Will Borderlands 4 Be Crossplay?
Yes, it’s very likely that Borderlands 4 will support crossplay, though no official announcement has dropped yet—even though most fans (myself included) are pretty much expecting it. The Borderlands franchise, after some awkward early years where “console wars” held everyone hostage, finally embraced crossplay with Borderlands 3, albeit somewhat after launch. And boy, did that change things.
Back in the day, my buddy Ben refused to swap his ancient Xbox One, even when the rest of us upgraded to PC or PlayStation. We used to joke we’d need to meet at a LAN party in 2001 just to co-op the new stuff. But when that beautiful crossplay update landed, suddenly Ben was right there in Pandora with us, screaming “Loot goblin!” at every wandering rack. So, yeah, it wouldn’t make any sense for Gearbox to step backwards in 2025.
Given how almost every major co-op shooter these days is crossplay at launch (think Diablo 4, Destiny 2, and the new CODs), not supporting it would be a head-scratcher. Gearbox isn’t in the mood to lose players to “platform fences”. Plus, Borderlands thrives on that “grab four friends, wherever they are” chaos. From a business angle, crossplay just means more people buying, playing, and yelling at Claptrap.
Where’s the Official News?
Honestly? The Borderlands team is playing its cards close to the vest for now. The game’s officially announced, but so far, marketing’s focused on teases about story, Loot Vault changes, and—yes—another iteration of Psychos wielding things they probably shouldn’t. News cycles are obsessed with the “gameplay evolution” and what wacky dialogue lines players will meme to death. It feels like this:
- Story rumors: “Will Tiny Tina finally dethrone Handsome Jack for most screen time?”
- Loot speculation: “Rainbow rarity, or nah?”
- Crossplay: Mostly “when, not if.”
But it’s definitely expected. If you’re holding out for a press release titled “CROSSPLAY IS HERE!”—well, don’t set your alarm just yet, but don’t give up hope either.
Why Does Crossplay Matter for Borderlands 4?
Borderlands fans run the wildest mix of platforms I’ve ever seen—Steam diehards, PS5 junkies, those random folks who insist on Stadia (RIP). Every friend group seems split. Sometimes, I’ve spent longer figuring out “Which Borderlands is on what for who?” than actually playing. The moment crossplay became a thing in Borderlands 3, suddenly our weekly loot runs weren't a tech support session.
There’s something seriously magical about being able to jump straight into a raid with friends on any device. Honestly, I remember one night last year: We planned to run the Takedown, but our “team” included two Steam folks, an Xbox Series X guy, and, weirdly, my cousin who was on Amazon Luna (How? Why? Still don’t know).
Thanks to crossplay, nobody had to sit out. Loot, chaos, and jokes—just Borderlands at its most “Borderlands.”
Without crossplay, Borderlands 4 would feel old-school in the worst way, like trying to play online with dial-up.
Borderlands 4 Cross Progression
If you’re wondering about cross progression in Borderlands 4, that’s a little murkier. In Borderlands 3, the system wasn’t exactly elegant—if you swapped from Xbox to PC, you couldn’t carry your vault hunter over without some hacky save file maneuvering. The hope is Borderlands 4 will finally nail this.
Just imagine:
- Start in your living room on console.
- Pick up where you left off on a laptop while “working remotely.”
- Sneak a quick grind on cloud streaming while the boss isn’t watching (not recommending… just, you know, imagining).
Right now, most modern shooters and looters offer it (see Destiny 2’s blissful cross-save). There’s real hunger for a future where your loot, characters, and skill tree survive no matter what device you’re slumming it on that week.
Personally, after grinding for a rare legendary for hours, if I lost it because of a platform switch, I think I'd actually weep.
Borderlands 4 could finally make cross progression a thing you don’t have to Google a workaround for. But… until the official FAQ says “yes,” it remains a very hopeful rumor.
Is There Any Reason Gearbox Would Skip Cross-Features?
If you think about the Borderlands community, it’s all about sharing—theories, loot, bad puns, hilarious boss stories. Funnily enough, the only real obstacle might be “platform politics” (Sony and Microsoft sometimes play hardball over crossplay features).
But, given recent industry moves, those walls are coming down faster than a Psycho charging into a rocket.
If Gearbox is watching what fans actually care about, they know crossplay and cross progression are deal-makers. Nobody wants to feel locked out; everyone wants to play with friends, period.
Will Crossplay Be Available Day One?
Most likely, but with a caveat. Borderlands 3 didn’t launch with crossplay—it came later—but that was years ago when studios were still “testing the waters.” In 2025, a big shooter without day one crossplay would just look dated. Odds are, Borderlands 4 will let you squad up across platforms from the start—or at least close enough that it doesn’t feel like forever.
Expect messy launch week shenanigans (“Why can’t I invite a PS6 player yet?!”), but that’s part of the fun.
Or, brace for a slick, seamless crossplay feature and get ready to loot like a happy bandit.
