Hard as it is to believe, but Fallout: New Vegas has been out for roughly 15 years by this point, with its last fantastic DLC dropping on September 20, 2011. Although launching with its share of bugs and issues, Obsidian's RPG is nowadays regarded as one of the greatest releases of its era, along with arguably being the best 3D Fallout of all time. After its launch, the game would receive four relatively substantial add-ons that introduced new story beats, characters, and items. Even though the base content is great on its own, all four DLCs are must-play as they complete the experience.
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At this point, most players have not only played through FNV, but have also enjoyed diving into its massive modding scene. That said, Fallout's eternal popularity means there will always be new people visiting Mojave, and they might pick up the Ultimate Edition that comes with all the DLC. You should go for this option if you are not sure which one to buy, especially since it often goes on sale for relatively cheap. For those new couriers out there, let's go through each DLC's start location and recommended level.
Updated February 13, 2026 by Mark Sammut: We have added a short "quick breakdown" section that just lists the start location and level for each DLC. If you just want that basic information, this section should help.
Quick Breakdown: All Fallout New Vegas DLC's Start Location & Levels
While we will explore each DLC's requirements separately and extensively, let's first put together a section that just provides the basic information that everyone needs to know. If you don't want to explore each DLC in great detail, the following table should help provide some guidance without revealing everything.
|
DLC |
Start Location |
Recommended Level |
|---|---|---|
|
Honest Hearts |
Northern Passage |
10 |
|
Old World Blues |
Mojave Drive-In Theater |
15 |
|
Dead Money |
Abandoned Brotherhood of Steel Bunker |
20 |
|
Lonesome Road |
Canyon Wreckage |
25 |
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Honest Hearts
Recommended Level: 10
Joshua Graham disappeared.
And in his place came legends of the Burned Man walking the wastes.
Probably just a tribal ghost story.
But New Canaan's been silent for a long time.
The Honest Hearts DLC takes the Courier from the Mojave Wasteland to Zion National Park in neighboring Utah. This DLC takes off quickly as the player is ambushed and is forced to make their way back to the Wasteland.
Honest Hearts offers some of the most interesting expansions to the base game's lore, and it's got all the wackiness of the original setting. From drug-induced rituals to a burned man who used to be Caesar's second-in command, Honest Hearts is a great DLC that players can start relatively early.
How To Start Honest Hearts
To start the Honest Hearts DLC for Fallout New Vegas, head northeast from the Westside West Entrance and onto the road that spans from each side of New Vegas' north side. The Honest Hearts start location is in the Northern Passage, a cave that can be found in the hills about halfway down this road.
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Alternatively, select the quest "Happy Trails Expedition" on your Pip-Boy to track the Honest Hearts start location. This quest should automatically be added to your quest log upon creating a new character. Though we recommend getting to Level 10 as the minimum level for Honest Hearts, you can start the DLC earlier than that if you want a change of pace from the normal starter experience.
Honest Hearts Unique DLC Weapons & Equipment
- A Shining Light In Darkness: The.pistol wielded by Joshua
- Compliance Regulator: A laser pistol that can paralyze enemies when it Crits
- Salt-Upon-Wounds' Power Fist: A power fist that also deals Poison damage
- She's Embrace: A gauntlet that lets you slash at enemies with clawed, unarmed attacks
Old World Blues
Recommended Level: 15
For years, the minds and computers of Big Mountain were a blaze of trajectories, weapon schematics, and nuclear theories.
The problems began to outpace the solutions, first geometrically, then exponentially. As the war escalated, so did the questions.
Old World Blues whisks the Courier away to a unique location called the Big Empty, to a place called Big Mountain, that is disconnected from the rest of the wasteland. After being essentially abducted by a being called the Think Tank – the combination of the worlds' greatest scientific minds in one messed-up robot – the Courier's brain is removed.
The rest of the DLC sees the player try to get back their own brain and all the wacky science-adjacent activities that adventure could conjure up. Robot scorpions, a Mutant grandma, and the ability to convince your own brain to return back to your skull make this one of the best New Vegas DLC to experience.
How To Start Old World Blues
To start the Old World Blues DLC for Fallout New Vegas, you must find the abandoned Mojave Drive-In theater, just southeast of Nelson. The Old World Blues start location is the projector, which can only be interacted with at night, when a reel of an eye plays on the screen. Open it up and watch as the Courier is taken away to this bizarre sciency setting.
