Borderlands 4 Launch Moved Up 11 Days: Implications for GTA 6 Release?

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

In the video, Pitchford expressed excitement about the development progress, stating, “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 emphasized the rarity of such a move, saying, “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 an upcoming PlayStation State of Play event focused on Borderlands 4, which is expected to be released soon.

The decision to advance Borderlands 4's release date has sparked speculation about its potential impact on other major titles, particularly Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6). GTA 6 is scheduled for release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S sometime in the fall of 2025, a broad window that could overshadow other game launches. Given that both Borderlands 4 and GTA 6 are published by 2K Games and its parent company Take-Two, respectively, the move could be strategic to avoid competition and ensure each game gets its deserved attention.

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick, in a February interview, addressed concerns about potential cannibalization between the company's major releases. He reassured that Take-Two plans its releases to avoid such risks, stating, “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... 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.”

With Borderlands 4's new release date, the window for GTA 6's launch narrows, potentially ruling out a release in September and August of 2025, leaving October, November, or December as possible options. However, there's also the possibility of GTA 6 facing delays into early winter or even the first quarter of 2026. Zelnick acknowledged the risk of delays, saying, “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.”

It's also important to consider another 2K game, Mafia: The Old Country, set to launch in the summer of 2025, adding another layer to Take-Two's release strategy.