It is officially time to pack your thermal gear and head back to Kairos. 2K and Gearbox Software have just pulled the curtain back on the first major expansion for Borderlands 4, and it is bringing a distinct chill to the loot-shooter formula. Titled Story Pack 1: Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned, the DLC is slated to launch on March 26, 2026.
Veteran Vault Hunters have been looking for an excuse to dive back into the chaos, this update appears packed with enough content to keep us busy well into the new year. From a brand-new playable character to highly requested quality-of-life updates, here is everything you need to know about our next adventure.
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Enter The Whispering Glacier
We are trading the usual planetary dust for severe frostbite. The new zone, The Whispering Glacier, is described as a frozen wasteland littered with derelict ships and dark secrets. You will be teaming up with Ellie (the brilliant mechanic and daughter of Moxxi who takes absolutely no mess) to destroy an alien monolith and breach the accursed Vault of the Damned.
Long-time fans will recognise a few familiar faces, including the oddly unsettling Mancubus Bloodtooth, Pickle, and Crazy Earl. However, Gearbox has confirmed this is a self-contained story, meaning you can jump right in without needing an encyclopaedic knowledge of previous plotlines.
The environment itself sounds wonderfully hostile. Beyond the aggressively arctic climate, players will encounter eldritch trees that warp them to a nightmarish dimension for randomised boss fights, and gargantuan growths of pulsating flesh that must be destroyed to unlock puzzles and loot.
Meet C4SH: The High-Stakes CasinoBot
Perhaps the most exciting addition is C4SH the Rogue, the first of two new Vault Hunters coming to Borderlands 4. C4SH is a CasinoBot with a fascinating backstory: after winning a high-stakes card game, he acquired a magical deck that grants him eldritch powers. For a robot who has always relied on statistical perfection, the sheer unpredictability of this cursed deck makes him feel alive.
C4SH is designed for players who like to live dangerously. His playstyle is all about bending luck in your favour and taking massive risks. One of his Action Skills, Sleight of Hand, lets him draw and throw cards from a randomised deck to unleash powerful spells. We will get a closer look at his skill trees and a cinematic short next week, but he already sounds like a wildly chaotic addition to the roster.
Quality of Life Upgrades We Have Been Begging For
Alongside the paid DLC, a major free update is dropping, and it brings one of the most requested features in Borderlands history: shared character progression.
Starting a new Vault Hunter will no longer feel like a chore. Map progression, SDU tokens, Hover Drives, and cosmetic rewards will now be shared across all characters on your account. If you want to jump straight into the new DLC with a fresh character, you can create a new Vault Hunter that skips directly to level 13 and begins at the Mad Ellie content. Furthermore, Gearbox has noted that cross-platform saves are still actively in the works for a future update.
Loot, Bosses, and What is Next
It would not be Borderlands without an absurd amount of loot. Story Pack 1 introduces 16 minibosses, two major boss fights, and a swarm of enemies including the displaced DAHL Legion and fierce Kraggons. To reward your efforts, the DLC adds three new Pearlescent weapons, 11 Legendary gear pieces, and 28 new cosmetic items to customise your Vault Hunters.
Looking ahead, the 2026 roadmap promises a steady stream of content. Players can expect a new raid boss in April, a Takedown in May, and several Bounty Packs throughout the second and third quarters. Finally, Story Pack 2 is slated for Q3 2026, bringing yet another new Vault Hunter and zone.
Story Pack 1: Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. You will need to complete the “A Lot to Process” mission in the base game to access the new region, so you have until March 26 to get your Vault Hunters ready for the cold.
See more at https://borderlands.2k.com/borderlands-4/
