Gearbox's highly anticipated first-person shooter, Borderlands 4, is set to launch 11 days earlier than originally planned. This exciting news was announced by Gearbox's development chief, Randy Pitchford, in a video that seemingly went live prematurely. Originally slated for a September 23 release, Borderlands 4 will now hit the shelves on September 12, available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

In the video, Pitchford expressed his enthusiasm, 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." He added with excitement, "What?! This never happens you guys! This never happens! We’re moving the launch date forward! You’re gonna get Borderlands 4 earlier!"

Pitchford also mentioned that a PlayStation State of Play focused on Borderlands 4 is expected to be released soon.

This unexpected move to advance the release date of Borderlands 4 raises questions about its potential relation to the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6), another major title set for the fall of 2025. GTA 6, developed by Rockstar and published by Take-Two (which also owns 2K Games, the publisher of Borderlands 4), has a somewhat vague release window that could overshadow other game launches. Could the decision to move Borderlands 4's release be a strategic move to avoid direct competition with GTA 6?

It's important to consider that at the executive level, particularly with Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick, there is likely a comprehensive understanding of the development timelines and release strategies for all their games. The decision to shift Borderlands 4's release date might be influenced by recent clarity on GTA 6's release, aiming to provide Borderlands 4 with a better chance at success.

With Borderlands 4 set to release on September 12, it seems unlikely that GTA 6 would launch in the same month or in August. This leaves October, November, or December 2025 as potential release months for GTA 6. However, releasing Take-Two's major titles too close to each other poses a risk of cannibalization, a concern also applicable to another 2K game, Mafia: The Old Country, slated for a summer 2025 release.

In an interview with IGN in February, Zelnick addressed these concerns, stating that Take-Two plans its releases to mitigate the risk of cannibalization. He emphasized that the company aims to "respect the consumer's need to spend a lot of time playing these hit games before they go on to the next." Zelnick expressed confidence in their strategy, noting, "No, I think we will plan the releases so as not to have that be a problem... In this case, we hope that the hits will largely be ours. So we feel really good about it."

Amidst this speculation, there remains the possibility that GTA 6 could face delays, potentially shifting its release into early winter or even the first quarter of 2026. When asked about the confidence in meeting the fall 2025 release for GTA 6, Zelnick cautiously remarked, "Look, there's always a risk of slippage and I think as soon as you say words like absolutely, you jinx things... So we feel really good about it."