Latest news with #Gearbox
Forbes
11 hours ago
- 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 .
Forbes
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Borderlands 4' Hands-On Previews Are Here, And They Are Fantastic
Borderlands 4 I have yet to see anything in Borderlands 4 previews that suggests to me that it's not going to be great, and in the wake of pre-orders (at a $70 price) launching this week, now we have a large batch of hands-on previews that have dropped from various outlets and creators. Well, the good news is that the Borderlands 4 previews are almost all universally positive, and have a general sense of the series being 'back.' The bad news is…well, I'm not really seeing bad news. Here is a smattering of highlights from the previews, which come from both outlets and YouTubers deep into the scene: IGN: 'After several hours dipping our toes into what is sure to be a massive looter shooter, we're much more optimistic about its odds of recapturing our affections after years apart.' Game Informer: '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.' Screenrant: 'It's hard to distill everything I loved about my time playing Borderlands 4 down to a digestible length. I could go on for far too long about how great the new throwing knives are or how this is easily some of the best-written Borderlands content, thanks to the game's humor staying grounded in its own world as opposed to relying too hard on dated internet culture.' FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Moxsy: Joltz: EpicNNG: This echoes the sense the previews gave, that this had taken the immense amount of feedback and criticism from the (still very successful) Borderlands 3. Two areas that have been significantly addressed are the dramatic increase in mobility, ranging from grappling hooks to gliding, to make the combat feel more fast-paced and modern. It's also refreshing to hear that the writing is less meme-y than it used to be, harkening back to the BL1 days of the series where sure, there was comedy, but it didn't go overboard to the point of being exceptionally lame (something BL3 had in spades). spades). Borderlands 4 recently moved its release date up to September 13, 2025. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford said that it was just confidence in the product, not trying to avoid Bungie's Marathon, which it previously shared a release date with (as of yesterday, Marathon is delayed indefinitely anyway) or avoiding the not-yet-announced GTA 6 (which was eventually delayed to May 2026). So, he was right. Borderlands 4 was already one of my most-anticipated games of the year, possibly the most-anticipated, given the thousand hours I've put into the past games. Now? I'm doubling down on that. I cannot wait. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
I had a preview of Borderlands 4 – and it could be the best looter shooter of all time
The gunplay is exceptional After quickly tinkering with some settings to match preferences and navigating to an objective marker, I was thrust into a gunfight. The gunplay was incredibly tight, and each weapon felt unique. Looting and trying out different weapons is, of course, part of Borderlands ' DNA, and it still feels as great as ever to pick up a weapon and work out if it's better than your current arsenal. In previous Borderlands games, weapons you'd never usually consider end up being preferred options, and this was the case during my preview. I tend to prefer fully auto weapons, such as assault rifles, but in this, I favoured a deadly sniper rifle with extreme precision and a pistol that dealt devastating fire damage with a quick reload time. There's a repkit – at the push of a button, you get an instant health boost. This is especially welcome in areas with enemies. It can also help you traverse more quickly and has a reload timer instead of ammo. Speaking of enemies, the variety in the section of Fadefields was largely good, but the majority were Order robots. So I'm interested to see how these enemies vary in the open world going forward. I also found myself going back to mission areas to encounter enemies, but there were some small outposts I could get stuck in and overthrow. Sections of previous Borderlands worlds have been guilty of not having much in the way of enemies between point A and point B, so I'm looking forward to spending more time with this game and seeing how it compares. There are new–but–imperfect companions A new tiger companion named Trouble joined me at all times, dealing devastating melee damage during combat. This was incredibly useful when varying my approach to enemies. Trouble dealt close-range damage while I attacked with longer-range weapons from afar. Enemies could also be taken down at close range quickly when working together. There's another new companion robot called Echo-4, which helps players navigate through the world by revealing a path to their destination. In the preview, at least, it wasn't perfect. In one of the missions, it tried to guide me through a wall. That said, in the more open sections, it worked really well. The new traversal mechanics are incredibly satisfying Traversal is switched up to great effect – you can grapple, glide, double jump, climb, swim and dash. These all make navigating around Kairos a blast, especially when used in conjunction with the Digirunner, a vehicle that's available pretty much anywhere instantly. It never felt like a chore getting from A to B or exploring, and hopefully, this is the same throughout the game. In previous Borderlands games, travelling around on foot or spawning vehicles at certain points to get around quickly grew stale, so these additions are incredibly welcome. It seems the developers have really focused on exploration with Borderlands 4, and it was rewarding to go off the beaten track to find superior loot. Loot rarity has increased, which makes finding and earning more unique items all the more rewarding, especially after Borderlands 3 devalued loot rarity. These added options also make hitting certain combos in combat nothing short of thrilling. Double jumping and hitting the perfect shot before landing safely behind cover was addictive, and peeking out to land a killer