has the same taste and humour, so we thought we'd just machine gun it,' Pitchford explains. 'And that kind of works, because if you tell 20 jokes, one of them will hit, but there's also something to be said for the experience of feeling the 19 that didn't.' 'So I think in this context, we've been a lot more surgical and measured this time around,' he adds. 'I think what Sam was speaking to is a better coordination between narrative storytelling and writing with natural elements like the environment, the situation and gameplay construction. And I think that's a really cool thing.' To put this into context, an example of the Bloodwing fight in Borderlands 2 was brought up. For the uninitiated, Bloodwing was the loyal companion of Mordecai, one of the four main characters in the first game, who was unfortunately captured and mutated by the second game's villain, Handsome Jack, forcing both Mordecai and the player character to fight and kill the corrupted beast, a moment that served as a significant emotional moment in the game. As messed up as the situation may seem, there was something innately humorous about the whole situation, infusing the series with a special kind of dark comedy that makes a player question why they were forced to fight such a well-known character, building on equal parts astonishment and disbelief in the moment to make players crack a regretful smile. According to Pitchford, it's this natural (and sometimes unintentional) integration of humour into moment-to-moment gameplay that will drive Borderlands 4's comedy forward. 'Every experience adds up,' says Pitchford, who admits that even though the development of Borderlands 4 was not affected by the rather poor reception of the third title, both its criticism and praise and their effect on the team were impossible to deny, who used these learning lessons to craft a much more formidable, and less annoying, villain this time around: The Timekeeper. Borderlands 4 takes place on Kairos, a once-hidden planet ruled with an iron fist by the mysterious Timekeeper, a being of immense power in command of a vast army of synthetic enforcers known as The Order. According to Pitchford, the Timekeeper marks the franchise's most serious antagonist to date, which is certainly an interesting twist in tone. 'I don't think he has ever told a joke. If this is a smile, the Timekeeper probably hasn't even done this.' Pitchford explains, as he cracks the most forced smile he could muster as a reference. 'He is intelligent, calculated, in your face right out of the gates, and a serious threat. He's no joke. Darth Vader? That guy cracks more jokes.' It will be interesting to see how a shift to a completely serious main antagonist will affect the game's overall comedic element, although chances are, it will be delegated to the four new Vault Hunters (Vex, Rafa, Amon, and Harlowe) and their interactions with their various allies and foes. It's this return to the traditional four pre-set characters that marks yet another way Borderlands 4 is doubling down on series roots, even as the team also expands upon this sequel's scale, story, and comedic elements. Alas, this means that the franchise's updated character customisation, introduced in 2022's Tiny Tina's Wonderlands spin-off , which allowed the tailoring of a character's looks, along with a player's ability to mix and match classes to suit every playstyle, won't be seen here. While it marked a refreshing and well-received switch by the fanbase, due to the added gameplay flexibility and personalisation it provided, the team decided to return to the traditional method of only allowing the choice between four pre-set characters. Why? For Pitchford, allowing players the freedom to create an original character diminished one important aspect of its story – the element of playing out a superhero fantasy. 'With Wonderlands , the strategy was leaning into what we fantasise about when we think about playing fantasy role-playing games, how part of the joy is crafting your character,' he explains. 'In Borderlands , we don't have that same wish. The thing we are offering instead is the ability to become one of the characters that are integral to the storyline, to be a superhero. If we could all create our own superheroes, then all of the superheroes would be diminished.' And while some fans might be disappointed that they won't be able to create their own Vault Hunter in the game, the logic is sound, considering the game's lore. Pandora was always a dangerous place, and Kairos looks to be even more so, making the four new Vault Hunters the proverbial cream of the crop, the only ones badass enough to survive and thrive in the harsh world where so many other would-be treasure hunter enthusiasts have failed. Having a choice of pre-set characters ensures that each possesses a unique personality, something that's difficult to pull off when opting for a creation system seen in Wonderlands . Furthermore, the team has also made steps to properly establish the player character's presence in the game's storyline this time around. And while Borderlands 3 faced criticism for leaving the player character on the sidelines, with its story playing out like it was independent of the main protagonist rather than them actively being a part of it, Borderlands 4 is set to focus heavily on the player character, and rightfully so. For the first time in the series' history, the player will not only physically appear in cutscenes, but also accurately reflect a chosen outfit, which will probably lead to hilarious interactions considering how wacky some of the game's costumes can get. With the improvements and reworks of its story, characters and humour, that leaves one other major aspect of the game that has been developed from scratch – its world. Instead of exploring the vast and diverse landscapes of Pandora, or in Promethea, Athenas or Eden-6, Borderlands 4 is shifting gears and dropping players on the brand-new planet of Kairos. And despite focusing on a single planet this time around, the game promises the most diverse and expansive environments to date. 'In terms of square footage, Borderlands 4 has more than all of the previous games added together – it's massive,' states Pitchford when asked about how the game's scale compares to Borderlands 3 , which back then was the franchise's most environmentally diverse title with its inclusion of multiple planets to explore. 'In terms of diversity of environment, well, again, Borderlands 4 is at the top of the game. Yes, each planet in Borderlands 3 had some different, distinct set pieces and environments, but that was integral to the game's story. Borderlands 4 is about this legendary planet of Kairos that's been locked away for thousands of years, which has more vaults than any other planet in the universe. So it's a whole different story conceit, everything happens on this planet, with the struggle between the dictators controlling the planet and everyone's desire for freedom being the backdrop.' So, how does this translate to more meaningful exploration and discovery? For Gearbox Global Creative Executive Officer Andrew Reiner, it's all about creating player agency within the game's sandbox. 'Another big distinction in Borderlands 4 is that we're not just creating vistas and backdrops,' he adds, 'You can physically get everywhere in this world. You see a crashed ship on a hillside? It's not just there as something to look at and say 'Oh, that's cool'. You can get up there if you want, everything is free to explore and experience.' Even from early impressions, it's clear that Borderlands 4 is doubling down on the franchise's madness. We've already seen this in effect via our extended gameplay preview, but this looks to be the case for its narrative elements as well, with all signs pointing to a title that will put the series back on track while making meaningful adjustments. Let's just hope that most of its jokes will hit this time around, and that Claptrap will remain just as annoying as ever. Never change, Claptrap. Borderlands 4 will launch on 12 September 2025 for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, with a release on the Nintendo Switch 2 arriving later in the year. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. 2K Games Borderlands Borderlands 4 Gearbox Software Geek Interview
