"Borderlands 4": Gearbox shelves Switch 2 version

“Borderlands 4” will not be coming to the Switch 2 for now. Take-Two confirmed to Variety that the development of the port has been “paused.” Previously, the version of “Borderlands 4” for the Switch 2 had disappeared from Take-Two's business report's list of upcoming releases.

Take-Two does not provide a reason for the “development pause” to Variety. It also remains unclear whether Take-Two will resume development of a Switch 2 port of “Borderlands 4” in the future. Currently, the focus is on post-launch support for the already released versions, said the spokesperson.

Performance issues with “Borderlands 4”

Last September, Gearbox postponed the release of “Borderlands 4” for the Switch 2. The development and fine-tuning of the Switch 2 port will take additional time, the developers wrote in an X post. The step was necessary to offer fans the “best possible experience.” Originally, “Borderlands 4” was supposed to be released for the Switch 2 on October 3rd.

The wording from the X post indicated possible performance issues with the Switch 2 version. While the new Nintendo console is significantly more powerful than the original Switch, it still lags the current consoles from Sony and Microsoft. The PC version of “Borderlands 4” in particular also struggled with severe performance issues at launch, which Gearbox has not yet fully resolved. “Borderlands 4” runs in the Unreal Engine 5, which is known for high hardware demands and unavoidable stutters.

The criticism of the PC version of “Borderlands 4” even prompted lead developer Randy Pitchford to engage in a few verbal sparring matches with angry fans on X. “Every PC player has to accept the reality of the relationship between their hardware and the software being used,” Pitchford wrote, among other things.

(dahe)