Borderlands 4 will surpass its predecessor by a considerable margin, offering 30 billion guns this time around, a massive leap from Borderlands 3’s already staggering 1 billion weapons. Gearbox has been tracking these weapons using a special “wall of guns” that helped them visualize how all the parts fit together.
Since the original Borderlands launched in 2009, boasting around 17 million guns, each new game has increased that number dramatically. Borderlands 3 pushed the count to 1 billion, but now, with two console generations later and a more current procedural generation, Gearbox is raising the stakes even higher.
Art Director Adam May shared with the Epic Games Store that this time, players will be able to mix and match parts from different manufacturers. Imagine a Daedalus underbarrel on a Maliwan shotgun, combining both brands visually and functionally on one weapon. That’s quite the leap from previous entries, where guns were tied to a single manufacturer’s style.
Producer Anthony Nicholson recalled how the team created a “wall of guns,” inspired by scenes from The Matrix and even Conker’s Bad Fur Day. This large gun map showed every part from every manufacturer and helped the developers figure out how different components could work together. They had to make sure that if a gun pumps one way, parts like long barrels or slides wouldn’t clash or break the animation.
For players who don’t usually get hooked on the loot grind or the series’ humor, this sheer volume of weapons might feel overwhelming or pointless until the endgame. Why get attached to a single gun when there are so many options and combinations to try?
Interestingly, Gearbox’s boss Randy Pitchford mentioned that the original Borderlands drew inspiration from games like Wolfenstein 3D and Diablo, preparing to blend fast-paced shooter fun with satisfying progression. It seems the new approach to weapons in Borderlands 4 is a continuation of that philosophy, just on a much bigger scale.
What do you think about having 30 billion guns? Too much, or just right for a loot shooter? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
