Borderlands 4 - Deep Dive

OVERVIEW

Studio

Gearbox Software (Frisco, Texas)

Founded in 1999, Gearbox Software is an American developer best known for creating high-octane first-person shooters and action-oriented role-playing games. The studio achieved massive global success with its flagship looter-shooter franchise, Borderlands. Beyond their primary hits, they have expanded their portfolio by developing and managing series such as Homeworld and Risk of Rain.

My Role

Sound Designer

I worked as a sound designer on Borderlands 4, contributing to early-stage audio development through hands-on design and system prototyping. I created sound design mockups for enemies, weapons, and gameplay scenarios, while exploring and documenting the game’s evolving sonic direction in alignment with the established Borderlands aesthetic. I also developed and tested Wwise system concepts—particularly for music and interactive mix relationships—and supported the team through mentorship and collaborative iteration with design and technical audio.

The Project

"Released on September 12, 2025, Borderlands 4 is a high-octane looter-shooter with a strong emphasis on diegetic presentation, weapon identity, and world character. It is set on the high-tech planet of Kairos where players lead a resistance against a tyrannical dictator known as the Timekeeper. The game evolved the series' formula with seamless open-world zones, an overhauled weapon customization system, and a more grounded narrative tone while maintaining its signature "billions of guns" mayhem."

Engine / Middleware: Unreal Engine • Audiokinetic Wwise
Production Context: Onboarded at onset of Pre-Production, Transitioned to Survios Mid-Production
Team Structure: Audio Director, Audio Co-Director, Audio Lead, Producers, Sound Designers, Technical Sound Designers, Audio Code, VO, Music Director, Composer, Outsourcing

I joined the project at its earliest concepting phase, working alongside the Audio Co-Director as one of the first audio contributors. My role focused on exploring the early aesthetic baseline, contributing hands-on sound design, and helping build the documentation, pipelines, and prototypes that would support long-term production at scale.

Created early sound design concepts to explore the aesthetic baseline for production
Worked closely with the Audio Co-Director on creative direction, audio pillars, and diegetic presentation
Owned and scoped multiple audio categories, including ambience, foley, NPC creatures, and select weapon manufacturers
Planned, budgeted, and conducted international field recording and in-studio recording sessions
Assisted production with asset tracking, Jira task creation, and workload measurement
Authored and maintained audio documentation in Confluence for owned categories
Contributed to early middleware prototyping for foley and ambience systems
Researched and recommended studio equipment upgrades

My early work explored the sound and feel of Borderlands 4 before full production scale-up.

Key contributions included:

Weapon Aesthetic Direction: Designed early sound concepts for more conventional weapon manufacturers, helping establish tonal and functional expectations for later production.
Environmental & Ambience Tone: Developed early ambience concepts to ground the world of Kairos in a believable, tactile sonic reality.
Creature Foley & NPCs: Focused on foley-driven creature presence, emphasizing physicality and diegetic interaction.
Enemy Prototyping: Contributed to early sound design experiments for the Rippers, exploring their diegetic presentation and player perception.

I also assisted the Audio Co-Director in documenting the audio pillars and creative direction, ensuring early exploration aligned with long-term vision.

Although not a technical sound designer, I collaborated closely on early system exploration:

Dynamic Foley System (with Tech Sound Design): Co-developed early foley prototypes exploring dynamic surface response and movement speed, laying groundwork for scalable player, enemy, and creature foley.
Ambience & Score Integration (with Composer): Concepted an ambience system using prioritization and state-based logic to carefully integrate score.
Particular attention was given to:
- Exploration vs combat mix states
- Smooth transitions between states
- Maintaining musical presence without overwhelming environmental storytelling

These prototypes helped inform later system decisions, even as final implementation evolved beyond my tenure.

I led the planning and execution of a large-scale environmental field recording effort to support the game’s worldbuilding.

International Field Recording (British Columbia, Canada)

Vancouver, BC (2 days):
Industrial environments, FOA ambiences, point-source recordings, impulse response reverbs
Vancouver Island, BC (2 days):
Ancient forests, FOA ambiences, point-source recordings, impulse response reverbs
Interior BC (3 days):
Diverse biomes capturing FOA ambiences, point sources, and IRs

Responsibilities Included:

Preliminary vendor negotiations
Detailed shot lists and mic placement charts
Safety and logistics planning
Budget forecasting and approvals
Location research and additional gear procurement
Booking and managing all international travel

These recordings helped establish a real-world foundation for Kairos’ environments early in production.

A significant portion of my contribution focused on clarity and scalability:

Spearheaded syntax and naming conventions for owned and department-wide audio asset categories
Scoped asset counts and delivery expectations for ambience, foley, NPC creatures, and weapons
Defined initial mix states and prioritization rules
Built and maintained Confluence documentation outlining:
- Asset scope
- Functional intent
- Implementation expectations
- Pipeline best practices

I also assisted production by helping define and measure Jira tasking, ensuring audio work was predictable and visible during early production planning.

While not in a lead role, I regularly supported leadership and cross-team alignment by:

Assisting the Audio Co-Director in creating the audio pillars and audio bible
Reviewing and refining high-level documentation for the Borderlands weapon system
Helping scope foley work intended for external outsourcing
Acting as a bridge between creative intent, production needs, and technical feasibility

Challenges & Solutions

Challenge: Establishing a cohesive audio identity with minimal existing content and an evolving creative direction.

Action: Early aesthetic exploration, diegetic prototyping, and close collaboration with audio leadership.

Outcome: A clear creative baseline and documentation foundation that supported team expansion and long-term production.

Key Takeaways

Strengthened experience contributing meaningfully during pre-pre-production and early full production
Deepened understanding of diegetic audio design at AAA scale
Reinforced the value of early documentation and pipeline clarity for predictable audio delivery
Gained hands-on experience shaping creative direction without formal leadership authority