Borderlands 4 fans are, unsurprisingly, focused on its most impactful changes. The open-world has been a key point of discussion coming out of Borderlands 4’s previews, with a fair bit of positivity surrounding it due to just how much it apparently has to offer. Boss farming no longer requiring reloads is a massive win for those who love hunting down the best legendaries, while being able to summon vehicles without a catch-a-ride is a welcome quality-of-life change. Movement has also gotten an overhaul through the addition of double jumps, gliding, and grappling. However, alongside all these significant adjustments, Borderlands 4 is adding a much more subtle traversal option: swimming.
Throughout the series, water has been used sparingly, and when it has appeared, it’s been something to avoid. More often than not, bodies of water in Borderlands have marked out-of-bounds areas that will instantly kill Vault Hunters when touched, or they have been so shallow that they might as well not be there at all. Considering how skilled the series’ playable characters are, it’s always been a bit odd that none of them can swim, so the upcoming game addressing that is certainly welcome. In Borderlands 4, swimming will seemingly just be used to cross rivers and other small bodies of water, as underwater combat is not available based on what has been shown thus far. That said, it’s interesting that Gearbox went out of its way to add swimming just for a few small areas, as it’s not like Kairos needed watery areas to begin with. Borderlands 4 could have taken the same approach to water as its predecessors, but it doesn’t, so hopefully this new swimming system is a sign that Gearbox plans to take things further down the line.
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Borderlands 4’s bold changes are largely possible thanks to one key development choice, though this decision comes with some visible pros and cons.
Borderlands 4 exploring proper underwater gameplay could be a gateway to a wide range of content. Enemy designs that are drastically different from the Psychos and Skags seen on land would be practically guaranteed, while it’s easy to picture a Vault boss based on a hydra, squid, or anglerfish. A neat spin on the series’ all-important guns could follow the shift to the sea, as a fresh Borderlands manufacturer or some special weapon parts crafted by an existing one could be introduced. Specifically, tridents as ordnance would feel like a natural evolution of Borderlands 4’s throwing knives, while impaling enemies with harpoon guns would undoubtedly feel visceral and satisfying.
As for setting, there are a few options available to Gearbox. If it wants to keep future Borderlands 4 additions limited to Kairos, the new game’s planet, then letting players visit its oceans – assuming it has some – could do the trick. An expansion or free content update could see players meeting a character seaside who hands them a device like an Oz Kit from Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel to help them swim quickly, shoot, and breathe underwater, with the adventure ensuing from there. Alternatively, Gearbox could let Borderlands 4 players fly Sanctuary 3 to Aquator. This lesser-known Borderlands planet was teased on a poster in the original game, with the tagline being “one planet, one ocean.” While a small island is shown in the poster’s imagery, the majority of the shot is filled with blue waters, ensuring Aquator would make for the ideal underwater setting.
While Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands had some fun with an underwater-adjacent area in the Nocean, like its punny name suggests, all the actual water was removed from the playable zones.
There is even story potential for an underwater expansion thanks to the Fish Queen from Borderlands 3’s Guns, Love, and Tentacles DLC, though Gearbox would need to keep decades of video game mishaps in mind. It’s true that there have been a few entertaining underwater segments in video games, but there are far more water-based levels players have hated. If Gearbox wanted to gamble on turning Borderlands 4’s simple swimming into full-fledged underwater combat one day, it would have to emphasize fun over everything else. Quick movement, keeping any air mechanics from being too tedious, and weaponry maintaining its full strength would all be essential. If those boxes can be ticked, though, then there is a lot of upside to Borderlands taking players below the waves.
September 12, 2025
Rating Pending
Unreal Engine 5
Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
Yes – all
