Gearbox Denies GTA VI Influence on Borderlands 4 Release Date Shift

Scheduling the release of a video game at the right time, when players not only have interest but also the budget to buy, is a critical strategy for game publishers. It’s no surprise then, that many companies prefer to wait for the official launch dates of blockbuster titles before announcing their own. This cautious approach is especially common among games under the same corporate umbrella. The latest to be in such a situation could be Borderlands 4.

In a surprising move, without any prior hints or announcements, Gearbox Software announced that it would be pushing forward the release date of its highly anticipated title, Borderlands 4, from September 23 to September 12. While Gearbox offered a seemingly straightforward explanation for the change, many in the gaming community saw it as a potential signal related to the release window of another major Take-Two Interactive title: Grand Theft Auto VI.

The speculation is understandable. With 2025 shaping up to be a hectic year for Take-Two Interactive, it would make sense for the company to space out its high-profile releases to avoid sales cannibalisation. Launching two blockbuster games too close together could hurt the commercial performance of both. However, Gearbox president Randy Pitchford has stepped in to refute this theory directly.

Taking to Twitter, Pitchford made it clear that any other game did not influence the decision to move up Borderlands 4’s launch. That includes those that have been officially announced and ones still rumoured, like GTA VI. He emphasised that the accelerated timeline is entirely due to the smooth progress of development, particularly concerning bug fixing and optimisation.

Meanwhile, the mystery surrounding the launch date of GTA VI remains unresolved. The uncertainty has created a ripple effect across the industry, with many publishers hesitant to reveal release windows for their flagship titles, fearing a head-on collision with what could be the biggest game release of the decade.