Gearbox has addressed feedback regarding Borderlands 4‘s absence of a mini map.
The forthcoming looter shooter replaces the mini maps from previous games, typically displayed in the screen’s corner, with a compass that directs players toward their next mission point. While this is a minor alteration, it could significantly affect how you navigate during gameplay. Gearbox Software chief Randy Pitchford believes a mini map is impractical in a world as expansive and “layered” as that of Borderlands 4.
“Here’s the reality: you all haven’t experienced the game yet,” he stated during a PAX East panel. “When we created Borderlands 1, we didn’t include a mini map, but we added one in Borderlands 2. Now, some people online are asking, ‘Why haven’t we seen a mini map in what you’ve demonstrated thus far for Borderlands 4?'”
“Let me be honest with you,” he continued. “We designed a massive world, and many of your actions take place in specific areas. However, numerous objectives might be located far away. A local map isn’t an effective navigation tool when you’re considering multiple goals that could be miles apart. A compass truly assists us with this.”
Furthermore, Borderlands 4 is reportedly the most vertical title in the series “by far,” prompting the inclusion of a new grappling hook. Pitchford assures players that anything visible in the world can be accessed, even if it’s “a mile away and high up.” Gearbox reportedly aimed to fully embrace a more vertical design “rather than a single flat landscape,” and Pitchford believes a 2D representation can be “incredibly perplexing” when navigating “a layered environment” in the FPS.
With a compass that includes arrows indicating whether objectives are above or below you, he insists players will have a much better sense of “spatial awareness” and prefers that you not be fixated on the corner of the screen: “We want you to engage with the game, not the map.”
