The anniversary sale that actually delivered

Borderlands 4 launched a year ago this month, and Gearbox marked the occasion with a proper free-play weekend instead of just slapping a sale badge on the store page. From September 10 to 14, the full base game was free to try on Steam and PlayStation (Xbox players needed a Game Pass subscription), and any progress or loot earned during the trial carries over if you decide to buy.

The trial's over now, but the discount stuck around: the base game is still 50 percent off its usual $69.99 price on Steam, which is likely a big part of why it's climbed back onto the weekly top-sellers chart a full year after release.

What you actually get

Developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K, Borderlands 4 is, in Steam's own words, "a mayhem-fueled looter shooter, jam-packed with billions of weapons, deadly enemies, and intense co-op action." It sits in Steam's Action, Adventure and RPG genres, and a year of post-launch updates has added extras like the Circle of Slaughter horde mode on top of the base campaign.

• Full base campaign and all playable Vault Hunters from launch
• Post-launch additions like Circle of Slaughter, included at no extra cost
• Paid story DLC and extra Vault Hunters are sold separately
• Cross-platform saves through SHiFT accounts

Worth jumping in now?

A year in, the core loop of loot, guns and co-op mayhem hasn't gone anywhere, and half off is a solid entry price if you skipped it at launch. Worth noting: a Nintendo Switch 2 version has been postponed indefinitely, so PC, PlayStation and Xbox remain your options for now.

This one's for looter-shooter fans who like their guns absurd and their numbers even more absurd, especially if you've got a couple of friends free for co-op.