The launch of Borderlands 4 is just mere weeks away on September 12, 2025. But the team at Gearbox is already hard at work on a Vault-load of post-launch content—including lots of new story content and two new Vault Hunters—and in-game events that will keep your adventures on Kairos going strong!
For now, as we prepare to wreak havoc against the tyrannical Timekeeper as one of four badass new Vault Hunters, we hope the roadmap above offers an exciting sense of what's incoming after launch. Below, we'll break down the types of post-launch content you can expect, including Paid Content via DLC packs and Free Content available for all players.
Paid Content
Story Packs* with new Vault Hunters and new Story Scenarios
Further out from launch, we'll see extended, post-launch narrative content Borderlands fans know and love, with two Story Packs coming in 2026 and the first arriving in Q1! Each Story Pack will include multiple main missions and side missions set in a new zone of Kairos, a brand-new Vault Hunter, new gear to earn, and a bunch of new cosmetics, namely:
2 Vault Hunter Heads usable by all Vault Hunters
2 Vault Hunter Heads for the new Vault Hunter
4 Vault Hunter Skins usable by all Vault Hunters
4 Weapon Skins
2 Vehicle Paintjobs
3 ECHO-4 Drone Skin & Attachments
1 ECHO-4 Frame
The first Story Pack will be a bloody, cosmic-horror-inspired tale entitled Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned. As you might've guessed, it stars the one-and-only Ellie, Pandoran mechanic extraordinaire and daughter of Moxxi. That's all we can say about the narrative specifics at the moment (tune in to our PAX West panel for more), but you can look forward to seeing new and returning characters in each Story Pack. In other words, expect to see a familiar face or two in the second Story Pack, too. For now, you'll have to stay tuned for more details.
If you've played any of the full-fledged DLC adventures from Borderlands 3, you can expect a similar level of intense looter shooter action, gripping stories, and killer new loot to collect in the Borderlands 4's Story Pack DLCs. We know that additional Vault Hunters are always a big request from the community, so we can't wait for you to meet Borderlands 4's DLC Vault Hunters. It also can't be understated how impactful each DLC Vault Hunter will be, each offering all-new possibilities and build playstyles with their three unique Action Skills and branching skill trees just like the base game Vault Hunters.
You can learn more about the Vault Hunter included in our first Story Pack by tuning in during Tokyo Game Show 2025 toward the end of September. Both Story Packs are included in Borderlands 4 Super Deluxe Edition, and will also be available for individual purchase.
Bounty Packs** with new Missions, Legendary Gear and loot-filled Vault Cards
Bounty Packs will include new bite-sized-yet-flavorful narrative content, along with new gear to earn and cosmetics to collect—plus a Vault Card that lets you unlock additional loot through gameplay. Four Bounty Packs are included in the Bounty Pack Bundle that comes with the Deluxe Edition and Super Deluxe Edition of Borderlands 4.
Each Bounty Pack features new Main Missions, revealing more about the various NPCs of Kairos, as well as a new Boss to take down; our first Bounty Pack focuses on Rush, the affable leader of the Outbounders faction stationed in the Fadefields. You can also expect loot in the form of a new Legendary Gear drop, a Vault Hunter Skin usable by all Vault Hunters, an ECHO-4 Drone Skin, and a new Digirunner Vehicle. You'll also get a Vault Card, with its unique set of 24 cosmetic items and four pieces of re-rollable gear (separate from the Legendary Gear included in the Bounty Pack) that you'll earn through gameplay. All non-cosmetic Vault Card gear can be earned repeatedly until you roll one with stats that perfectly suit your build.
Playing Borderlands 4 with a Vault Card active gives you more loot and XP via Daily and Weekly challenges, which can unlock additional rewards. Each Vault Card is built around a distinct theme, and can be leveled up at your own pace (no time limits or expiring rewards here). Once activated, Vault Card progression works just like leveling up: it's all driven by how much XP you're gaining. By exploring Kairos, killing enemies, and completing quests, you'll fill up your Vault Card progression bar in addition to your regular XP bar!
There will also be a rotation of Daily and Weekly Challenges from a large pool of possibilities, giving you opportunities to level up your Vault Cards even faster. Even after you've unlocked all of a Vault Card's unique loot, you can keep leveling it up to earn new rolls of the same gear until you get the drop that perfectly suits your build.
