The first major story expansion for Borderlands 4 is here, and it brings a brand new zone, a playable DLC character, 16 new legendary weapons, and three pearlescent weapons to chase. Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned (Story Pack 1) released on March 26, 2026, and getting into it takes about two minutes if you know where to look. Here's everything you need.
How do you start the Mad Ellie DLC?
There are two ways in, and which one you pick depends entirely on whether you want to use an existing character or jump straight into the new content.
Using an existing character
According to Polygon (as documented by Player.One), existing characters need to reach a specific point in the base campaign before the DLC unlocks. Follow these steps:
- Purchase Story Pack 1 (included with the Super Deluxe Edition or Vault Hunter Pack).
- Progress through the main campaign until you complete the mission A Lot to Process.
- Travel to Dissected Plateau.
- Enter Zadra's Backup Plan.
- Interact with the alien pillar to trigger the mission An Invitation.
After that interaction, a cutscene featuring Moxxi plays and introduces the new storyline. You'll then be transported directly to Whispering Glacier, the DLC's central zone.
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Before entering Whispering Glacier, check your gear and hold back any skill points. Enemy density ramps up quickly in the early sections, and you'll want flexibility to adjust your build on the fly.
Starting fresh with a new character
If you'd rather skip the base campaign entirely, create a new character and select Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned at the character creation screen. You'll drop straight into the DLC with:
- A level 13 character
- 12 skill points already banked
- Starter weapons, a grenade, and a repkit
This is the fastest route to the new content. The trade-off is that you'll miss the base game's story context, but if you've already played through it on another character, that's a non-issue.
New character DLC entry point
What is the recommended level before starting?
For existing characters, aim for at least level 13 before heading into Whispering Glacier, according to Player.One's guide. This keeps early fights manageable and ensures your gear stays competitive. Going in underleveled is technically possible, but the icy zone's enemy density will punish it fast.
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Crowd control becomes a priority early in Whispering Glacier. The area throws multiple enemy types at you simultaneously, so builds that handle groups perform significantly better than single-target setups in the opening missions.
What's new in Whispering Glacier?
Whispering Glacier is the DLC's entire playable area and serves as the hub for all five main story missions. According to Game8's wiki, the zone also introduces new activities and collectible types specific to the expansion.
Story missions
The DLC contains five main missions, with rewards scaling through the campaign according to IGN's walkthrough:
New collectibles and activities
Whispering Glacier replaces the base game's standard collectibles with DLC-specific versions. Game8 documents three new types:
- Dahl Caches: Scattered across the zone, these reward loot on discovery.
- Eldritch Phonographs: Assembled from fractured record pieces found in the zone. They function similarly to the base game's Echo Logs, providing additional story context.
- Vault of the Damned Symbols: The DLC's version of Vault Symbols, a new collectible type exclusive to Whispering Glacier.
Ice Fishing
One of the more unexpected additions is Ice Fishing. According to Game8, you toss dynamite into glowing spots in the water to trigger the activity and earn additional loot. It's optional, but worth doing whenever you spot a glowing water surface.
Nightmare Rift
The Nightmare Rift is an arena-style challenge that pits you against randomized bosses. Think of it as the DLC's endgame loop: test your build, earn loot, repeat.
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The Nightmare Rift is separate from the story missions. You can access it after progressing through the main DLC content, making it a natural target for post-story farming sessions.
Who is C4SH, the new DLC character?
C4SH the Rogue is the first DLC character added to Borderlands 4 and arrives alongside Story Pack 1. According to Game8, C4SH's playstyle centers on Gambling and Gunslinging mechanics. Players who own Story Pack 1 can play as C4SH immediately.
A dedicated leveling build guide for C4SH is already live on Game8's wiki if you want to optimize his skill tree from the start.
What new weapons does the DLC add?
Story Pack 1 adds a significant haul of new gear. According to Game8's documentation, the full breakdown is:
Pearlescent weapons (3 total)
Legendary weapons (16 total, 13 from Story Pack 1)
The DLC's legendary pool includes Falke, Fearstalker, Flash Cyclone, Heimdahl, Hemmorhage, Honey Badger, Ichor, Unstable Kor, Laser Cutter, Prowler, Remiinisce, Scoot'N'Shoot, Sunspot, and three others. Two new Legendary Ordnances (Barb'ara and Bismuth-Tipped Daggers), one Legendary Repkit (Blood Moon), and one Legendary Shield (Elpis Moon) round out the gear additions.
What free content comes with the Story Pack 1 update?
Even players who don't own the DLC get something from the Story Pack 1 update. According to Game8, the patch delivers two quality-of-life changes for all players:
- 10 additional levels added to the level cap for all characters.
- Shared Character Progression: collectibles and map unlocks now carry across characters, so you won't have to re-clear areas when switching vault hunters.
These changes apply regardless of whether you own Story Pack 1, making the update worth installing even if you're holding off on the DLC itself.
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If you're planning to try C4SH, the shared progression system means any collectibles you've already found on other characters won't need to be re-discovered. Start the new character without that grind hanging over you.
Difficulty settings overview
The DLC uses the same three-tier difficulty system as the base game, as documented by IGN. Here's a quick reference:
Hard mode's loot quality boost makes it worth considering if your build can handle the extra damage. The cash bonus is minor, but better drops over the course of the DLC's five missions adds up.
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