2K and Gearbox Software have announced that Borderlands 4’s Story Pack 1: Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned will launch on March 26, 2026.
The new pack features the all-new Vault Hunter, C4SH; a new zone packed with missions, activities, and collectables; new exhilarating boss fights; heaps of loot; and much more.
Uncover the Mysteries of the Whispering Glacier
As a malicious cosmic entity threatens Kairos, and madness lingers on the frigid wind, players will join forces with the plucky, take-no-mess Ellie — mechanic extraordinaire and daughter of Moxxi — on a quest to destroy an alien monolith and enter the accursed Vault of the Damned. Guided by the returning peculiar proprietor Mancubus Bloodtooth, players will brave the icy wastes of The Whispering Glacier, a frozen expanse littered with the husks of derelict ships and dark secrets.
Borderlands fans will recognise returning faces in Story Pack 1 and reunite with oddballs like Mancubus, Pickle, and Crazy Earl. But this self-contained story doesn’t require prior knowledge to be enjoyed, so Vault Hunters of any tenure can feel comfortable jumping right in.
In addition to an aggressively arctic climate and gruesome sights, The Whispering Glacier is also packed with new story missions, side missions, activities, and collectables. Later in mission progression, players will be able to destroy gargantuan growths of pulsating flesh to unlock new areas, loot, and puzzles. An all-new World Boss mechanic warps players who commune with eldritch trees to a nightmarish dimension where a random boss lies in wait.
Play as the New Vault Hunter: C4SH the Rogue
Players can set off across the icy wastes as the first of two new Vault Hunters coming to Borderlands 4, C4SH the Rogue, a CasinoBot with a new lease on life. After winning a high-stakes card game, he gained a magical deck that imbues him with eldritch boons. This would be a cursed trophy for most people, but for a robot who has been able to game the solar system’s casinos and battlefields with statistical knowledge, he finally knows what unpredictability feels like. For the first time, he feels human. This drives him to play nothing safe, always bet on himself, and take as many risks as possible.
C4SH is all about going for broke as a devil-may-care gambler, bending luck in your favour to make quick work of enemies. For example, one of C4SH’s unique Action Skills, Sleight of Hand, allows C4SH to draw cards from his randomised deck and he throws them to unleash powerful spells. Similar to the other Vault Hunters in Borderlands 4, C4SH has three unique Action Skills to choose from, and can enhance his abilities via three branching skill trees full of powerful Passives and Augments.
Conquer Deadly Threats and Earn Tantalising Loot
Story Pack 1 introduces a host of new challenges across The Whispering Glacier, including two major boss fights and 16 minibosses. To reach them, players will need to carve their path through plenty of tough enemies like the grizzled soldiers of the DAHL Legion, who abandoned their posts on Elpis to wreak havoc on Kairos, and fierce Kraggons and Scavs.
Players can look forward to plenty of suitable rewards for their troubles. Story Pack 1 features three new Pearlescent weapons and 11 new pieces of Legendary gear, including two Grenades, two Heavy Weapons, two Shields, and five Class Mods, allowing for the creation of even more novel and powerful Vault Hunter Builds.
Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned also contains a total of 28 new cosmetic items including:
- Two Vault Hunter Heads usable by all Vault Hunters
- Four Vault Hunter Skins usable by all Vault Hunters
- Eight Vault Hunter Heads usable by C4SH
- One alternate Vault Hunter body usable by C4SH
- Four Weapon Skins
- Four Vehicle Skins
- Three ECHO-4 Drone Skins & Attachments
- One ECHO-4 Frame
- More Free and Paid Content to Come
Bounty Packs 3, 4, and 5 will be released throughout Q2 and Q3 2026, featuring a Vault Card full of new cosmetics and gear unlocked through gameplay, alongside new narrative mission content that dives deeper into the lives of Kairos’ memorable characters. And, players can already look on the horizon for Story Pack 2 later this year, in Q3 2026, including yet another brand-new Vault Hunter, multiple main missions and side missions set in a new zone of Kairos, new gear to earn, and a bunch of new cosmetics.
Borderlands 4 is out now on PC, Xbox and PlayStation. Check out our full Borderlands 4 review to read our thoughts on the game.