Alternatively, select the quest "Midnight Science Fiction Feature" on your Pip-Boy to track the Old World Blues start location. This quest should automatically be added to your quest log upon creating a new character. Though we recommend getting to Level 15 as the minimum level for Old World Blues, you can start the DLC at earlier levels.
Old World Blues Unique DLC Weapons & Equipment
- FIDO: A minigun that relies on a dog's brain in a red tube attached to the front of the gun
- Elijah's Jury-Rigged Tesla Cannon: An extremely powerful energy cannon that was created before the war
- Christine's CoS Silencer Rifle: A silenced sniper rifle with extremely high damage
- X-2 Antenna: A detached radar antenna that can be wielded as a two-handed weapon
Dead Money
Recommended Level: 20
The opening was supposed to symbolize a road to a brighter future, not just for the world, but for all who came to its doors.
A chance for anyone to begin again.
Except - the Sierra Madre never opened.
The Dead Money DLC brings players to an extravagant resort that was once meant to be the ultimate in opulence – the Sierra Madre Casino. Before its grand opening, the bombs went off, and it stayed closed for good. Now, there's a rumor going around that there's a great treasure beneath the Sierra Madre, which draws the Courier to seek it.
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Though this DLC is considered by some to be the weakest of the four DLCs in New Vegas, Dead Money still offers unique characters, interesting stories, and great new items and perks to the game. Though you'll have to get relatively far in the game to meet its level prerequisites, it's worth the detour.
How To Start Dead Money
To start the Dead Money DLC for Fallout New Vegas, start from Nelson in the far east of the main Mojave Wasteland map and head northeast on the road. The Dead Money start location is the Abandoned Brotherhood of Steel Bunker, just a few minutes' walk northeast from Nelson.
Alternatively, select the quest "Sierra Madre Grand Opening" on your Pip-Boy to track the Dead Money start location. This quest should automatically be added to your quest log upon creating a new character.
Though we recommend getting to Level 20 as the minimum level for Dead Money, you can start this DLC earlier than that if you want a challenge. The difficulty of enemies in this and Lonesome Road spikes a bit compared to the base game and other DLCs, so it's good to level up as much as you can and get good gear before heading to this area.
Dead Money Unique DLC Weapons & Equipment
- Holorifle: An energy sniper rifle that looks like a grenade launcher, instantly hitting targets with no bullet drop or travel time
- Bear Trap Fist: A bear trap attached to a rope that you can wield as a fist weapon
- Cosmic Knife: An ultra-sharp knife that deals extra damage to limbs
Lonesome Road
Recommended Level: 25
It’s said that war – war never changes.
But men do, through the roads they walk.
And this road has reached its end.
While Dead Money is a bit more of a divisive addon for New Vegas, the consensus is that Lonesome Road is the best. The Lonesome Road DLC story sees the conclusion of the Courier's own story, one that began before they were shot in the head by Benny in the opening cutscene.
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Long story short, the Courier delivered something that changed the course of history for one man in particular: Ulysses.
In this DLC, players are sent to The Divide, an area characterized by its harsh environment (tornadoes, earthquakes, destructive storms, etc). The Lonesome Road to meeting Ulysses is filled with strife and hardship – and lots and lots of nuclear warheads – but it's one well worth walking before you finish the game and head to the Hoover Dam for the final ending.
How To Start Lonesome Road
To start the Lonesome Road DLC for Fallout New Vegas, start from Primm and head west, over the road and into the hills. The Lonesome Road start location is the Canyon Wreckage location, and just like all other locations, it will pop up with a warning when you try to enter the DLC zone for the first time.
Alternatively, select the quest "The Reunion" on your Pip-Boy to track the Lonesome Road start location. This quest should automatically be added to your quest log upon creating a new character. We strongly recommend getting to at least level 20, but preferably higher (around level 25) before trying to take on Lonesome Road. This is the most difficult DLC, and the final DLC, so be sure you are good and prepared (and consider trying out other DLCs first) before jumping in.
Lonesome Road Unique DLC Weapons & Equipment
- Satchel Charge: An explosive mine that can be placed and detonated at the wielder's discretion
- Shoulder-Mounted Machine Gun: An extremely heavy, extremely powerful minigun that requires high strength and Guns skill to wield
- Old Glory: A flagpole with a golden eagle on it that can be wielded as a melee weapon
- Fist of The North Rawr: The severed hand of a deathclaw that can be wielded as an unarmed melee weapon that requires 100 Unarmed to wield
