The April 30, 2025 Borderlands 4 State of Play was an extended gameplay deep dive—not an edition or pricing showcase. It introduced Vault Hunters Vex and Rafa, explored the planet Kairos and its conflict, and detailed weapons, movement, combat systems, and co-op features. The game has since been released, so the September 2025 launch dates discussed below are historical.
What was the Borderlands 4 State of Play?
PlayStation Blog published the gameplay deep dive on April 30, 2025, with an article by Graeme Timmins, Gearbox Software’s creative director. 2K described the presentation as a dedicated PlayStation State of Play and an extended gameplay reveal. Its focus was what players would do in Borderlands 4: build a Vault Hunter, explore Kairos, collect gear, and fight through its campaign.
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Read the PlayStation Blog breakdown and 2K’s announcement.
Which Vault Hunters were shown?
The presentation introduced two of the game’s four new Vault Hunters: Vex and Rafa. The character reveals also showed how each hero’s distinct abilities and skill-tree choices could shape a build.
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- YOUR VAULT HUNTER, YOUR PLAYSTYLE: Become one of four extraordinary Vault Hunters, each with unique abilities, playstyles, deep skill trees, and tons of personalization options.
- LOCK, LOAD, AND LOOT: With bazillions of guns and gadgets, every fight is an opportunity to score new gear. Firearms with self-propelling bullet shields? Check. Guns that grow legs and chase down enemies while hurling verbal insults? Yeah, got that too.
- A MAYHEM-FUELED THRILL RIDE: Discover new worlds beyond Pandora, each featuring unique environments to explore and enemies to destroy. Tear through hostile deserts, battle your way across war-torn cityscapes, navigate deadly bayous, and more!
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- Includes: Borderlands 3 base game, Moxxi's Heist of the Handsome Jackpot, Guns, Love, and Tentacles: The Marriage of Wainwright & Hammerlock, Bounty of Blood, Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck, Designer's Cut, Director's Cut, and 30+ cosmetic items.
Vex, the Siren
Vex channels supernatural phase energy and can call up deadly spectral shades. Her spectral feline familiar, Trouble, accompanies her. Each Vault Hunter has three signature Action Skills, with augments and capstone abilities in the skill trees. Vex’s unique Trait attunes her Action Skills to the element of her equipped weapon, linking her gear choice to her abilities.
Rafa, the ex-Tediore trooper
Rafa is a former Tediore trooper whose experimental exo-suit can digistruct weapons. The deep dive presented him as the second of the four playable characters, alongside Vex.
Beyond Action Skills, the skill trees include branching passive-ability paths and a unique Trait for each Vault Hunter. The reveal’s broader point was that class identity and build choices would interact with equipment rather than exist separately.
What are Kairos and the story’s conflict?
Kairos is presented as a vast planet with seamlessly connected regions. 2K’s announcement describes the Timekeeper as its oppressive ruler, who kept the planet hidden for thousands of years and controlled its inhabitants with cybernetic Bolts. The Timekeeper’s forces include synthetic soldiers called The Order, while four distinct regions and factions seeking freedom set up the wider conflict.
The gameplay segment shown in the deep dive takes place at a secret blacksite in Terminus Range, a frigid, mountainous area. This mission offered a glimpse of one location and conflict within Kairos, rather than a complete account of the campaign.
What weapons, gear, and combat systems were revealed?
2K’s breakdown described weapons from eight new and returning manufacturers, along with systems that add more ways to customize a loadout and respond during combat.
- Licensed Parts: Combines behaviors from different manufacturers in a single weapon.
- Enhancements: A dedicated slot for manufacturer-based bonuses.
- Ordnance: A cooldown-based system shared by grenades and heavy weapons.
- Rep Kits: Items used for healing or temporary buffs.
The PlayStation Blog also highlighted new movement abilities and broader exploration across Kairos. Together, the movement and gear systems framed the reveal as more than a look at guns alone: traversal, weapon configuration, and cooldown-based tools all featured in the gameplay pitch.
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How was co-op designed?
2K said players could form online parties and stay together while switching game modes. The announcement also listed instanced loot, dynamic level scaling, and individual difficulty settings as ways to support playing the campaign together.
The cited April announcement does not specify a maximum party size, so it does not establish how many players can join a session.
What was announced later—and what is now historical?
Release timing, editions, pricing, and post-launch plans were announced or updated after the April gameplay event. They should not be mistaken for details revealed during that State of Play.
Release dates
On April 30, 2K said the game was planned for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Epic Games Store on September 12, 2025, with Nintendo Switch 2 to follow later in 2025. A later official update set the Switch 2 release date to October 3, 2025. Those dates have passed; the April announcement is a record of the plan at that time, not a current release countdown.
Editions and historical U.S. prices
On June 16, 2025, 2K announced Standard, Deluxe, and Super Deluxe editions, preorder bonuses, and digital post-launch content included with the higher tiers. The announced U.S. prices at that time were $69.99 for Standard, $99.99 for Deluxe, and $129.99 for Super Deluxe. These are historical announced prices, not a current price quote; check retailers for current pricing and availability. See 2K’s June 16 announcement.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Borderlands Support’s FAQ, updated June 30, 2026, says Standard is available physically for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S and digitally on all listed platforms. Deluxe and Super Deluxe are digital only. The FAQ also describes a GameStop ECHO-4 Bundle with an ECHO-4 statue, Vault Symbol necklace, Kairos map, four double-sided lithograph prints, and a SHiFT code for five Golden Keys; it explicitly says the game is not included. Availability and retailer details can change. Check the current editions FAQ.
Post-launch plans
2K’s August 29, 2025 roadmap announcement later added details about endgame and planned content, including Bounty Packs, seasonal events, Invincible Bosses, and the first Story Pack. These plans belong to the post-launch timeline, not the April State of Play. Read 2K’s roadmap announcement.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
