At PAX East 2025, Gearbox, the developer of Borderlands 4, held a panel to share more information about the upcoming looter-shooter. A key topic was the quality-of-life changes for co-op gameplay, as Gearbox aims to fix issues from previous Borderlands games and implement these enhancements in the sequel.
We already know the game will have instanced loot for every player. Gearbox’s Randy Pitchford also mentioned that Borderlands 4 will feature dynamically scaled difficulty for each player in co-op, ensuring the game remains challenging. Other significant upgrades include a completely new lobby system, the ability to drop in and out of co-op, and the exciting option to fast-travel to friends. While Borderlands 2 is on GameSpot’s list of the best co-op games, Borderlands 3 made several improvements in this aspect, but it wasn’t a major advancement.
“Co-op is very important to us. If you play co-op, it is the best available,” Pitchford said. “We have improved the lobby system to make it easier to connect with others and join a co-op game. You can easily drop in and out; there’s no need to play for three hours before starting co-op. Just join, and people can leave and return as they wish.”
The panel also discussed other topics, such as the updated loot system—there will be significantly fewer Legendary-class weapons compared to Borderlands 3. Additionally, the other two Vault Hunters joining Vex and Rafa were announced. If you don’t want to play as a Siren or a Tediore Exo-soldier, you can also choose to play as Harlowe the Gravitar or Amon the Forge Knight.
Borderlands 4 will be released for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2 on September 12. However, with rising video game prices, even Pitchford is unsure of its cost or if it
