The release of Borderlands 4 has been moved forward by almost two weeks, now set for September 12 instead of September 23. This unexpected shift has led to much speculation regarding the reasons behind it.

Randy Pitchford, the head of Gearbox, attributes the new release date to the game’s positive development progress, which is certainly welcome news. However, concerns loom as many industry observers speculate it could be in response to other significant releases scheduled around the same time, particularly Bungie’s extraction shooter Marathon.

In a recent tweet, Pitchford stated, “Borderlands 4 shipping early is 100% the result of confidence in the game and development trajectory backed by actual tasks and bug find/fix rates. Our decision is literally 0% about any other product’s actual or theoretical launch date.”

Despite his assurances, the gaming community remains skeptical. The proximity of the anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6, set for a vague fall 2025 window, has also sparked discussion about how it could shape other game releases around that time. With both games being part of the Take-Two Interactive family, it leaves fans and publishers alike wondering how these dates will influence each other.