Borderlands 4 Is Free to Play on Steam Until September 14
Borderlands 4 is currently free to play on Steam, giving curious players a no-risk chance to test the latest entry in the long-running looter-shooter series before buying. The free play period runs until September 14, and once it ends, the game is expected to remain available at a 50% discount, bringing the price down to around $35 instead of the usual $70.
For anyone who skipped Borderlands 4 at launch because of its rough PC performance or mixed player feedback, this free trial is a useful opportunity to see how the game runs now after multiple updates. It is also listed as Verified for Steam Deck, which may appeal to players who prefer taking their chaotic loot hunts on the go.
Borderlands 4 keeps the core formula that made the franchise famous: fast-paced gunfights, wild weapons, endless loot, colorful characters, and a constant drive to upgrade your Vault Hunter into a more powerful force of destruction. The biggest change this time is the world design. Instead of bouncing between many separated maps and planets, players explore larger, more open regions on Kairos, creating a smoother and more connected sense of adventure.
Traversal has also been improved with a hoverbike that can be summoned whenever needed. This makes moving across the open areas faster and helps keep the action flowing, especially when chasing missions, enemies, and valuable loot drops.
Despite the familiar fun of the gameplay, Borderlands 4 has struggled with player reviews on Steam. At the time discussed, only around 48% of reviews were positive, with most criticism aimed at the technical state of the PC version rather than the shooting or loot systems. Around launch, many players reported stuttering, unstable frame rates, crashes, startup problems, and long loading times, even on powerful gaming PCs.
Another common complaint involved the inventory system. Since Borderlands is all about collecting, comparing, and swapping gear, a cluttered or awkward inventory can quickly become frustrating. When players are constantly picking up new guns, shields, and upgrades, item management needs to feel smooth, and this was an area where many felt Borderlands 4 fell short.
Gearbox has released several updates since launch and says the game now delivers about 20% better average frame rates compared to the original release version. That suggests the experience has improved for some players, but recent community discussions indicate that not every issue has disappeared. Some users still report shader compilation delays, stuttering, crashes, and longer loading screens after newer updates, while others say performance has remained stable or even improved.
That mixed situation makes the free Steam trial especially valuable. Instead of relying only on reviews or performance reports, players can install Borderlands 4 and see how it behaves on their own hardware. PC performance can vary widely depending on system specs, drivers, settings, and storage speed, so testing it directly is the best way to decide whether the game is worth buying.
For fans of looter shooters, Borderlands 4 still offers plenty of reasons to jump in: explosive combat, a massive supply of weapons, co-op-friendly action, and a larger world to explore. But for performance-sensitive players, the current free period is the smartest way to check whether the technical problems have improved enough.
If you have been waiting for a better time to try Borderlands 4, this may be it. The game is free to play on Steam until September 14, and the temporary 50% discount makes it a more tempting purchase for anyone who enjoys the trial.
