Gearbox Software Announces Borderlands 4 Release Delay for Switch 2

Gearbox Software released Borderlands 4, one of the most eagerly awaited new first-person shooters of the year, on September 12, 2025, for Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Then, it planned to launch a Switch 2 Borderlands 4 on October 2, 2025. However, Gearbox has recently announced it won’t be releasing Borderlands 4 for the Switch 2 in October, with a launch delay confirmed for that console version.

Gearbox announced the Borderlands 4 release delay for the Switch 2 with this post on the Borderlands X social media page. There, Gearbox confirmed a release delay for the Switch 2 with no alternative launch date provided. Part of that announcement says: “Greetings, Vault Hunters – We need to share that the release of Borderlands 4 on Nintendo Switch 2 is being delayed. We do not take this decision lightly, but are committed to ensuring we deliver the best possible experience to our fans, and the game needs additional development and polish time to do that.”

The main reason cited for the Borderlands 4 release delay is that Gearbox needs more time to align the Switch 2 game with cross-saves. The cross-saving gaming feature enables players to link game accounts from alternative gaming platforms. Borderlands 4 currently supports cross-play functionality, but not cross-progression, which allows game progress to be carried across linked platforms. Gearbox has hinted it hopes to implement cross-progression into Borderlands 4 with future updates.

However, better crossplay alignment might not be the only reason behind the Borderlands 4 release delay for Switch 2. Although Borderlands 4 for Windows PC has generally been rated highly by the gaming media, player reviews for the game have been more negative. The Windows PC B4 game currently has an average metascore of 82 on Metacritic, but the average player rating of 4.3 for Borderlands 4 contrasts sharply with its media reviews.

Some of the player review comments for Borderlands 4 on Metacritic reveal that many are slating the PC version of the game for poor gameplay performance. For example, one player review for Borderlands 4 said this: “Terrible. Doesn’t run well. The most infuriating invisible walls everywhere.” So, it might be the case that Gearbox has delayed Borderlands 4 for the Switch 2 to optimize the game better for Nintendo’s console.

Borderlands 4 is certainly a game with high system requirements for Windows PCs. The Gearbox president, Randy Pitchford, said in an X post that, “Borderlands 4 is a premium game made for premium gamers.” The minimum PC system requirements for Borderlands 4 are:

• Platform: Windows 11/10
• CPU: 8-core Intel Core i7-9700 / AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
• RAM: 16 gigabytes
• Storage: 100 gigabytes (SSD)
• Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 / AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (8 gigabytes VRAM)

The recommended PC system requirements for optimal Borderlands 4 performance are somewhat higher than the minimal ones. Gearbox has also released a Borderlands 4 patch in September to address performance issues for the game. However, many players have complained that the patch has exacerbated Borderlands 4 performance issues with increased stuttering and reduced frame rates.

If you’re thinking of purchasing Borderlands 4 for PC, this is certainly a game for which you should carefully check the system requirements. First, make sure your PC can run Borderlands 4. You’ll probably need to play B4 with stripped-down graphical settings if it doesn’t meet the recommended requirements. This Retbit article tells you how players can check PC game system requirements.

Now, the many Switch 2 players with cancelled B4 pre-orders must wait for Gearbox to confirm a new Borderlands 4 release date. A two or three-month Borderlands 2 release delay is probably the best Switch 2 owners can hope for. However, this delay could push back the Borderlands 4 Switch 2 launch into 2026, as indefinite ones are often longer.