GamesAction RpgBorderlandsBorderlands 4Borderlands 4 studio CEO Randy Pitchford says that’s not Handsome Jack in the trailer - it’s “something far more dangerous"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesAction RpgBorderlandsBorderlands 4Borderlands 4 studio CEO Randy Pitchford says that’s not Handsome Jack in the trailer - it’s “something far more dangerous"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Gearbox)

Borderlands' studio CEO has dispelled speculation that Handsome Jack is returning inBorderlands 4next year, saying the mysterious character is “something far more dangerous and sinister.”
WhenBorderlands 4 was finally revealedearlier this week during Gamescom, many immediately speculated that one frame in the trailerteased the return of a prolific villain in the series: Handsome Jack. The theory hinged on a Vault marker superimposed over the face of a character, and Handsome Jack’s true face has a Vault marker permanently burned into it.
However,Gearboxstudio CEO Randy Pitchford, in the tweet below, states that this figure isn’t Handsome Jack after all, but “something far more dangerous and sinister.” If anyone’s going to know what that frame in the Borderlands 4 trailer was actually teasing, you’d think it would be the CEO of the studio actually making the new game.
That’s not handsome jack. That is something far more dangerous and sinisterAugust 21, 2024
That’s not handsome jack. That is something far more dangerous and sinisterAugust 21, 2024
This also puts a damper on Borderlands 4 continuing a plotline that’s been missing in the series for over a decade. As we chronicled when speculation began earlier this week, Handsome Jack’s return might return to the overarching galactic alien war that was teased in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, but was then abandoned in Borderlands 3.
Borderlands 4 launches next year in 2025, and it’ll be out on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.Pitchford recently defended his old prediction that Steam would die off, saying that although he’s a Steam customer, he just wishes it had more competition.
Check out ourGamescom Opening Night Liverecap for a look at everything else announced during the showcase.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
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2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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2
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5
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