Borderlands 4 gameplay trailer reveals new Vault Hunters and setting

We finally have a proper look at Borderlands 4, the latest mainline instalment of Gearbox’s long-running sci-fi looter-shooter series. The new entry, which was first announced several months ago, will be taking the action fully away from Pandora to the new planet of Kairos, and feature a new team of Vault Hunters to play as.

After Elpis, Pandora’s moon (and setting of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel) mysteriously arrives in the orbit of Kairos, the protective barrier around the planet was torn, causing bandit masks and other debris to rain from the sky. The planet is engaged in a bloody war between the authoritarian Timekeeper and his army of synthetic soldiers, known as the Order, and the savage Rippers and their Queen, Callis.

The trailer also gave some sneak peaks at the playable Vault Hunters, although details such as their names and specific playstyles are yet to be fleshed out. Borderlands 4 will be going back to the previous games’ model of 4 mechanically distinct characters to choose from rather than a custom character designed by the player, as was employed in the Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands spin-off. As with previous games, players can play either solo or with up to three friends.

At any rate, we will see both new characters and some returning faces from previous games. Gearbox also promises “infinitely varied loot drops” on the game’s website, so we can expect no shortage of crazy guns and other loot to acquire. At present, we still have no further detail regarding when Borderlands 4 will release than a 2025 release window. We will have to keep an eye out for more news regarding the game’s playable characters or a more definite release date.