Borderlands 4 Preview: Gunplay Feels Like Home — But a Grappling Hook and Tougher Shields Shake Things Up
Borderlands 4 sticks close to the series’ looter‑shooter roots: fast first‑person shooting, lots of guns, and four new Vault Hunters with distinct kits. The game was shown in a hands‑on preview that focused on an early mission and combat systems.
Overview
Borderlands 4 is described as a reimagining of the series while keeping the core loop intact: explore, loot, level up, and shoot enemies. The preview covered a mission inside a multi‑layered base called Fortress Indomita, which includes objectives like destroying a ship and facing a boss named Idolator Sol.
Additionally, the game is set on a new world called Kairos, and the preview emphasized the series’ familiar mix of gunplay and character abilities rather than new narrative details.
Vault Hunters
Borderlands 4 launches with four new playable Vault Hunters. Each class has distinct roles and Action Skills.
Who they are
Vex — a Siren whose abilities include self‑cloning.
Amon — a Forgeknight designed as the roster’s tank.
Harlowe — a Gravitar who uses gravity‑based tools and weapons.
Rafa — an Exo‑Soldier (a cyborg character) who fights with energy blades and has three specializations.
Rafa’s build example
Rafa’s specializations each provide a main Action Skill and separate skill trees. One example, the Peacebreak Cannons, grants two shoulder turrets. With appropriate passives, those turrets can replenish Rafa’s shield on kills and extend turret uptime when landing critical hits.
Combat and weapons
The preview noted the game emphasizes smooth, responsive shooting that matches the series’ established feel. Weapons use a color‑coded rarity system (common, uncommon, rare, epic, etc.), and elemental effects such as fire and electricity remain part of weapon behavior.
Also, shields and cooldowns matter. The preview reported that shields break frequently, and the combat can be punitive for solo players who mismanage cooldowns or resources. As a result, players may need to balance offensive pressure with defensive timing.
Grappling hook and the Idolator Sol boss
Borderlands 4 adds a grappling hook to player kits. In general, the tool can be used for exploration and to grab explosive capsules during combat. However, the preview showed the hook being required for a specific boss mechanic rather than as a broadly versatile combat tool.
During the Idolator Sol encounter, the boss begins with an impenetrable shield. Players cannot remove that shield by shooting or by applying elemental damage. Instead, they must wait for Sol to fire poles into the arena, identify a green pole holding an explosive, use the grappling hook to catch that explosive, and then throw it at Sol to break his armor. Only after that can players damage the boss directly.
Release and platforms
Borderlands 4 is scheduled to release on September 12 for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is planned for October 3.
Overall, the preview indicates Borderlands 4 focuses on the franchise’s core loop—shooting, looting, and building character kits—while adding new tools and mission designs that change how some encounters play out.
