Borderlands 4 Launch Advanced: Impact on GTA 6 Release?

Gearbox’s highly anticipated first-person shooter, Borderlands 4, is set to launch 11 days earlier than originally scheduled. This update comes directly from Gearbox founder and development chief Randy Pitchford, who revealed the change in a video that appears to have gone live ahead of its intended release.

Originally slated for September 23, Borderlands 4 will now arrive on September 12, 2025, and will be available across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

In the early-released video, Pitchford shared his enthusiasm: “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 excitement: “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 confirmed that an upcoming PlayStation State of Play presentation dedicated to Borderlands 4 is imminent, giving fans even more to look forward to.

Naturally, speculation has arisen about whether this last-minute shift was influenced by the looming presence of *Grand Theft Auto 6*, which remains scheduled for a fall 2025 release window on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Could this move be a strategic play to avoid being overshadowed by Rockstar’s blockbuster?

It’s worth noting that Borderlands 4 is published by 2K Games, a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive—the same parent company behind Rockstar. At the executive level, including CEO Strauss Zelnick, there is a clear awareness of all major internal titles, their development timelines, and the importance of positioning each for success. It's possible that as GTA 6’s release window came into sharper focus, the decision was made to give Borderlands 4 more room to shine.

With *Borderlands 4* launching on September 12, a GTA 6 release in August or September 2025 now seems unlikely. October, November, or even December remain viable options. However, there’s also the possibility that *GTA 6* could slip into early 2026, depending on development progress.

Take-Two must also consider other high-profile releases within its portfolio, such as Mafia: The Old Country, which is currently set for summer 2025. Releasing too many flagship titles in close proximity could risk diluting attention and sales across the board.

When asked about potential release conflicts between GTA 6 and other 2K titles, CEO Strauss Zelnick emphasized that the company is carefully planning its calendar to prevent self-cannibalization.

“No, I think we will plan the releases so as not to have that be a problem,” Zelnick explained during a February interview with IGN. “And what we found is when you're giving consumers hits, they tend to be interested in pursuing other hits. … 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.”

Still, uncertainty remains around GTA 6. When asked how confident he was in hitting the fall 2025 window, Zelnick responded with measured optimism: “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.”