Randy Pitchford, the development chief at Gearbox, has firmly stated that the early release of *Borderlands 4* was not influenced by the release schedules of other games, including *Marathon* or *Grand Theft Auto 6*. Initially slated for a September 23 launch, *Borderlands 4* will now hit the shelves on September 12, available across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
The decision to move the release date forward by 11 days has fueled speculation, particularly around the timing of *Grand Theft Auto 6*, which is set to launch in the fall of 2025. Some believe that Take-Two, the parent company of both Gearbox and Rockstar, might have adjusted *Borderlands 4*'s release to avoid direct competition. Additionally, there were concerns about a clash with Bungie's *Marathon*, another co-op focused shooter, set for the same original release date of September 23, 2025.
However, Pitchford took to Twitter to dispel these theories, emphasizing that the decision to release *Borderlands 4* earlier was driven by "confidence" and the game's "development trajectory." He stated, "Borderlands 4 shipping early is 100% the result of confidence in the game and development trajectory backed by actual tasks and bug find/fix rates. Our decision is literally 0% about any other product’s actual or theoretical launch date."
While it's unusual for games to advance their release dates (delays being far more common), Chris Dring, Editor-In-Chief and Co-Founder of The Game Business, expressed skepticism about the move, suggesting that shifting a well-publicized release date without a clear commercial reason is "a bit odd."
In a video message released early, Pitchford shared the news of the new release date with enthusiasm, saying, "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. What?! This never happens you guys! This never happens! We’re moving the launch date forward! You’re gonna get Borderlands 4 earlier!”
It's important to note that *Borderlands 4* is published by 2K Games, a subsidiary of Take-Two, which also owns Gearbox and the *Borderlands* IP. Take-Two is also the parent company of Rockstar, the developer behind *Grand Theft Auto 6*. At the executive level, including CEO Strauss Zelnick, there is likely strategic oversight to ensure all games have the best chance of success.
In an earlier interview with IGN, Zelnick discussed Take-Two's approach to release timing, emphasizing a strategy to avoid cannibalization and respect consumers' time with hit games. He mentioned, "No, I think we will plan the releases so as not to have that be a problem... And what we found is when you're giving consumers hits, they tend to be interested in pursuing other hits."
Amidst this speculation, there's also talk of potential delays for *Grand Theft Auto 6*, possibly moving into early winter or the first quarter of 2026. Zelnick remained cautiously optimistic about hitting the fall 2025 target for *GTA 6*, saying, "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."
