Introduction
If you are trying to make sense of borderlands 4 dlc, the confusion is understandable, because Borderlands 4 does not have one season pass. Instead, Gearbox has released two Story Packs and five Bounty Packs, alongside free updates, and the two DLC Vault Hunters are sold separately from their story campaigns. This guide sorts out what each pack adds, what is free, and which purchase makes sense for you.
Borderlands 4 DLC at a Glance
Borderlands 4 is a first-person looter shooter from Gearbox Software and 2K, launched on 12 September 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, on the planet Kairos.
| Fact | Borderlands 4 DLC detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Gearbox Software |
| Publisher | 2K |
| Base game release date | 12 September 2025 |
| Platforms | PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC |
| Story Packs | 2, each with a new Vault Hunter sold separately |
| Bounty Packs | 5, the first free and four paid |
| Latest paid drop | Story Pack 2, Bounty Pack 5, 10 September 2026 |
The key buying rule is simple: owning a Story Pack does not give you its Vault Hunter, and owning a Vault Hunter does not give you its Story Pack. Each is separate unless you buy a bundle containing both.
Story Pack 1: Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned
Story Pack 1, Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned, launched on 26 March 2026. It takes players to the Whispering Glacier, a new area on Kairos, for a cosmic-horror campaign built around Ellie and an alien monolith, with new gear including Legendary class mods.
C4SH the Rogue is the Vault Hunter who arrived with Story Pack 1: a robotic gunslinger and former casino dealer, built around luck and risk, whose card flips and dice rolls can buff allies, sap enemy strength, or backfire. He has three Action Skills, and once owned he can be played across the whole base game.
To start Story Pack 1, finish the main mission A Lot to Process in the Fadefields. It is recommended from level 13, and owning it also lets you roll a new Vault Hunter who begins directly in its content at level 13.
Story Pack 2: FL4K and the Last Resort
Story Pack 2, FL4K and the Last Resort, launched on 10 September 2026 alongside Version 1.10. It brings back FL4K, the beastmaster from Borderlands 3, hunting for their missing skag Mr. Chew on Providence, a tropical island with an active volcano occupied by Tediore. Ziplines help you cross the jungle, and one sequence uploads you into Tediore’s digiverse servers.
Loveless the Hacker is the Vault Hunter who arrived with Story Pack 2: an ex-Anshin assassin turned cybernetic hacker who shares her head with a digital virus. She is built around critical hits, status effects and a RAM bar, which, when full, empowers her melee attack. Her Action Skills are Plague Star, Visual Paradox Nexus and Malignant Construct, the last of which summons her Wyrm companion.
To start Story Pack 2, finish A Lot to Process, then travel to the Bones of Sanctuary in the Heart of the Mountain, in the Terminus Range, and use the distress beacon there. It is also recommended from level 13, and owning it lets you start a new Vault Hunter in its content at level 13.
The Five Bounty Packs
Bounty Packs are smaller than Story Packs: a replayable mission, a new area or boss, fresh loot, and a Vault Card of challenges and cosmetics. The first one was made free.
| Bounty Pack | Release date | Paid or free |
|---|---|---|
| Bounty Pack 1: How Rush Saved Mercenary Day | 20 November 2025 | Free for everyone |
| Bounty Pack 2: Legend of the Stone Demon | 26 February 2026 | Paid |
| Bounty Pack 3: A Zane to Kill For | 25 June 2026 | Paid |
| Bounty Pack 4: Murders and Acquisitions | 30 July 2026 | Paid |
| Bounty Pack 5: Amara and the Vile Shadows | 10 September 2026 | Paid |
Bounty Pack 3 shows the format well: a neon-noir arcade mystery about who deleted the Digi-Clone backup of Zane, the Operative from Borderlands 3, inside Private Dick, a game-within-a-game in Zane’s corner of Moxxi’s bar. It ships with a new boss, two mini-bosses, and a Pearlescent weapon, and needs the main mission Wrath of the Ripper Queen. Each pack’s mission and Vault Card are now sold separately.
