Borderlands 4 recently released its first major story DLC with the release of Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned, but players are largely unsatisfied with the expansion's offerings. This Borderlands 4 The DLC marked the first of two planned post-launch story packs, each featuring a new DLC story mission and a new playable Vault Hunter. In the days since Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned was released, some fans have taken issue with the DLC's $30 price tag.
Although its sales for Borderlands 4s base games were already strong when it was released in September 2025, selling around 2.5 million copies in its first week and becoming the third best-selling game of 2025. Borderlands 4 also ran into a variety of controversies regarding its endgame content and post-launch support, with players dropping below 20,000 concurrent players on Steam just two months after launch as a result. The game also has a review score of “Mixed” on Steam, and now it seems that the Story Pack 1 DLC hasn't helped improve the game's standing in the eyes of fans.
Fans think Mad Ellie from Borderlands 4 and the Vault of the Damned DLC aren't worth the price
Borderlands 4 fans across the internet lament the very limited content available in Story Pack 1 for the $30 asking price. Reddit user wdiesel posted to Borderlands 4 subreddit asks if any other players felt the DLC was much shorter than they expected. Other users chimed in to agree with the original poster, adding that it also has some noticeable bugs and marks the most expensive Borderlands series DLC so far. The combination of these factors has left a bad taste in many fans' mouths that even the quality of the content included couldn't make up for.
On Steam, Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned reviews currently sit at “Mostly Negative,” which falls in line with what Reddit users are saying about the DLC. While Steam reviewers mostly praise the quality of the DLC, most leave a negative review because they can't justify spending $30 for what ultimately only amounts to a couple of hours of new content. Borderlands 4s endgame has already struggled to keep players engaged, even after the Bloomreaper boss and Pearlescent rarity weapons were added for free Borderlands 4 updates. Combined with the disappointing amount of content included in the Borderlands 4s bounty packs, it is clear why more and more players are abandoning the game.
What's included in Borderlands 4's Story Pack 1 DLC and why fans are upset about it
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Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned Story Expansion
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New Vault Hunter: C4SH
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The Whispering Glacier Map Expansion
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2 new big bosses, 16 mini-bosses and new enemy types
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3 pearlescent weapons and 18 new legendaries
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28 new cosmetics
At first glance, everything is included in this Borderlands 4 The DLC seems pretty robust. A brand new playable character, along with a new DLC story, is already attracting offers, and additional weapons and cosmetics are just the icing on the cake. However, when most players actually got their hands on this expansion, it turned out that most of the new content could be completed in 2-3 hours. While players can start a new run of the main campaign as the new Vault Hunter C4SH, there isn't enough endgame content to justify creating an entirely new build for a replay.
With the ever-increasing price of video games and the recently announced price jumps for consoles like the PlayStation 5, many gamers are becoming more discerning when it comes to choosing which content to spend their hard-earned money on. The $30 price tag for this DLC is almost half the cost of Borderlands 4s base game, but only offers players about 2 or 3 hours of content, compared to the 30-50 hours of base game content. Priced per hour, many Borderlands 4 fans are finding that this DLC is simply not worth the investment when there are more robust options available.
- Released
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September 12, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, User Interaction
