Look, I need to talk about this Borderlands 4 DLC situation because it's been eating at me since the announcement. Gearbox just unveiled their massive post-launch roadmap, and on paper it looks amazing. New Vault Hunters, cosmic horror stories, free weekly events, the works. But there's this nagging voice in my head that won't shut up, and it's asking a simple question:

Why are you asking for my money before you've even proven the game is good?

What They're Actually Selling Us

Let me break down what Gearbox is offering, because it's genuinely a lot:

Bordeland's4 Roadmap

The Paid Stuff (AKA Your Wallet's Worst Nightmare)

Story Packs

Two major expansions coming in 2026, starting with Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned in Q1. Each pack includes:

• Full story campaigns in new areas
• A brand new Vault Hunter (C4SH is the first, more on him later)
• New legendary loot
• 12+ cosmetics (heads, skins, weapon skins, vehicle paintjobs, drone stuff)

The Catch: Want both? Buy the Super Deluxe Edition for $199.95 AUD. Yes, that's $80 MORE than the base game's already-steep $119.95 AUD price tag. That's basically two full games' worth of money.

Bounty Packs (4 of Them)

Smaller story missions with:

• NPC-focused narratives
• Boss fights
• Legendary gear
• Vault Cards (basically battle passes with 24 cosmetics and re-rollable gear)

The Catch: Bundled in the Deluxe ($159.95 AUD) and Super Deluxe ($199.95 AUD) editions. Want them individually? Prepare your wallet for death by a thousand cuts.

The Free Stuff (AKA The Goodwill Band-Aid)

Credit where it's due, there IS free content:

• Invincible Bosses (Q4 2025): Super tough fights with god-tier loot
• Weekly Challenges: Rotating bosses, missions, and Maurice's traveling loot shop
• Pearlescent Rarity (Q1 2026): New loot tier above Legendary (hell yeah!)
• Seasonal Events: Halloween event "Horrors of Kairos" coming October
• Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode: More difficulty tiers for masochists like me

This is genuinely good stuff! But here's the thing. Most of it is endgame grind content designed to keep you playing so you'll buy the paid DLC. It's the gaming equivalent of free samples at Costco. Sure, they're free, but you know what they're really trying to do.

Meet C4SH: The Gambling Addict Robot I Didn't Know I Needed

C4sh me outside, how bout that.

Okay, let's talk about the actually cool part: C4SH, the first DLC Vault Hunter. He's a former casino dealer bot who's now a drifter chasing the high of cursed eldritch artifacts. His whole deal is probability and chance. Every Action Skill involves RNG.

What We Know:

• Three Action Skills, all based on random chance (Vegas simulator confirmed)
• Risk-reward gameplay: Could buff your team OR accidentally debuff yourself (probably)
• Three skill trees with full customization like the base Vault Hunters
• Releasing with Story Pack 1 in Q1 2026

My Take: C4SH sounds incredibly fun if you're into chaotic builds, or incredibly frustrating if you hate RNG. The concept of a Vault Hunter whose effectiveness is partially determined by dice rolls is either going to be brilliant or the most tilting experience imaginable. I'm leaning toward "brilliant" because the idea of yelling at my screen when the RNG gods betray me sounds hilarious in a multiplayer session.

But here's the kicker: C4SH is locked behind the $200 AUD paywall. Want to play as the gambling robot? Better hope the base game is good enough to justify dropping another $80+ on Story Pack 1.

The Part Where I Get Real About This

BTW there is a 20% discount right now till the end of October on steam.

Alright, here's where I need to vent. $119.95 AUD for the base game is already a premium price. AAA games in Australia used to be $80-$100 AUD. Now we're creeping toward $120, and that's before any DLC.

The Super Deluxe Edition is $199.95 AUD. That's $80 more just to access all the post-launch content announced before the game is even out.

