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

In the video, Pitchford expressed his excitement: “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 enthusiasm, “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 the anticipated PlayStation State of Play focused on Borderlands 4 is expected to be released soon.

This surprising decision to advance the release date has sparked speculation about its connection to the looming release of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6). GTA 6 is currently scheduled for a fall 2025 release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, a window that could overshadow other games, including Borderlands 4. It's worth noting that Borderlands 4 is published by 2K Games, a subsidiary of Take-Two, which also owns Rockstar, the developer behind GTA 6. At the executive level, including CEO Strauss Zelnick, there is likely a strategic overview to ensure all titles have the best chance of success. It's possible that a clearer release date for GTA 6 prompted the decision to move Borderlands 4's release forward, providing it with more market breathing room.

With Borderlands 4's new release date set for September 12, it's unlikely that GTA 6 will launch in the same month or August. Possible release months for GTA 6 include October, November, or December 2025. However, there's a risk of Take-Two's major titles, particularly GTA 6, cannibalizing each other if released too closely. Additionally, another 2K game, Mafia: The Old Country, is set to launch in the summer of 2025, adding to the complexity of release scheduling.

In an interview with Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick conducted in February, IGN raised concerns about potential cannibalization. Zelnick responded confidently, stating that Take-Two plans its releases to avoid such risks, emphasizing respect for consumers' need to thoroughly enjoy one game before moving to the next. He said, “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. In other words, I've said this many times, even when the hits aren't ours, they're a good thing for the industry. In this case, we hope that the hits will largely be ours. So we feel really good about it and I think that we will time our releases so as to respect the consumer's need to spend a lot of time playing these hit games before they go on to the next.”

Amidst this speculation, there's also the possibility that GTA 6 could be delayed into early winter or even into the first quarter of 2026. When asked about the confidence in hitting the fall 2025 target 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."