As Borderlands 3 and its divisive storyline fade into the distance, developer Gearbox Software is racing toward Borderlands 4 and the totalitarian world of Kairos.
The journey to the fourth main Borderlands installment began on rocky ground. While many players embraced Borderlands 3 and its enhanced gunplay for the loot-driven series, others were put off by its joke-heavy narrative and persistent crude humor. Nearly six years will have passed since its launch when Borderlands 4 arrives on September 12, 2025. Fans are now eagerly anticipating how Gearbox has utilized that time.
We sat down with Gearbox narrative director Sam Winkler, lead writer Taylor Clark, and managing director of narrative properties Lin Joyce to explore why the team chose a more grounded story for Borderlands 4. During our conversation, we discovered how the mysterious Timekeeper can rival Handsome Jack, how polarizing characters like Ava might still play a role in the series’ future, and how the upcoming DLC will connect to Borderlands 4’s main campaign.
