Gearbox Software released Bounty Pack 1: How Rush Saved Mercenary Day on November 20, 2025, as a free update for all Borderlands 4 players. The decision reflected how Gearbox prioritized post-launch stability over meeting the original schedule for paid content. Borderlands 4 free DLC became available to every player after the studio allocated development resources to performance improvements and bug fixes. Rather than releasing limited content on deadline, Gearbox delivered the Borderlands 4 free DLC while adding a fifth Bounty Pack in 2026 as compensation to season pass owners.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Borderlands 4 Free DLC Package Contents and Features
Bounty Pack 1 became available November 20 without cost to all players worldwide. The Borderlands 4 free DLC package contains structured content for endgame and seasonal engagement.[2][8][9]
Content included in the free DLC:
- One new Vault Card with earnable seasonal rewards.
- 24 cosmetic items including character skins and weapon designs.
- Four pieces of rerollable legendary gear for stat optimization.
- New holiday-themed weapons tied to Mercenary Day celebrations.
- Map areas decorated with snow and gift decorations.
- One new questline spanning multiple story missions.[10][11]
The story features Rush, leader of the Outbounders faction, confronting Minister Screw, a Timekeeper preventing holiday celebrations. Players access the free DLC by locating a gift-wrapped present marker in any major hub location.[12][13]
Quality-of-Life Gameplay Improvements Released November 20
The same day as the Borderlands 4 free DLC launch, Gearbox released substantial endgame improvements addressing months of player feedback about repetitive content structures. Weekly Wildcard Missions, the primary endgame activity, now include additional start points enabling experienced players to bypass tutorial sequences entirely.[14][15][16][17]
Critical improvements in this update:
- Additional mission start points allow players to skip tutorials immediately.
- Players reach core objectives within approximately 30 seconds of mission launch.
- Reduced repetitive grinding for endgame legendary loot farming.
- Improved loot quality balancing across all difficulty tiers.
- Enhanced radar functionality for clearer item identification during gameplay.[18][19]
Season Pass Compensation Structure and Bounty Pack Changes
Players who purchased Deluxe Edition, Super Deluxe Edition, or Bounty Pack Bundle receive compensation despite the Borderlands 4 free DLC availability.[20][21]
| Original Promise | New Arrangement After Free DLC |
|---|---|
| 4 Bounty Packs (Packs 1-4) | 5 Bounty Packs total (Packs 1-5) |
| Pack 1 exclusive to paid players | Pack 1 now free to all players |
| Packs 2-4 exclusive to season pass owners | Packs 2-5 remain exclusive to editions |
| No additional benefits beyond four packs | Extra Bounty Pack 5 arriving 2026[22][23] |
Free players cannot purchase Bounty Packs 2, 3, 4, or 5 separately; these packs remain exclusive to Deluxe Edition and Super Deluxe Edition owners only.[24][25]
Borderlands 4 Content Roadmap for 2026 Expansions
Gearbox confirmed extended post-launch content for Borderlands 4 expanding through 2026 and beyond for all player types and engagement levels.[26]
Mid-December 2025 Free Invincible Boss Bloomreaper
Bloomreaper, the first Invincible Boss encounter for Borderlands 4, releases mid-December 2025 as a free update for all players. This challenging endgame content includes significantly increased health pools, lethal attack patterns, and new legendary reward tiers for progression. Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode level cap will increase coinciding with Bloomreaper’s release date.[27][28]
First Quarter 2026 Paid Story Expansion Content
Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned releases Q1 2026, introducing new playable Vault Hunter character C4SH for Borderlands 4. This story pack features completely new areas and narrative content with cosmic horror themes and darker storytelling tone.[29][30][31]
Later 2026 Free Takedown Mission Launch
A fan-requested Takedown mission releases later in 2026 as a free update for all Borderlands 4 players. Described as an extremely challenging gauntlet through new areas, the Takedown is designed for coordinated team gameplay experiences. Bounty Packs 2, 3, 4, and 5 release throughout 2026 exclusively for Deluxe, Super Deluxe, and Bundle edition owners.[32][33][34][35][36]
Technical Development Timeline and Platform Availability for Borderlands 4
Borderlands 4 launched September 12, 2025, across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store platforms. Post-launch patches addressed performance issues, frame rate stability concerns, and loading optimization across all supported platforms consistently. Gearbox cited necessity of stability improvements and post-launch fixes as the primary reason for reduced Bounty Pack 1 content volume compared to original projections.[37][38][39][40][41][42]
Borderlands 4 is planned for Nintendo Switch 2 with no confirmed release date currently announced; the title shows as TBA (To Be Announced).[43][44]