What Every Player Gets Free
Not all post-launch content costs money. Bounty Pack 1 and its Vault Card are free for everyone, as are two raid bosses — Bloomreaper the Invincible, added on 11 December 2025, and Subjugator and Thol the Invincible, added on 28 May 2026. The Takedown at Hadron Abyss, a free endgame raid in a flooded research lab, and the Circle of Slaughter are also free, as are Pearlescent gear, Photo Mode and cross-platform saves. The level cap rises are free too: 50 at launch, 60 on 26 March 2026, and 70 on 10 September 2026, for all players.
Editions, Bundles and Prices
There is no season pass under that name. Gearbox sells two bundles instead. Prices below are reported United States Steam prices as read on 23 October 2026, outside any sale; United Kingdom prices differ, so check your own store rather than converting from dollars.
| Edition or bundle | Reported US price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Edition | $69.99 | Base game only |
| Deluxe Edition | $99.99 | Base game, Bounty Pack Bundle, Firehawk’s Fury weapon skin |
| Super Deluxe Edition | $129.99 | Everything in Deluxe, plus Vault Hunter Pack and Ornate Order Pack |
| Bounty Pack Bundle | $39.99 | Bounty Packs 2, 3, 4 and 5, each with its Vault Card |
| Vault Hunter Pack | $49.99 | Story Packs 1 and 2, Vault Hunters C4SH and Loveless, Ornate Order Pack |
Bought separately in the United States, each Story Pack’s story was listed at $19.99 and each DLC Vault Hunter at $9.99, while each Bounty Pack’s mission and Vault Card were listed at $5.99 each. On those figures, both bundles save money against buying their contents piece by piece. A single Story Pack does not include its Vault Hunter.
What Comes Next for Borderlands 4 DLC?
As of 23 October 2026, no new paid pack, raid boss or level cap rise had been dated after 10 September 2026, and Version 1.11 on 22 October 2026 was fixes and balance. Treat any third Story Pack claim as a rumour unless Gearbox or 2K announces it.
Conclusion
The borderlands 4 dlc picture is clearer than it first looks: two paid Story Packs with two paid Vault Hunters sold separately, five Bounty Packs with the first one free, and a strong free layer of raid bosses, a Takedown and a higher level cap. Buy the Vault Hunter Pack if you want both stories and both hunters, and start with the free content if you are returning.
For more UK gaming guides, visit Game Horizon.
FAQs
Is Borderlands 4 DLC free?
Some of it is. Bounty Pack 1, both raid bosses, the Takedown, the Circle of Slaughter and the level cap rises to 60 and 70 are free. Bounty Packs 2 to 5 and the two Story Packs are paid.
Are C4SH and Loveless free in Borderlands 4?
No. They are paid DLC Vault Hunters, not included with the standard edition. Each is sold separately, and both are in the Vault Hunter Pack and the Super Deluxe Edition.
What is in Story Pack 1 for Borderlands 4?
Story Pack 1, Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned, launched on 26 March 2026. It adds the Whispering Glacier area, a cosmic-horror campaign around Ellie, and new gear. C4SH is separate unless you own the Vault Hunter Pack or Super Deluxe Edition.
What is in Story Pack 2 for Borderlands 4?
Story Pack 2, FL4K and the Last Resort, launched on 10 September 2026. It adds Providence, a rescue story for FL4K’s skag Mr. Chew against Tediore, and new gear. Loveless is separate unless you own the Vault Hunter Pack or Super Deluxe Edition.
Does Borderlands 4 have a season pass?
Not under that name. Gearbox sells two bundles instead: the Bounty Pack Bundle, with Bounty Packs 2 to 5, and the Vault Hunter Pack, with both Story Packs and both DLC Vault Hunters.
Is there any new Borderlands 4 DLC coming?
Nothing further had been dated as of 23 October 2026, after Story Pack 2 and Bounty Pack 5 on 10 September 2026. Treat any third Story Pack claim as a rumour unless Gearbox or 2K announces it.