‘Borderlands 4’ is a much-needed evolution of the series, say early previews

A number of hands-on previews for Borderlands 4 have been shared online, with many praising the game as a much-needed evolution of the beloved franchise.

• READ MORE: Nintendo Switch 2 review: easy to pick up, almost impossible to put down

Borderlands 4 was officially announced by Gearbox Software last year and last month, the long-awaited follow-up to 2019’s Borderlands 3 was confirmed to launch September 12 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is also in the works, but there’s no release date just yet.

A number of media outlets and streamers have now shared their hands-on preview of Borderlands 4. “One of the biggest take aways for me from playing Borderlands 4 is that this is genuinely the biggest evolution in the franchise. Whether you love or hate the changes, there is simply no way you can argue that this is just Bl3.5 . Everything is different,” wrote YouTuber Moxsy. 

“Exploration in Borderlands 4 feels great. I was surprised at the lack of boundaries. Gearbox just said hell with it, and let you kind of go wherever you want. I climbed a mountain which in Borderlands 3, would’ve been out of bounds,” added another fan.

Borderlands 4 previews have dropped and they are insanely positive, It is being praised across the board as being a massive step up from Borderlands 3 and possibly the best BL to date!

Here’s some highlights of the new info:

- Borderlands 4 features a more grounded and darker… pic.twitter.com/MZJRgouiCS

— Synth Potato (@SynthPotato) June 18, 2025

“With Gearbox, it truly feels like Borderlands 4 is taking those steps to change the direction of a franchise that had been drifting away from me for more than a decade, while still remaining staunchly true to its overarching identity,” wrote Game Informer while ScreenRant called it “the best Borderlands has ever been.”

However some fans are worried about the requirements needed to run the game on PC, while others are worried about developers dialing down some of the “zany humour” that featured heavily in Borderlands 3.

“Not at liberty to talk much about the content of Borderlands 4, but I remain firm in my criticism of Borderlands 3‘s overabundance of toilet humour,” narrative director Sam Winkler told one fan last year. “I’m not gonna say there is no toilet [humour] but if the word ‘skibidi’ ships in the game under my watch, I’m gonna cry real tears.”

Last year, a terminally ill fan was allowed to play Borderlands 4 early after an online campaign. They went on to praise the “amazing” game. 

In other news, Elden Ring: Nightreign developers have shocked players by surprise-releasing a tough new boss. A new ‘Everdark Sovereign’ will appear every week, and “pose an even greater threat to the Nightfarers with new moves and increased power”.

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