Borderlands 4 officially broke a franchise record on Steam just an hour after launch, pulling in over 148,000 concurrent players on the popular platform. Players on PC in certain time zones gained early access to the game, and statistics indicate that Borderlands 4 is on an upward trajectory, with tens of thousands of loyal fans of the franchise joining in as soon as they could.

Borderlands 4

PC players in North America, Europe, and South America can access Borderlands 4 starting today, September 11, with the console launch for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S scheduled for September 12. Meanwhile, those waiting for the game on Nintendo Switch 2 will need to hold off until October 3 to take on the Timekeeper. Earlier this month, the team at Gearbox provided further details about Borderlands 4’s post-launch content, including plans for seasonal mini-events, new legendary weapons, fresh cosmetics, and an expanded weather variant.

Borderlands 4 Breaks Franchise Record on Steam an Hour After Launch

In its inaugural hour on Steam, Borderlands 4 managed to attract more concurrent players than any previous title in the Borderlands franchise. On its release, Borderlands 2 saw engagement from over 124,000 players, while Borderlands 3 peaked at approximately 94,000. By contrast, Borderlands 4 celebrated over 148,000 concurrent players today, with that figure surpassing 194,000 at the time of this report. Initial reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, with numerous publications commending the game for its mature writing, fast-paced combat, and engaging characters.

Gameplay

Players diving into the new Gearbox title today should remember to download Borderlands 4’s day one update, which introduces several enhancements aimed at improving the game’s performance. However, according to Gearbox’s lead developer, Randy Pitchford, while the update is set to resolve certain issues, players must avoid attempting to run the game below the minimum specifications on PC to prevent it from becoming unplayable.