Let me put this in perspective with some other games:

No Man's Sky:

• Launched in 2016 (as a disaster)
• Spent YEARS releasing massive free updates (Foundation, NEXT, Beyond, Waypoint, Worlds Part 1, etc.)
• Never asked for a single cent beyond the base game price
• Result: One of gaming's greatest redemption stories

The Witcher 3:

• Released 16 FREE DLCs post-launch (armor, quests, New Game+)
• Only charged money for Blood and Wine and Hearts of Stone, both of which were basically full expansion packs
• Result: CD Projekt RED became everyone's favorite studio (before Cyberpunk's launch debacle)

Cyberpunk 2077:

• Catastrophic launch in 2020
• Released multiple free updates fixing the game and adding features (police rework, vehicle combat, transmog system)
• Only charged for Phantom Liberty in 2023, a massive expansion
• Result: Slowly rebuilt trust and turned the game around

Deep Rock Galactic:

• Consistently releases free seasonal updates with new content
• Only charges for cosmetic DLC that's entirely optional
• Result: One of the most beloved co-op games with an insanely loyal fanbase

Borderlands 4's Approach:

• Game launches September 12, 2025
• Already selling Story Packs, Bounty Packs, and cosmetic bundles
• Want all content? Pay $200 AUD upfront or buy piecemeal later
• Yes, there's free content, but the best content (new Vault Hunters, major story) is paywalled immediately

It Just Feels... Greedy

Look, I get it. Game development is expensive. Voice actors, artists, programmers, writers, server costs, marketing budgets. It all adds up. Gearbox isn't a charity, and I'm not expecting them to work for free.

But here's the thing: The studios I mentioned above proved that earning player trust first leads to long-term success. When you make players feel respected, they will happily throw money at expansions. CD Projekt RED didn't need to beg. Fans lined up to buy Blood and Wine because CDPR had already proven they deserved it.

Borderlands 4's approach feels like the opposite. It's asking us to pay a premium before the base game proves it's even worth $120.

The Questions I Can't Stop Asking:

• Why are we being sold $80 of DLC when the game still has launch issues to fix? The game came out a MONTH ago. Shouldn't the priority be optimizing what we already paid for?
• Are the Story Packs "cut content"? They're releasing Q1 2026, barely 4 months post-launch. That's a really fast turnaround. Were these developed alongside the base game and deliberately held back to sell separately? It feels that way.

The Free Content Doesn't Fix This

Yes, Gearbox is offering free content. Invincible Bosses, Pearlescent gear, weekly challenges, seasonal events. That's legitimately good! I'm not dismissing it.

But let's be real. These are mostly endgame activities and loot treadmills. They're designed to keep you engaged so you'll feel invested enough to buy the paid DLC.

The free content is the carrot. The paid DLC is what they're actually selling. And the new Vault Hunters, arguably the most exciting part of any Borderlands DLC, are locked behind paywalls.

Compare this to:

• Warframe, which has sustained itself for over a decade with free updates and optional cosmetics
• Deep Rock Galactic, which gives you seasons of free content and only charges for cosmetic DLC
• No Man's Sky, which just... keeps giving

These games respect their players, and it shows in their longevity and community loyalty.

What I Wish Gearbox Had Done Instead

Here's an alternate timeline where this announcement doesn't make me uncomfortable:

1. Launch the game on September 12 with the four base Vault Hunters
2. Release free updates for 6-12 months: Invincible Bosses, seasonal events, Pearlescent loot, QoL improvements, balance patches etc.
3. Prove the game is worth supporting by listening to feedback and making it great
4. Then announce Story Pack 1 with C4SH as paid DLC in mid-2026
5. Watch as players happily pay because Gearbox earned their trust

Instead, we're getting the Season Pass model from 2015. Pay now, receive content later, hope it's good. Cross your fingers. Trust us, bro.

Don't let FOMO trick you. The DLC will still be there in Q1 2026. The game is fun NOW without spending extra. If Gearbox proves they're committed to supporting it properly, the Story Packs will still be available to buy later.

Gearbox, if you're somehow reading this random gamer's blog post: Earn our trust first. Make the base game incredible. Support it with love and free content. Then ask for money on expansions. The goodwill you build will pay off way more than aggressive pre-launch monetization.

I want Borderlands 4 to succeed. I want C4SH to be fun. I want to lose hundreds of hours to this game like I did with BL2. But right now? This pricing feels less like a celebration of the franchise and more like a cash grab before proving the game deserves it.