The upcoming installment of the Borderlands series, Borderlands 4, is all set to transport players to the expansive new world of Kairos. Described as the largest planet they’ve introduced to date, Kairos won’t be a fully open-world environment, but it promises to be closer to that experience than any previous game in the franchise. Given how vast worlds like Pandora already are, one can only imagine the scale Kairos might reach in this new adventure.
Even though it won’t be truly open-world, Borderlands 4 has the opportunity to sidestep one of the perennial complaints about games with expansive environments—namely, that they can often feel empty and lifeless. To counteract this, the developers could pepper Kairos with massive monsters, drawing inspiration from some of the franchise’s most memorable foes. Having such formidable creatures roaming Kairos wouldn’t just enrich the game’s world; it could also revive the importance of vehicles in both exploration and combat as players progress through the game.
### Infusing Kairos with Life and Danger
One of the strong suits of the Borderlands games has been their enemy diversity, with each title presenting new types of foes. However, as these new landscapes unfold, there’s an increasing need for more unique adversaries. Borderlands 4 should continue to evolve this trend, particularly with the sprawling terrains of Kairos, by introducing imposing enemies. A perfect example of this can be found in Borderlands 3 on the planet Eden-6, particularly in the Floodmoor Basin. Here, players could occasionally find themselves in battles against enormous alien dinosaurs, quite a sight to behold even if the loot wasn’t extraordinary.
Such encounters would integrate perfectly on Kairos’ vast stage, providing the sort of quality interactions that have players talking. Whether these battles involve the return of giant dinosaurs or the introduction of entirely new creatures, filling Kairos with thrilling, large-scale enemies would prioritize delivering memorable gaming experiences.
### Reinventing Vehicle Combat
Introducing these giant adversaries on Kairos also presents a chance to reimagine vehicle usage, allowing them to shine in ways they haven’t in previous games. As it stands, the utility of vehicles tends to diminish as the game grows tougher, often leading to quick destruction and rendering them non-viable for fights.
Borderlands 4 could change this by embracing vehicle-based combat. Rather than limiting these moments to brief events like the Carnivora boss fight in Borderlands 3, the game could incorporate these as regular encounters. These large-scale battles could reinvigorate how vehicles are used, turning them into strategic assets rather than just tools for faster navigation.
As anticipation builds for the release of Borderlands 4, set for September 23, 2025, there’s a growing curiosity about how Gearbox Software plans to tackle these potential improvements. By expanding both its environments and the depth of combat, the franchise could be entering an exciting new phase that pushes the limits of what’s come before, all while taking advantage of the Unreal Engine 5 to bring this ambitious world to life.
