"It's Pretty Astonishing": Gearbox CEO Pitchford Says Switch 2 Is "Perfect" For Borderlands 4

"It's Pretty Astonishing": Gearbox CEO Pitchford Shares Why Switch 2 Is "Perfect" For Borderlands 4

Published May 14, 2025

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The social elements of Borderlands 4 make it the perfect game for the Switch 2, according to the game's developers. The fourth game in the Borderlands franchise might take players to a brand-new planet, but it's keeping many of the elements fans love about the looter-shooter. This September, fans will be able to pick up their explosive guns, call up their spectral companions, and expand the lore of the Vaults and their treasure hunters together with their friends and family, no matter where they are in the world.

In a Creator's Voice interview for the Nintendo of America YouTube channel, founder and president of Gearbox Software Randy Pitchford and Chief Creative Officer Randy Varnell shared how they believe the social aspects of Borderlands 4 make it a great game for Nintendo's console, the Switch 2. In fact, according to Pitchford, "it's pretty astonishing how perfect this platform is for Borderlands 4."

The Switch 2 Version Of Borderlands 4 Won't Be A Port

The Game Is Being Developed Specially For The Console

Unlike many other games that make it to multiple platforms, the Switch 2 version of Borderlands 4 will not be a port. Instead, according to Pitchford, the game is being developed specifically for the console, creating a dedicated experience for the console. This means it will make full use of everything the console has to offer, including, of course, the social and game-sharing features.

"[The Nintendo Switch 2] empowering us to make the best version of Borderlands 4 we can."

According to Pitchford, the chance to develop Borderlands 4 for the Nintendo Switch 2 is "really exciting," since games are usually ported to new platforms. This has enabled Gearbox to fully leverage the console's social aspects to "connect with friends [and] share our game with friends." The console and title work together well as a result, which means that the developers "don't feel like we're fighting the system. We feel like the system's enabling us and empowering us to make the best version of Borderlands 4 we can."

When Nintendo revealed co-op gaming and game sharing that will enable players to play games together, even when they're not playing the same game. This makes the console a great companion for the Borderlands franchise, which has always had not just online multiplayer, but also the much rarer split-screen co-op.

A psycho from Borderlands 4 with Salvador and Zero from Borderlands 2 behind him.

After 10 Years, Borderlands 4 May Finally Get Me To Return To The Series After Falling Out Of Love With It

I haven’t loved Borderlands in a long time, but after 10 years away, Borderlands 4 may just pull me back in and get me to fall in love all over again.

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According to Varnell, "gaming is a shared, social experience." Both the Nintendo Switch 2 and Borderlands 4 want to maintain and foster the community feel of gaming. Luckily, the two align in this desire, resulting in a console that makes it possible for "our friend groups, wherever they are in this weird, wild world, [to] explore the Borderlands together." The franchise has always been at its best when enjoyed together, and it sounds like Gearbox is really leaning into this element with the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Borderlands 4.

Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube