Gearbox DevCast

Gearbox Entertainment

5.0 (1)
Video Games

Go behind the scenes with the developers building Gearbox games. The Gearbox DevCast is another opportunity to hear directly from developers. We’re sharing developer-led insights into the making of our games. Hosted by members of the development team, Andrew Reiner and April Johnson, each episode breaks down upcoming content, explains the "why" behind game design, and answers your most burning community questions.

6d ago

Gearbox DevCast: Borderlands 4: Raid 2 Breakdown

Welcome back to the Gearbox DevCast! In this episode, hosts Andrew Reiner and April Johnson are joined by Lead Designer David Ruiz to unpack what goes into making a punishing, but ultimately rewarding, endgame experience in Borderlands 4. Under the microscope in this edition of the DevCast is our upcoming free endgame boss encounter, known as Raid 2. We will explore how player feedback from the previous raid boss, Bloomreaper, informed what players will encounter: a brutal tag-team fight against Subjugator and Thol. Ruiz and the team created an encounter where they’ve given you, the player, control over where and how you wage battle based on who you kill first. Make your choice and alter reality itself to either head first to a grappling-heavy "Heaven" or a claustrophobic "Hell." No matter what, this fight will push your builds to their absolute limits. We’re also talking about: Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode 7 (UVHM7) and its Tiered Time Trials New weapons such as the Lockjaw assault rifle and Jailbroken Gatling SMG Taking questions from the community about the highly anticipated Shared Progression toggle We’re sharing the release date and names for Bounty Pack 3 and the Takedown! Chapters: 01:08 – Introducing Lead Designer David Ruiz 02:00 – What is a Raid in Borderlands 4? 03:10 – Design Philosophy: What we learning from Raid 1 04:26 – A Closer Look at the Bosses of Raid 2: Subjugator, Thol, and the Mechanics of “Heaven” vs. “Hell” 06:33 – Multi-Stage Madness: Phase 1 to Phase 3 07:47 – Examining Min-Max: Understanding how, and if, to re-spec 08:42 – Preview of New Loot: Lockjaw & Jailbroken Gatling 09:38 – Pearlescent World Drops 10:22 – Everything in the Free Update for May 28 10:50 – Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode 7 & Tiered Time Trials Explained 11:48 – New Firmware Alert! Introducing "Active Fire" 12:12 – Community Q&A 13:29 – Bounty Pack 3 and Takedown Make sure to subscribe for more insights from developers as well as to receive official updates from Gearbox. Join the conversation! Let us know what questions you have in the comments that we can tackle in future DevCast episodes, or tag us on social media with #GearboxDevcast! -------------------------------------------- FOLLOW GEARBOX -------------------------------------------- https://www.twitter.com/gearboxofficial https://www.facebook.com/gearboxofficial https://www.instagram.com/Gearbox https://www.twitch.tv/GearboxOfficial -------------------------------------------- FOLLOW BORDERLANDS -------------------------------------------- https://www.tiktok.com/@borderlands https://www.twitter.com/Borderlands https://www.threads.com/@borderlands https://bsky.app/profile/borderlands.2k.com https://www.facebook.com/borderlandsgame https://www.instagram.com/borderlands

16 min
May 21

Gearbox DevCast: Risk of Rain 2: Hallowed Concepts

Wishlist Risk of Rain 2: Hallowed Concepts https://store.steampowered.com/app/3055670/Risk_of_Rain_2_Hallowed_Concepts/ Welcome to our first Gearbox DevCast where we talk all things Risk of Rain 2! Hosts Andrew Reiner and April Johnson sit down with Bruno Fontanetti, Lead Designer on Risk of Rain 2, to talk about its next DLC, Hallowed Concepts. This deep dive brings you up close and personal with everything we’ve been working on: an amazing risk-and-reward loop, a healthy (or unhealthy, depending on your perspective) dosage of psychological horror, and the opportunity to reach a broken version of god hood. Bruno shares the Risk of Rain 2 team’s design philosophy behind the eerie new death realm known as N'kuhana, provides a sneak peek of the new Lynx tribe enemies, and outlines what players can expect from the new "N’tormat" item system. Additionally, Andrew and April will cover with Bruno in this episode: Introducing horror to the Risk of Rain 2 universe: The new DLC marks the first time players will experience a horror theme, so it’s important to dig into that. Deep dive into lore: Players will eventually learn first hand about N'kuhana, the goddess of life and death being introduced in this DLC. Before then, they’ll get a preview here of what will be unleashed upon Petrichor V. New enemies: Players will encounter the Lynx tribe, a feline-like group first seen in Risk of Rain Returns. Additionally there will be a new boss that features both mushroom and teleportation powers. And that’s just what we’re sharing right now! The N’tormat system: Hallowed Concepts will debut a new, cryptic item system that provides players with even more variety to vary every playthrough. High risk, high reward: N'kuhana's Wrath and the catch of the N’tormat Be sure to also check out our Risk of Rain 2 Dev Diary here: https://youtu.be/O7LAec_h2eE Chapters: 0:00 - Welcome to Gearbox DevCast featuring Risk of Rain 2! 0:51 - Bruno’s journey from Risk of Rain super-fan to becoming Lead Designer 1:58 - Broken builds, mobility, and the master class of the Mithrix boss fight 3:27 - First look at the new DLC Hallowed Concepts 5:41 - The story behind N'kuhana and what it means for Petrichor V 6:17 - The new friendly and not-so-friendly faces: Lynx Tribes and Mushroom Bosses 7:05 - Harnessing the N’tormat system (and surviving her wrath) 9:42 - Rapid Fire: New survivors and their wide array of skins 11:09 - Examining the psychology behind pursuing “just one more run” 14:27 - Community Q&A: Buffing older skills, how we track (and squash!) bugs, and improving loops Subscribe for more insights from developers and to receive official updates from Gearbox.. Join the conversation! Let us know what questions you have in the comments that we can tackle in future DevCast episodes, or tag us on social media with #GearboxDevcast! -------------------------------------------- FOLLOW GEARBOX -------------------------------------------- https://www.twitter.com/gearboxofficial https://www.facebook.com/gearboxofficial https://www.instagram.com/Gearbox https://www.twitch.tv/GearboxOfficial -------------------------------------------- FOLLOW RISK OF RAIN -------------------------------------------- https://www.discord.gg/riskofrain2 https://www.tiktok.com/@riskofraingame https://www.twitter.com/riskofrain https://www.facebook.com/borderlandsgame https://www.instagram.com/riskofraingame https://www.youtube.com/@riskofrainofficial

18 min
Apr 7

Gearbox DevCast: LIVE at PAX East 2026

Borderlands 4’s first Story Pack: Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned and new Vault Hunter, C4SH the Rogue are live now! Buy: https://borderlands.2k.com/borderlands-4/buy/ In case you missed it: our very first LIVE episode was filmed at PAX East 2026! Join hosts Andrew Reiner (Global Creative Executive Officer) and April Johnson (Associate Director of Narrative) on the PAX East main theater for a deep dive into the future of the Borderlands universe. In this special episode we’re pulling back the curtain on Borderlands 4’s first Story Pack, our newest Vault Hunter, and providing an update on a brand-new way to experience stories across the Borderlands universe. What’s Inside This Episode: Borderlands: Dead Echoes – Creative Producer Joel Watson joins us to share more on Gearbox’s first-ever audio drama. Learn about "DeadECHOs" and characters Junie and Watts, their Robin Hood-style side hustle, and which fan-favorite voices (Claptrap! Hammerlock! Tannis!) are making a return. Meet C4SH, Our Newest Vault Hunter – We welcome voice actor John Eric Bentley and cosplayer Stella Chu to the stage to break down the design of C4SH. Learn more about his mysterious history with Mancubus and his RNG-based skills. DLC Deep Dive and Gameplay: Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned – Associate Creative Director Grant Kao and Associate Art Director Max Davenport showcase the "most gross piece of content we've ever delivered." DLC Design: From dedicated farming and 10+ new bosses to the return of Pearlescent gear and underwater swimming, hear the developers talk about how we’re evolving the Borderlands 4 endgame. Community Q&A: We tackle your questions live from the floor, covering everything from C4SH’s skill tree complexity to the "spectral phantom" legendary pistol mechanics. Timestamps: 0:00 – Welcome to the First LIVE DevCast! 1:10 – Announcing Borderlands: Dead Echoes Audio Drama 5:40 – Borderlands 4 Cosplay Showcase 6:45 – C4SH Reveal & Gameplay Trailer 11:15 – Interview: John Eric Bentley & Stella Chu 17:15 – DLC 1: Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned 22:45 – Gameplay Breakdown: Blood Flamethrowers & Nightmare Rifts 31:00 – Roadmap: Level Cap Increases & Raid Boss 2 33:40 – Community Q&A Join the Conversation: The Gearbox DevCast is your direct line to the teams behind the games. We’re listening, we’re building, and we’re excited to show you what’s behind the curtain. Listen to the "Dead ECHOs" Preview Now: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ZKbdgLXfLiaTCzWsdXxRS?si=TX8eCf_vQbyMunwKdb7Jfw Subscribe and use #GearboxDevCast to let us know what you want to see in the next deep dive! *Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned is the first of two post-launch DLC Story Packs coming to Borderlands 4. This content is included with Borderlands 4 Super Deluxe Edition and the Borderlands 4 Vault Hunter Pack, and is also available for separate purchase. Base game required. -------------------------------------------- FOLLOW GEARBOX -------------------------------------------- https://www.twitter.com/gearboxofficial https://www.facebook.com/gearboxofficial https://www.instagram.com/Gearbox https://www.twitch.tv/GearboxOfficial -------------------------------------------- FOLLOW BORDERLANDS -------------------------------------------- https://www.tiktok.com/@borderlands https://www.twitter.com/Borderlands https://www.facebook.com/borderlandsgame https://www.instagram.com/borderlands