Each Vault Card can only be acquired as part of an individual Bounty Pack. Four Vault Cards total are included with Borderlands 4 Deluxe Edition and Super Deluxe Edition as part of the Bounty Pack Bundle. Bounty Packs will also be available for individual purchase.
Free Content
In addition to the Paid Content of DLC, we're thrilled to be bringing plenty of free content to all players following the launch of Borderlands 4. Along with steady updates that will keep all Vault Hunter builds feeling appropriately powerful, you can expect these free additions:
Invincible Bosses
A few months after launch, after you've had time to sharpen your skills and craft your best builds, you might be ready to take on Invincible Bosses, who await challengers in new arenas on Kairos. Think of them as bosses on steroids: new unique mechanics, massive health pools (not literally invincible, but close to it), extremely lethal attack damage, and other new modifiers that can make quick work of any unprepared Vault Hunters. If you have what it takes to defeat them, Invincible Bosses drop some of the absolute best loot in the game. The first Invincible Boss is planned to be added as a free update in Q4 2025***, so do what you can to prepare yourself before then.
Weekly Challenges
Borderlands 4 includes multiple types of free weekly content to keep things fresh:
Weekly Big Encore Boss: Each week, players can take on the same boss at Moxxi's Big Encore Machine by spending the in-game Eridium currency earned through gameplay. This Big Encore Boss is a tougher variant with an even more rewarding loot pool should you manage to take them down.
Weekly Wildcard Missions: All players will get the same Weekly Wildcard Mission added to their map, ensuring that everyone takes on the same set of additional enemy traits so the community can collectively figure out the optimal ways to overcome this challenge. Best of all, Weekly Wildcard Missions will have a guaranteed Legendary drop that you can repeatedly earn to get your ideal roll.
Maurice's Black Market Machine: Everyone's favorite Saurian is offering his wares in Borderlands 4 via Maurice's Black Market Machine, which spawns in a new location somewhere on Kairos each week and offers highly coveted Legendary loot for in-game cash if you can manage to find it. Although its location will be the same for all players each week, the inventory on offer in Maurice's Black Market Machine is unique to each player. It's worth regularly coordinating with friends and joining their game if their version of Maurice's Black Market Machine has the perfect Legendary you've been looking for, and vice versa!
Pearlescent rarity: A new loot tier above Legendary
You asked, we listened: Pearlescents are coming back for Borderlands 4, with plans to add them as a free update to all players alongside Bounty Pack 2 in Q1 2026.*** Pearlescent gear drops will be incredibly difficult to find, but their power level will match their coveted rarity.
Seasonal Mini-Events
Just in time for spooky season, Horrors of Kairos is coming to Borderlands 4 this October as the first in our new slate of Seasonal Mini-Events. With each event, you can look forward to gameplay tweaks—like a new type of weather, in this case—along with new cosmetic items and new Legendary gear added to the world boss spawn pool. These Seasonal Mini-Events will only be available for a limited time, so make sure you don't miss them! We'll have more details to share on Horrors of Kairos soon after launch.
Endgame with Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode and more
As part of Borderlands 4's robust suite of endgame content, we'll be rolling out free updates to Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode, adding additional levels of difficulty that you'll have to unlock via gameplay. If you can overcome the challenges of Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode, you'll be rewarded with the best loot rolls in the game, steadily taking your Vault Hunter's power level to unseen heights.
You can learn more about all these endgame activities in our Borderlands 4 endgame preview article.
If you've yet to pre-purchase your copy of the game, there's still time before we crash-land into Kairos starting on September 12, 2025. While we await launch, you can also check out the Vault Hunter pages for Vex, Rafa, Amon, and Harlowe to plan out how you'll shape their Action Skills and skill trees into your ideal, personalized builds.
For an in-depth breakdown of this info, check out the additional insights shared by Gearbox devs from our livestreamed PAX West panel.
*Story Packs are paid post-launch DLC that are included with the Borderlands 4 Vault Hunter Pack, and included in Borderlands 4 Super Deluxe Edition. They will also be available for separate purchase (base game required). Exact release timings of each Story Pack to be announced at a later date and will be subject to change. Terms apply.
**Bounty Packs are paid post-launch DLC that are included with the Borderlands 4 Bounty Pack Bundle, and included with the Deluxe and Super Deluxe Editions of Borderlands 4. They will also be available for separate purchase (base game required). Exact release timings of each Bounty Pack to be announced at a later date and will be subject to change. Terms apply.
***Exact release timing to be announced at a later date and will be subject to change.