headshot felt incredibly satisfying every time. Vaults bring challenging bosses The second part of the preview focused on the character Rafa in one of the Vaults. These sections act as stages where players have to take out waves of enemies before progressing to the next section, before eventually taking down a boss to earn superior loot. The one on offer here was incredibly challenging. I had to experiment with different strategies to navigate each section successfully. It's easy to get overwhelmed, and you need to quickly work out what does and doesn't work. Without giving away any spoilers, the boss encountered at the end of the Vault was incredibly challenging; it forces you to work out its weaknesses and attack routine before successfully countering. With different phases, it kept us on our toes, having to learn exactly what the boss was going to do before being able to exploit their weakness. Again, this provided a welcome challenge and something that's not just a big bullet sponge – it requires thought, patience, precision and skill to beat, something that isn't necessarily always the case with modern shooters. An updated art style – and a welcome change to the jokes Overall, visually, the game looks great. Borderlands ' iconic art style has been tweaked slightly to make it more expansive with dynamic lighting and improved character models, and the series looks as good as ever. There's a conscious shift to drier humour following the toilet-focused Borderlands 3, and it fits the game's setting and characters perfectly. As a veteran Borderlands player, it's great to see this return. After two hours with the game, it looks like it could be an instant classic. The gameplay is incredibly fun and provides a very welcome challenge. More Borderlands is always a good thing and Borderlands 4 truly has the potential to be the biggest and best looter shooter out there. Borderlands 4 is available to pre-order on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC and releases on 12 September. It will release later in the year on Nintendo Switch 2.
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Borderlands 4 launch price confirmed at $70 by Randy Pitchford: When does the game come out?
Fans of the popular looter-shooter series Borderlands can now breathe a sigh of relief as Gearbox Software officially confirmed the launch price for Borderlands 4 as $70 for the Standard Edition. Earlier, there had been fears of an $80 price tag following controversial comments from Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford. This announcement comes after months of uncertainty and backlash from players when Pitchford hinted at the possibility of a higher cost. Pitchford later apologized for the comments after he was criticised by industry professionals. 'No price increase for Borderlands 4,' Pitchford said on his X account, calming the nerves of fans who were worried about following the trend set by games like Mario Kart: World, which launched at $80. The big news: No price increase for Borderlands 4! Standard Edition launches not at $80, but at $69.99! They're showing you, so please show them. You can find links to pre-order Borderlands 4 PC and console versions on the store pages here: — Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) June 16, 2025 In addition to the price reveal, Gearbox confirmed exclusive pre-order bonuses for the Standard Edition, which includes skins for the Vault Hunter, weapon, and the new Echo-4 Drone. It will be released on September 12, 2025. The upcoming game marks a significant departure from the series' traditional setting, taking players to a new open-world sandbox called Kairos. With new movement features, an expanded arsenal, and the introduction of three new gun manufacturers, Borderlands 4 promises to be the most ambitious installment in the franchise to date. The development also comes amidst a trend by popular video games, such as Outer Worlds 2, which have been launched at $80. Fans have had a negative reaction in response to these games. The official pricing announcement has put an end to speculation, and the excitement for the game continues to build. Fans can now pre-order the game and look forward to what promises to be another thrilling addition to the Borderlands universe.
Al Bawaba
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Al Bawaba
Borderlands 4 Collector's Edition doesn't include the game
ALBAWABA - Borderlands 4 is once again the talk of social media after sparking backlash from fans for its newly announced expensive collector's edition. The Echo-4 bundle offers buyers in-game cosmetics, art prints, a vault symbol necklace, a map of Karos, an Echo-4 figurine with LED lights, and some in-game codes. However, fans were quick to notice that the $149.99 bundle doesn't include the game in question, which will force them to purchase Borderlands 4 for an extra $69.99. Disappointed fans flooded Wario64's comment section on X (formerly known as Twitter) to express their frustration. A user wrote, "This is actually really good news. Now we know for sure how this company feels about its fans." Weow $150 for a collector's edition with no game! — // Lumi 🌓 (@lumiscera) June 16, 2025 Borderlands 4 has been under constant controversy ahead of its 2025 release date due to Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford's recent response to fans who criticized the game's previous $79.99 price tag. Pitchford turned heads when he was accused of "gaslighting" Borderlands fans when he responded to an X post regarding the game's previous price tag. Responded to an unhappy fan who showcased frustration about the game's price tag on X (formerly known as Twitter) and wrote: "A) Not my call. B) If you're a real fan, you'll find a way to make it happen. My local game store had Starflight for Sega Genesis for $80 in 1991 when I was just out of high school working minimum wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Beach and I found a way to make it happen." On the contrary, another X user slammed Ptichford and wrote in response, "Dawg we are NOT paying $80 for a Borderlands game fully knowing you'll do multiple season passes that cost another $100 and you'll probably sell weapon skins too."
