Borderlands 4 recently dropped its first major story DLC with the release of Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned, but players are largely unhappy with the expansion’s offerings. This Borderlands 4 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 4‘s base game were strong back when it released in September 2025, selling around 2.5 million copies in the first week and becoming the third highest-selling game of 2025. However, Borderlands 4 also faced a variety of controversies regarding its endgame content and post-launch support, with player counts dropping below 20,000 concurrent players on Steam just two months after its release as a result. The game also sits at a review score of “Mixed” on Steam as well, and now it seems like the Story Pack 1 DLC hasn’t helped improve the game’s standing in the eyes of fans.
Fans Think Borderlands 4’s Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned DLC Isn’t Worth the Price
Borderlands 4 fans across the internet are lamenting the very limited content available in Story Pack 1 for the $30 asking price. Reddit user wdiesel posted to the Borderlands 4 subreddit asking if any other players felt like the DLC was far shorter than they were expecting. Other users chimed in to agree with the original poster, adding that it also includes some noticeable bugs and marks the most expensive Borderlands series DLC to date. The combination of these factors has left a bad taste in many fans’ mouths that not even the quality of the content included could make up for.
On Steam, Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned reviews are currently sitting 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 are leaving a negative review because they can’t justify spending $30 for what ultimately amounts to just a couple of hours of new content. Borderlands 4‘s endgame has already struggled to keep players hooked, even after the Bloomreaper boss and Pearlescent rarity weapons were added in free Borderlands 4 updates. Combined with the disappointing amount of content included in Borderlands 4‘s bounty packs, it’s clear why more and more players are dropping the game.
What is Included in Borderlands 4’s Story Pack 1 DLC and Why Fans Are Upset With It
- Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned Story Expansion
- New Vault Hunter: C4SH
- The Whispering Glacier Map Expansion
- 2 New major bosses, 16 minibosses, and new enemy types
- 3 Pearlescent weapons and 18 new Legendaries
- 28 new cosmetics
At first glance, everything included in this Borderlands 4 DLC seems fairly robust. A brand-new playable character, along with a new DLC story, are already enticing offerings, 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 crafting 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 picky when it comes to choosing what content to spend their hard-earned money on. The $30 price tag for this DLC is nearly half the cost of Borderlands 4‘s base game, but only offers players around 2 or 3 hours worth of content, compared to the 30–50 hours of base game content. In terms of price per hour, many Borderlands 4 fans are finding that this DLC just isn’t worth the investment when there are more robust alternatives available.
- Released
-
September 12, 2025
- ESRB
-
Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
