Borderlands 4 has officially confirmed that players will encounter over 30 billion unique weapons when the game launches on September 12, 2025. This massive number represents a significant increase from previous entries in the series and establishes a new benchmark for weapon variety in video games.
Art Director Adam May revealed the 30 billion figure during a comprehensive interview with Epic Games. The number comes from Borderlands 4’s advanced procedural generation system, which creates countless combinations through different weapon parts, manufacturer components, and attachment variations. This approach builds on the series’ tradition of offering massive weapon arsenals, with Borderlands 3 previously claiming “87 bazillion” guns.
The weapon generation works through mathematical combinations of various elements. When a weapon has different barrels, grips, sights, magazines, firing modes, and elemental effects, each variation counts as a separate gun. The procedural system can generate billions of combinations by mixing these different components across weapon categories.
Eight Manufacturers Drive Weapon Diversity
Borderlands 4 features eight primary weapon manufacturers: Order, Ripper, Daedalus, Tediore, Maliwan, Jakobs, Vladof, and Torgue. Each manufacturer brings distinct characteristics to their weapons. Maliwan specializes in elemental damage effects like burning and shocking enemies, while Jakobs produces quick-firing weapons with critical damage ricochets. Vladof guns feature high rates of fire and large magazines, perfect for sustained combat.
The three new manufacturers add fresh gameplay mechanics. Order weapons can spend additional ammunition to create more powerful burst attacks. Ripper guns require a short spin-up period before unleashing full automatic fire. Daedalus weapons can use multiple ammunition types and switch between them for different effects.
Licensed Parts System Creates Hybrid Weapons
A revolutionary feature called the Licensed Parts system allows weapons to combine characteristics from multiple manufacturers. Players can find weapons with components from different brands, such as a Vladof rifle with a Torgue magazine, Hyperion attachment, and Maliwan switch. Higher rarity weapons can spawn with more licensed parts, creating increasingly wild combinations.
This system means players might discover a weapon that combines Maliwan’s elemental damage with Torgue’s explosive effects, or Jakobs’ precision with Order’s burst capabilities. The Licensed Parts system also allows manufacturers like Atlas, COV, and Hyperion to appear as weapon components even though they’re not primary manufacturers in Borderlands 4.
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New Ordnance Slot Changes Combat
Borderlands 4 introduces an Ordnance slot that operates on cooldowns rather than ammunition, housing grenades and heavy weapons like rocket launchers. This change encourages players to use powerful weapons more frequently instead of saving them for boss fights.
Weapon Philosophy Emphasizes Constant Discovery
The development team designed the weapon system around rapid turnover and constant discovery. According to the developers, nothing sticks around unless it’s rare, with even purple-tier loot getting replaced regularly. Players will continuously find new weapons, use them in combat, then upgrade to something more appealing.
The game includes six different weapon types: pistols, assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, submachine guns, and ordnance (which includes grenades, and heavy weapons). Many weapons feature alternative firing modes, giving players multiple ways to use the same gun. Underbarrel attachments benefit from weapon-specific bonuses, adding another layer of customization.
Technical Achievement in Weapon Design
The development team created a “wall of guns” visualization tool in Unreal Engine to ensure weapon designs clearly communicate their function. This tool helps designers maintain visual consistency while generating the massive variety of weapons. Each manufacturer maintains its distinctive visual identity while supporting the Licensed Parts system.
The 30 billion weapon count puts Borderlands 4 ahead of entire franchises in terms of variety. The game will feature more weapons than every Call of Duty game combined, establishing it as a leader in looter-shooter weapon diversity.
Borderlands 4 launches September 12, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The Nintendo Switch 2 version follows on October 3, 2025. The weapon system represents one of the most ambitious approaches to procedural generation in gaming, promising that no two players will have identical experiences with their arsenals.