Borderlands 4 Teases Horror-Themed Story DLC and Return of…

Borderlands 4 releases a teaser trailer for Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned, the first Story Pack set to launch sometime in March. Since launching on September 12, 2025, the road hasn't always been a smooth one for Borderlands 4, which saw plenty of controversy before and after release. While not every update has been a hit with fans, the holiday season brought the game's first Bounty Pack, a smaller, self-contained story with new content to chase with much more on the horizon.

Gearbox is planning a big 2026 for players, having released an updated content roadmap with new timelines for each of the future updates. After finally getting the highly requested Photo Mode in a Borderlands 4 January update, all eyes have turned to the next big content updates with Bounty Pack 2 later this month and then the game's first big expansion following after. Both items are considered paid DLC, but alongside the second Bounty Pack, Gearbox will be releasing a major free update which finally adds Pearlescent Rarity for gear and weapons, giving players more things to chase. Thankfully, it appears that Gearbox is getting ready to start revealing more about Story Pack 1.

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By Daniel Morris

Borderlands 4 Teases Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned

A new trailer finally gave fans their first look at the upcoming first Story Pack for Borderlands 4. Known as Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned, the teaser itself is incredibly short, showing a snowy and cold location, with quick cuts to some unsettling indoor images of what appears to be blood-soaked rooms and hallways with some sort of growths all over. Interestingly enough, it appears that one of the more creepy characters from the Borderlands franchise is also set to make a return of some form, as the entire trailer is narrated by the one and only Mancubus Bloodtooth.

Last seen in the Guns, Love, and Tentacles expansion for Borderlands 3, players were introduced to Mancubus Bloodtooth, the proprietor of The Lodge, a character that quickly became a fan favorite for his odd mannerisms and unique way of speaking. Bloodtooth served mostly as a quest giver in that DLC, though speculation and theories formed by some ECHO logs hidden around Xylourgos seem to indicate that he could be a bit more sinister than he appears.

borderlands-3-mancubus-up-close — Borderlands 3 mancubus close-up

How Mancubus Bloodtooth is linked to a completely different story in the Borderlands universe is currently up for speculation. However, there may be a clue as to how this is possible thanks to the final Borderlands 3 DLC known as Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck. During the story, players can come across Maya in Sanity's Sanctum, where she'll eventually reveal that while on Athenas, a strange hotel appeared and a "super creepy" owner offered her a free stay in exchange for some books. She eventually woke the next day in a field with the hotel having vanished. Many have assumed Maya's interactions were with Mancubus Bloodtooth and that The Lodge is able to move to different locations as needed. Perhaps something similar is happening for this DLC.

With a release date set for March, fans won't have to wait too much longer to get more details regarding Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned, including the arrival of the first post-launch Vault Hunter. Borderlands 4 previously revealed C4SH, a former casino dealer that has switched careers to become a Vault Hunter. The robot appears to utilize cards and dice as part of his kit, with Gearbox Software CEO confirming that C4SH will have abilities that also rely on random chance, adding a potentially intriguing element to his playstyle.

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OpenCritic Reviews: Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 88%

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Released: September 12, 2025
ESRB: Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
Developer(s): Gearbox Software
Publisher(s): 2K