Borderlands 4 Rockets to Record Launch Amid Performance Concerns

Lead Borderlands 4 officially launched worldwide on September 11, 2025, across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, shattering previous Steam player records with over 131,000 concurrent users while sparking performance debates ahead of its Nintendo Switch 2 release next month .

Nut Graf The latest looter-shooter installment from Gearbox and 2K arrives with unprecedented player engagement and critical praise, even as NVIDIA cautions PC users about steep hardware demands. Early success underscores the franchise’s enduring appeal but raises questions on optimization and accessibility.

Launch Highlights

Platforms & Timing
- Available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store; Nintendo Switch 2 version due October 3 .
- Global unlock times spanned September 11, from 9 am PT in Los Angeles to 6 pm CEST in Berlin.
Record Steam Peaks
- Surpassed Borderlands 2’s high of 124,678 concurrent players, hitting over 131,000 at launch and ranking as the fourth most-played game on Steam.

Performance and Technical Notes

NVIDIA Warning
- On the eve of launch, NVIDIA advised that achieving smooth 4K gameplay may require DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, boosting frame rates up to 5.5x on GeForce RTX 50 Series; without it, 45 FPS at 4K may be the ceiling.
Day One Patch
- Gearbox confirms a hefty Day One update targeting optimizations and bug fixes, though older hardware below minimum specs may still struggle to maintain playable performance.

Early Critical Reception

Metacritic Score
- Garnered an 84% average from 62 critic reviews, marking it the highest-rated Borderlands title at launch.
PC Steam Ratings
- Mixed user feedback centers on technical issues despite praise for refined shooting, open-world design, and new traversal mechanics.

Post-Launch Engagement

Twitch Drops & In-Game Rewards
- From September 11-30, watching Borderlands 4 streams unlocks two Legendary weapons-a Forsaken Chaos shotgun and Midnight Defiance sniper rifle-scaled to player level.
Shift Codes for Bonus Loot
- Active codes like THRBT-WW6CB-56TB5-3B3BJ-XBW3X grant Golden Keys through September 30, offering extra chest rewards.

What’s Next?

Players can dive into four new Vault Hunters on the planet Kairos, explore expansive maps with grapple and gliding abilities, and anticipate free and paid DLC content-such as the Halloween-inspired Horrors of Kairos event-rolling out in the coming months.