Borderlands 4 hasn't done terribly for itself—some terrible UI design choices and stuttery framerates weren't enough to stop it from landing a solid critical reception (including from yours truly in my Borderlands 4 review). That's been reflected in the sales it's gathered in the US.
Per analyst firm Circana (via Gamesindustry.biz), Borderlands 4 has Gearbox counting stacks for the foreseeable future: It was the number one US best-seller for the month of September (August 31 to October 3, to be specific). Not just that, but it's sold 30% more than Borderlands 3's debut, and stands as the fastest-selling game in the franchise's history.
Exactly how many stacks is a different ballgame. Borderlands 4, according to Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford, had more than twice the budget of Borderlands 3 (assuming he wasn't just being hyperbolic, which is always possible). Whether or not these nippy sales are enough to categorise it as an unmitigated success for Pitchford are entirely dependent on what his studio's goals are.
Also raising eyebrows are the fact that Borderlands 4 went on sale earlier this month. Past the cutoff point for Circana's data, mind, but given Pitchford's past words warning players it'd take way longer for BL4 to get discounts, it's enough to cast some doubt. Not to mention, hey—these are just the US markets.
I wouldn't say Borderlands 4 is a game that's gonna drop off, though. Just anecdotally, I've seen plenty of prospective players saying they'll be waiting for later sales and DLCs before hopping in with their mates—and this is a series known for hefty DLCs. Heck, they added so many to Borderlands 3 that I unironically recommend playing through 'em, even if you weren't a fan of the main story. This is a series with a historically long tail, and Gearbox already has a roadmap cooked up.
Either way, that's none too shabby, and I think the folks at Gearbox do deserve a collective 87 bazillion pats on the back, especially given I've rather enjoyed my time romping around Kairos. Even if I agree with our fellow looter-shooter and guides writer Rory Norris that the thing's endgame could use a little work.
