In case you missed it, Borderlands 4 has just had its release date moved forward to September 12, roughly two weeks earlier than its previous date. This, obviously, is great news for Borderlands fans! Who doesn’t want an anticipated game in their hands earlier? However, this news paired with the recently revealed Ghost of Yotei release date may point towards the presence of an industry shaker. A gaming shaker. Grand Theft Auto 6.
For a while now we’ve known that GTA 6 is set to release some time this fall, but the date itself is a closely held secret. The game is expected to be a black hole of player interest and spending, especially given the astronomical level of popularity GTA 5 has had. While the date itself may be a secret, what isn’t a mystery is the desire for other game studios to keep as far away as possible from the launch of GTA 6, lest gamers who otherwise would embrace its title get sucked up in the GTA frenzy.
Borderlands 4 moving forward two weeks is extraordinary, something Randy Pitchford himself acknowledged in his personal announcement of the shifting launch earlier today. Two weeks may not sound like a lot, but that’s less QA time, marketing has to be rejigged, review codes have to be moved up, servers that host online play must be paid for and made available earlier. To move a release date is to incur added cost, and to move a release date forward is to do the same, as well as shorten the runway for any last minute changes.
As for what this means for consumers, nothing in reality really changes! A person intending to buy Borderlands 4 would likely do so whether or not it comes out two weeks, a month, three months ahead of schedule. Not many things could dissuade someone already intending to buy a game from doing so. You’ve got bad word of mouth for one, something moving a game’s release date forward could only make worse, not better. A reduction in available cash, which could potentially happen thanks to the current economic turmoil we’re all suffering from, although a two week shift doesn’t seem to be enough time difference to dodge such a shift.
The last thing would be a big competitor, a game that supercedes a AAA blockbuster like Borderlands 4. Borderlands 4 which, it’s worth noting, ain’t no slouch! Borderlands is a beloved series – it’s damn good! The series has earned itself an established and loyal following. This isn’t the same situation as indie devs have seen with the release of the Oblivion Remake, it would take something massive to suck the air from Borderlands 4’s lungs.
Now, on its own you could likely write this off as a nice move from Gearbox. After all, one benefit of moving a date forward I’ve not mentioned up until this point is that while moving a release date forward doesn’t impact much in terms of the player experience, it is seen as a cool move! Randy himself, giving you a present early. But then you look at another big release with Ghost of Yotei. This game is standing firm on an October 2 release date. Now, it’s known that later in the fall is a good time to release a game. People are looking for a new thing to dive into while in the winter months, and it maintains much of its price in the run up until Christmas. Instead, an early fall release window has been chosen.
Ghost of Yotei, a first party Sony game, alongside Borderlands 4 which is being published by 2K (GTA 6’s publisher no less) means you can be pretty sure each company knows when GTA 6 is coming. At least vaguely. They know it’ll take the industry by its throat and snatch the wallet out of people’s pocket before driving off into the sunset, probably in a stolen car.
Given all this, you want my predicition? Placing the tinfoil hat on my head with a cork board covered in video game screenshots, release dates, and bits of string, I’d wager that GTA 6 may be a November release. It’s right in that perfect pre-holidays spot, it’s a popular month these other big releases look to be shifting away from, and it’ll leave the game home free to dominate the rest of the year.
If my guess is right, the shifted Borderlands 4 date is a damn smart move from Gearbox. A month and change is plenty of time for people to buy a game then save up a bit of cash for GTA 6. The only thing left to do now is wait and see. Wait and see if any other big releases announce shifts, keep an ear to official channels for any inkling of a release date, and maybe keep a pot of loose bills on your desk for the big reveal.