Borderlands 4 may ditch Catch-a-Ride

Summary

• Borderlands 4 introduces vehicles that can be summoned from almost anywhere, potentially replacing Catch-a-Ride.
• The new vehicle system is in line with Cairo's seamless exploration design, removing geographic restrictions.
• Removing Catch-a-Ride in Borderlands 4 can improve the player's freedom and immersion in the open world.

Since its humble beginnings has Borderlands the series has stuck to its guns, so to speak, leaning heavily on certain traditions to carry the weight of each new game and propel the series into its future. Such a one Borderlands tradition is the iconic Catch-a-Ride system, which originally saw players materialize new vehicles to use after interacting with a Catch-a-Ride terminal. But despite how long the system has been in use, Borderlands 4 might get rid of it once and for all, based on a recent gameplay trailer and some concrete information released alongside it.

Borderlands 4 seems to be pulling out all the stops to improve on many areas where its predecessors have fallen short and revitalize the series for veterans and newcomers alike. While the Catch-a-Ride system could potentially be gone, it seems that players could be introduced to an even better vehicle system in Borderlands 4 which helps them explore the game's new planet Kairos.

Borderlands 4 can be moved from Catch-a-Ride

Borderlands 4 has vehicles that can be summoned from almost anywhere

The main reason it seems Borderlands 4 may ditch its long-running Catch-a-Ride system is because a recent 2K Newsroom article published alongside the release of the game's latest gameplay trailer at the 2024 Game Awards mentions “a vehicle that can be summoned almost anywhere. ” It's unclear if this new vehicle system comes with limitations of any kind, though the word “almost” in that statement suggests it does. However, with that in mind Borderlands 4s vehicles can be summoned almost anywhere and summoning a vehicle via a Catch-a-Ride requires players to be at a Catch-a-Ride terminal in order to do so, Borderlands 4s vehicle system should theoretically be a bit more flexible.

That being said, every time a vehicle appears that is called in Borderlands 4s gameplay trailer, it appears to be near a tower of some kind, almost hinting that the new vehicle system could work similarly to Catch-a-Ride. While it works similarly, in that players must first interact with the tower or be near it before they can summon their vehicle, the fact that Borderlands 4s vehicles can be summoned almost anywhere means that Cairo's landscape will be filled with these towers to allow enough opportunities for vehicles to be summoned that players feel no geographical limitations.

Borderlands 4 Getting rid of Catch-a-Ride would make sense

Although it may be sad to see it go, Borderlands 4 ditching the series' Catch-a-Ride system would make sense, given the game's setting and open-world design. Borderlands 4s new planet, Kairos, has been deliberately designed to allow for seamless exploration with absolutely zero loading screens, which alone suggests that Kairos will be a large open world. How large Cairo's explorable area will be has yet to be confirmed by Gearbox, but seamless exploration as one of its most notable features means it will likely be larger than previous locations. Borderlands game.

With that in mind
Borderlands 4
s vehicles can be summoned almost anywhere and summoning a vehicle via a Catch-a-Ride requires players to be at a Catch-a-Ride terminal in order to do so,
Borderlands 4
s vehicle system should theoretically be a bit more flexible.

In light of Kairo's intentions to offer seamless exploration, it would make sense for Borderlands 4 then to ditch the iconic Catch-a-Ride system. After all, if Borderlands 4 wants players to be able to explore without interruption, making them stop at specific locations just to grab a vehicle can ruin the immersion it's trying to promote. Also, if Kairos is really a much bigger place than Borderlands series has seen in the past, requiring players to run between Catch-a-Ride terminals can be a little too monotonous for some players.

Ultimately, whether Borderlands 4 saying goodbye to the Catch-a-Ride system or simply reinventing it, the game's new vehicle system shows Gearbox's willingness to renew long-standing traditions and even leave them behind in some cases. Cairo's vast, uninterrupted landscape calls for a traversal system that prioritizes player freedom, and the new vehicle summoning system seems to answer that call. While longtime fans may feel some regret over the eventual removal of Catch-a-Ride, it could be a boon for Borderlands 4as it tries to take the series to greater heights.