Gearbox officially pulled back the curtain on its first paid DLC plans for Borderlands 4 during the Tokyo Game Show. The highlight was the reveal of C4SH, a former casino dealer turned vault hunter. Styled with cowboy-inspired flair, this robot vault hunter leans heavily into the theme of luck and probability, offering a high-risk, high-reward playstyle.
While Gearbox has not yet provided the full ability breakdown, C4SH will feature the standard three action skills and three skill trees. Each tree is designed around branching customization paths, and early teases suggest his kit will focus on ally buffs, damage amplification, and enemy debuffs—all tied to chance mechanics.
Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned
C4SH arrives alongside the first story expansion, Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned, launching in Q1 2026. This expansion brings:
- A new story campaign packed with missions.
- An entirely new region to explore.
- A fresh lineup of gear and cosmetics.
- The addition of C4SH as a playable vault hunter.
Players can unlock the content through the Super Deluxe Edition ($129.99), the Vault Hunter Pack ($49.99), or the standalone Story Pack 1. Gearbox also confirmed that another paid vault hunter is on the roadmap, though details remain under wraps.
Free Content on the Horizon
For fans sticking with the base game, Gearbox still plans to roll out free updates. Players can look forward to:
- New bosses for tougher challenges.
- The return of Pearlescent weapons, a beloved rarity.
- Seasonal mini-events starting in October.
This mix of free and paid content reflects Borderlands’ long-standing post-launch strategy.
Ongoing Performance Struggles
Even as Gearbox teases future content, players continue to face performance issues. Developers rolled out patches to stabilize gameplay, but these updates introduced new complications. On PC, Gearbox advised players to clear their shader cache if the game destabilizes within 15 minutes.
The situation grew tense enough that Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford urged dissatisfied fans to seek refunds shortly after release. To complicate matters further, the Switch 2 version of Borderlands 4 slipped into indefinite delay for additional development and polish.
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The reveal of C4SH shows Gearbox’s commitment to expanding Borderlands 4 with both premium and free updates. His unique probability-based mechanics promise fresh gameplay for long-time fans. Still, technical issues continue to shadow these announcements.
The real challenge for Gearbox lies ahead: fixing performance problems quickly enough to ensure that players actually stick around to enjoy the upcoming content. Play Now!
