The launch of Borderlands 4 was a long time coming, especially after the missteps in quality that happened with Borderlands 3 (you can blame The Embracer Group for that, mostly), and so, gamers were hoping that the 4th entry would change things. Sadly, for those who both have the game and were waiting to get it on Nintendo Switch 2, things have been sputtering along since launch.
At first, the Switch 2 version was merely going to come out later than the other versions, which happens. However, today, on Twitter, Gearbox Software revealed that the Nintendo edition will be delayed, and there’s no date for its arrival now.
In a statement on the game’s official handle, developer Gearbox Software noted:
“Greetings, Vault Hunters – We need to share that the release of Borderlands 4 on Nintendo Switch 2 is being delayed. We do not take this decision lightly, but are committed to ensuring we deliver the best possible experience to our fans, and the game needs additional development and polish time to do that. Our hope is to also better align this release with the addition of cross saves, which we are working on and recognize is very important. We will update you all on the new release timing once we’ve fully adjusted our plans.”
There are many things to say about this, including that this is likely a response to the backlash others have had with the game due to poor optimization and bugs. Gearbox has been trying to patch things quickly, but they can only do so much in so little time. So, it’s natural they don’t want another flawed version to come out and increase the damage further.
Given that there have been performance issues with Borderlands 4 on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, it makes sense that the Switch 2 version would be delayed. Ironically, there’s been a major concern about the game running worse on the PS5 Pro, than it is on the PS5. Isn’t that supposed to be the opposite?
To that end, if you have pre-ordered the game on Switch 2 already via the Nintendo eShop, that will be canceled, so you’re not charged for anything, nor have a charge “held” until release.
Hopefully, Gearbox Software figures things out. Until then, we just have to wait.
