[EXCLUSIVE] Gearbox Executives Share Details on Borderlands 4 – Story, Weapons, and Lessons Learned

We had the opportunity to sit down for an exclusive interview with Randy Pitchford, CEO of Gearbox Software, and Andrew Reiner, Global Creative Executive Officer, to talk about the highly anticipated Borderlands 4. The duo opened up about the game’s new features, creative decisions, and how they’re addressing fan feedback from previous entries in the beloved franchise.

A Universe Beyond Earth’s Politics

When asked about handling humor in today’s politically sensitive climate, Pitchford emphasized the unique advantage Borderlands has as a franchise. “From as far as political sensitivity goes, the advantage we have is that Borderlands is not on Earth,” he explained. “There’s no America in Borderlands. There’s no China in Borderlands. There’s no Russia in Borderlands. There’s no Malaysia in Borderlands. There’s just a whole bunch of other problems.”

The CEO described how the series balances different tones. “We tend not to have to worry about any of that stuff. But we do play with the sensibilities and the themes in a borderland between drama and comedy. Some of the things we do are very serious, very serious. And other times they’re ridiculous and the least serious.”

A New Licensed Parts System in Borderlands 4

One of Borderlands 4’s biggest new features is the Licensed Parts system, which allows gun parts from different manufacturers to be mixed and matched. Pitchford explained the inspiration behind this change: “The fact that manufacturers had different attributes, different things they could do that only that manufacturer can do, made us want to mix and match that in weird ways.”

The system uses real-world logic as its foundation. “We realized in the real world, there’s kind of a thing we do. We can license each other’s technology,” Pitchford noted.

Reiner shared an example of just how wild these combinations can get: “We were watching a demo the other day… someone had throwing knives. So you just suspect it’ll just kind of hit the enemy in blood splatter or whatever. But no, it was creating singularities, black holes that were sucking everything in the environment up.” The surprise of discovering a throwing knife that creates miniature black holes perfectly captures the unpredictable nature of the new system.

The Licensed Parts system also affects how loot feels compared to previous games. “If you find a game breaking piece of gear, have at it,” Pitchford said, embracing the potential for powerful combinations. “It will be more diverse and dynamic weapons usage.”

Reiner emphasized their commitment to making rare items feel genuinely special: “We’re making sure legendaries are truly legendary this time. We want, when you see that orange glow on the ground, we want you to get really excited.” He mentioned finding a legendary weapon in a vending machine as an example of moments that should feel truly special for players.

Developer Weapon Preferences and Focus on One World

Both executives shared their current favorite weapons in the game. Pitchford revealed a shift in his playstyle: “I’m using a lot of ripper weapons right now. I just like making a lot of bullets fly. Which is weird because I used to be the finesse player – they would use sniper rifles. But right now I’m just having fun with lots of throughput.”

Reiner expressed his love for Tediore weapons, particularly their unique throwing mechanics: “I like being able to fire off rounds and then throw it and it does something. Sometimes you throw out some of them and they’ll talk. So it’ll be like, ‘I love you!’ And you’re like, ‘Oh no, come back!'” He described encountering a thrown weapon that acted like a pet before ultimately exploding.

Unlike Borderlands 3’s multiple planets, Borderlands 4 takes place primarily on the single world of Kairos. Pitchford explained this wasn’t a reduction in content: “Borderlands 4 has more playable space than Borderlands 2 and 3 added together. And if you think about the diversity of what’s happening in spaces, we’ve got that covered in Borderlands 4.”

The decision was driven by story needs. “This is about this legendary planet that had been blocked off from the rest of the universe for thousands of years. And you’re going there,” Pitchford said.

“So we wanted to spend more time exploring the variety and diversity of this planet and not worry so much about the rest of the universe.”

Learning from Borderlands 3’s Reception

When asked about criticisms of Borderlands 3’s story, Pitchford was honest about both defending certain decisions and acknowledging mistakes. Regarding Maya’s death, he had strong feelings.

“Some people did not like that Maya died. Spoilers. I didn’t like it either. But that’s what the Calypso Twins did,” he said. “And the situation in Borderlands 3 was that the Calypso had to kill Maya. They had to. And I freaking hated it. But if we did it any other way, we wouldn’t be committing to the characters and the universe.”

However, he admitted to specific problems with the game’s humor.

“Some people thought we had too many fart jokes. Guilty. There were too many fart jokes or there were too many in a row. I should say that was a mistake,” he said. The team has also addressed pacing concerns. While Borderlands 4 “has more dialogue than any other game we’ve made,” Pitchford explained it’s “spread out nicer and the pacing is nicer. You’ll go off exploring and you might not have anyone talking in your ear for a while.”

Commitment to Emotional Storytelling in Borderlands 4

Both executives emphasized their commitment to creating emotional experiences. “We want to surprise you, delight you, entertain you, shock you. We want you to laugh, we want you to cry. We want you to feel all these things,” Reiner said.

As the game is set to launch on September 2025, Pitchford reflected on the series’ evolution: “We are getting better at it. The more we make, the better we get. I think you’ll feel that in Borderlands 4 – it’s a step up in every respect.” He also hinted that “nothing’s off limits” for future content, suggesting players should expect both surprises and emotional moments when the game launches or in potential DLC.

Want to hear more from the Gearbox executives? Check out our exclusive video.

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