46 min
Mar 23 · Bonus

Borderlands 4 PC Performance Check-In

PC optimization and performance in Borderlands 4 has improved since launch thanks to ongoing efforts from the Optimization Team. In this special bonus episode of the Gearbox DevCast, hosts Andrew Reiner and April Johnson talk with Managing Producer Eli Luna about the work that's gone into boosting frame rates and increasing stability. In this episode, we discuss: Boosting Frame Rate: How the team balanced GPU and CPU cycles to gain significant performance in the seamless world of Kairos. Eliminating Hitches: A deep dive into PSO (Shader Pre-loading) and how the team is reducing loading stutters. Crushing Crashes: An update on stability, including how the team reduced crash rates by nearly half since December. Easing Hardware Pressure: Eli explains "Hierarchical Level of Detail" and how "movie facades" help maintain visual quality while easing hardware pressure. Adding Min-Spec Love: Why optimization actually allowed the team to add more visual improvements. Read about this episode here: https://borderlands.2k.com/borderlands-4/news/pc-performance-status-update/Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction: The Road Since Launch 1:07 - Unreal Engine 5 & Performance Gains 3:14 - Addressing Hitching & PSO Shaders 4:16 - Stability Update: Reducing Crashes 5:52 - Tech Deep Dive: What is HLOD? 7:24 - Shadows, Lighting, and GPU Timings 8:18 - Improvements for Min-Spec & Consoles 9:35 - Community Feedback & What’s Next Subscribe for more developer insights and official Borderlands 4 updates. Join the conversation: Comment the questions you want asked in future episodes, or tag us on social media with #GearboxDevcast! *Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned is the first of two post-launch DLC Story Packs coming to Borderlands 4. This content is included with Borderlands 4 Super Deluxe Edition and the Borderlands 4 Vault Hunter Pack, and is also available for separate purchase. Base game required. -------------------------------------------- FOLLOW GEARBOX -------------------------------------------- https://www.twitter.com/gearboxofficial https://www.facebook.com/gearboxofficial https://www.instagram.com/Gearbox https://www.twitch.tv/GearboxOfficial -------------------------------------------- FOLLOW BORDERLANDS -------------------------------------------- https://www.tiktok.com/@borderlands https://www.twitter.com/Borderlands https://www.facebook.com/borderlandsgame https://www.instagram.com/borderlands

11 min
Mar 12

Borderlands 4 - Story Pack 1: Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned Reveal

