How Borderlands 4 is Being Built for Co-op from the Ground Up
Anthony Nicholson, Senior Project Producer at Gearbox Entertainment
Summary
Multiplayer has always been a core strength of the Borderlands series, whether online or split-screen, which is why Borderlands 4 is designed for co-op from the ground up.
Dynamic level scaling ensures that everyone can contribute, so you can always play together regardless of differences between your Vault Hunters’ levels or gear loadouts.
We’re just a few weeks away from Borderlands 4‘s launch on September 12, 2025 for Xbox Series X|S — it won’t be long until you’re wreaking havoc across Kairos as a badass Vault Hunter and breaking free from the Timekeeper’s control! Today, I’m thrilled to reveal more details about something incredibly special to me: two-player, split-screen multiplayer in Borderlands 4.
For many of us on the development team, some of our fondest and most formative Borderlands memories are the hours we spent playing in split-screen couch co-op. The looter shooter gameplay of the Borderlands games has always been a blast while playing solo, but it feels like the fun increases exponentially when you’re playing alongside a friend or loved one. So many of us have bonded over the shared experiences that define two-player split-screen, from finally taking down a difficult boss, to getting an awesome Legendary loot drop, or even just cracking up at something one of our Vault Hunters said during a firefight.
Multiplayer has always been a core strength of the Borderlands series, whether online or split-screen—which is why Borderlands 4 is designed for co-op from the ground up. We’re incredibly excited to have full crossplay support at launch so you can play with friends wherever they are, with drop-in/drop-out action for up to four players online (requires SHiFT Account*). That includes the ability to play split-screen locally while you join up with two other players online—you can even get two split-screen duos linked up to form a full party of four!
We’ve also made it easier than ever to jump into some co-op looter shooter action, from the streamlined lobby system down to the game mechanics themselves. Dynamic level scaling ensures that everyone can contribute to the carnage, so you can always play together regardless of differences between your Vault Hunters’ levels or gear loadouts. That same philosophy applies to the individual difficulty settings. You and your buddies can each tune the encounters to feel as tough or forgiving as you personally like.
You’ll also have the option to fast travel directly to other players, which can be extremely helpful when navigating Borderlands 4‘s huge, seamless world. The regions of the dangerous new planet Kairos interconnect to create the biggest expanse we’ve ever had in a Borderlands game, and you might end up exploring in a totally different direction than your co-op party. The fact that you can cruise around on your personalized Digirunner vehicle at any time, along with the new layer of verticality in the environments, makes it so that you might inadvertently put a lot of distance between you and your squad. With party-based fast travel, you can almost instantly join back up after a joyride in the opposite direction or a flubbed jump off the side of a cliff (not that I’ve ever done that, of course).
Borderlands 4 also makes for an awesome hangout game no matter how much time you have for a given play session. You’re free to explore as you see fit, and Kairos has engaging Points of Interest to discover in all directions. Shorter co-op sessions are great for claiming Points of Interest in the name of the Crimson Resistance, including safe houses that unlock new fast travel spots or silos with decommissioned Order communications balloons that let you take to the sky, scope out your next target, and aid your search for elusive Vault Key Fragments. Or, if you’re in it for the long haul, you and your party can endeavor to take back entire regions from the Timekeeper’s oppressive grip, clearing out anyone (or anything) foolish enough to get in your way.
I also want to give a quick shoutout to all the amazing Vault Hunter customization options you can unlock, because part of the co-op fun is showing off your sense of style to fellow Vault Hunters. I’ve spent hours tinkering with my combination of Vault Hunter Heads and Skins to impress my co-op pals, and it’s just as fun to see what new outfits they’ve cooked up for our latest play session.
The entire Gearbox team is beyond excited for the debut of Borderlands 4, and we can’t wait for you (and your co-op squad!) to set foot on Kairos. You can pre-order Borderlands 4 Standard Edition,Deluxe Edition, andSuper Deluxe Edition now on the Xbox Store, with the latter two including post-launch content. See you on Kairos, Vault Hunter!
*Online play requires Internet connection, and cross-play requires SHiFT Account. Console online play requires separate paid subscription. Terms apply.