Borderlands 4’s Story Pack1: Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned releases on March 26. Learn more here: [new web link] Can a Vault be… “Goopy”? Welcome to the Gearbox DevCast, the official podcast where developers dive into the design, the data, and the “why” behind the Gearbox portfolio. In this episode, hosts Andrew Reiner (Global Creative Executive Officer) and April Johnson (Associate Director of Narrative) sit down with Josh Jeffcoat, the Creative Director for Story Pack 1, to pull back the curtain on Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned. In this episode: The Horror of Borderlands: Why the team decided to pivot to a full horror experience for the first Story Pack of Borderlands 4. The Return of Elpis: Discover how the crash of Elpis changed everything and why we’re bringing back some familiar accents and characters. Shared Progression: SDUs, Fast Travel Stations, map "unfogging," and collectibles will be shared across all characters. This change will be included for all players in the Borderlands 4 update with Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned. C4SH the Rogue: A first look at our newest robotic Vault Hunter and how you can jump straight into the DLC at Level 13. Keep your eyes out for C4SH gameplay and info next week! Deep Dive Mechanics: From full underwater swimming to the new "Nightmare Rift" world bosses. Chapters: 0:00 – Introduction: Meet Josh Jeffcoat 0:51 – Announcing Story Pack 1: Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned 1:40 – Where is Ellie? Setting the stage on Kairos 2:22 – The Pre-Sequel Connection: What happened to Elpis? 3:55 – Why Horror? Pushing the boundaries of the engine 4:35 – Mancubus is back (and he brought Jazz) 5:33 – The return of Pickle and the "Space Australian" legacy 8:41 – Accessibility: How to start the DLC immediately 9:55 – Customization: New skins, heads, and Legendaries 11:13 – New Activity: The Nightmare Rift 11:50 – The 20-Year Dream: Full Underwater Swimming 13:45 – Community Q&A: Shared Progression & Trophy/Achievements 15:35 – WORLD PREMIERE: Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned Trailer Join the Conversation: What are you most excited to find in Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned? Have any questions for the next episode? Let us know in the comments below! We’re "creeping and peeping" through your feedback to make the game better every day. Subscribe for more developer insights and use #GearboxDevCast on social for a chance to get your questions answered in future episodes. -------------------------------------------- FOLLOW GEARBOX -------------------------------------------- https://www.twitter.com/gearboxofficial https://www.facebook.com/gearboxofficial https://www.instagram.com/Gearbox https://www.twitch.tv/GearboxOfficial -------------------------------------------- FOLLOW BORDERLANDS -------------------------------------------- https://www.tiktok.com/@borderlands https://www.twitter.com/Borderlands https://www.threads.com/@borderlands https://bsky.app/profile/borderlands.2k.com https://www.facebook.com/borderlandsgame https://www.instagram.com/borderlands

16 min
Feb 25

Gearbox DevCast: Borderlands 4 - Bounty Pack 2: Legend of the Stone Demon

Borderlands 4’s Bounty Pack 2: Legend of the Stone Demon drops Feb. 26. Learn more here: https://borderlands.2k.com/borderlands-4/news/bounty-pack-2/⁠ Borderlands 4’s second Bounty Pack, Legend of the Stone Demon, is here! Join Gearbox’s Andrew Reiner, April Johnson, and Associate Creative Director Grant Kao for the premiere of the official Gearbox DevCast. We’re diving deep into the Heart of the Mountain to discuss the massive new bounty pack and the return of Pearlescent rarity. At Gearbox, we want you to hear it from us first. In this episode, we explain the design philosophy behind our toughest bosses (like Bloomreaper) and address community questions regarding XP farming and enemy spawn rates. In this episode we cover: Legend of the Stone Demon: Explore a sprawling new zone 3x the size of Bounty Pack 1: How Rush Saved Mercenary Day.Pearlescent Gear is Back: Learn how Ordonite-infused weapons automatically adapt to enemy vulnerabilities and where to find this new gear.Read a summary of this episode here: https://borderlands.2k.com/borderlands-4/news/gearbox-devcast-1 Chapters: 0:00 – Welcome to the Gearbox DevCast 1:13 – Grant Kao’s Journey: From Battleborn to Borderlands 4 2:39 – An anecdote on Bloomreaper Raid Boss 4:11 – Legend of the Stone Demon: Setting the Stage 5:25 – Hidden Bosses & Massive New Environments 7:42 – PEARLESCENT GEAR: How it works & how to find it 11:08 – New Vault Card: Inspired Customizations 12:04 – Community Q&A Subscribe for more developer insights and official Borderlands 4 updates. Join the Conversation: Comment the questions you want asked in future episodes, or tag us on social media with #GearboxDevcast! -------------------------------------------- FOLLOW GEARBOX https://www.twitter.com/gearboxofficial https://www.facebook.com/gearboxofficial https://www.instagram.com/Gearbox https://www.youtube.com/@gearboxofficial https://www.twitch.tv/GearboxOfficial -------------------------------------------- FOLLOW BORDERLANDS https://www.tiktok.com/@borderlands https://www.twitter.com/Borderlands https://www.threads.com/@borderlands https://bsky.app/profile/borderlands.2k.com https://www.facebook.com/borderlandsgame https://www.instagram.com/borderlands

15 min

6 Episodes

Go behind the scenes with the developers building Gearbox games. The Gearbox DevCast is another opportunity to hear directly from developers. We’re sharing developer-led insights into the making of our games. Hosted by members of the development team, Andrew Reiner and April Johnson, each episode breaks down upcoming content, explains the "why" behind game design, and answers your most burning community questions.

Creator

Gearbox Entertainment
Years Active

2K
Episodes

6
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© Gearbox Entertainment
Show Website

Gearbox DevCast