With Borderlands 4 now nearing its one-month anniversary, many players have likely made it through the story, reached level 50, begun tackling Ultimate Vault Hunter mode, or all of the above and more. That means that plenty of eyes are now on Borderlands 4‘s future, with the first major DLC, Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned, awaiting players in the first quarter of 2026. There’s still plenty of time between now and then, and only a handful of information has been divulged about the DLC’s contents so far, but the perfect setting for it already seems clear.
While it has been confirmed that the first DLC pack for Borderlands 4 will bring along with it the brand-new Vault Hunter C4SH and see the return of fan-favorite Borderlands character Ellie, its setting has largely remained under wraps. Aside from a cryptic comment made by Gearbox about where the DLC will take place on Kairos, all that is known about it is that it will introduce a new region, with nothing officially pointing to a specific location on the map. However, eagle-eyed players have spotted an entire map of Kairos hidden in Borderlands 4‘s Carcadia Burn region, leading to speculation about where the DLC might actually take place.
The map itself only labels the regions currently accessible on Borderlands 4‘s Kairos, but the remainder of what appears to be a potentially explorable landscape is laid bare. Land in the northwestern, northeastern, and southeastern corners of the map are all present but currently unused in the game, suggesting what players can access at the moment functions more like the sun by which possible DLC regions revolve around. This doesn’t necessarily confirm the setting for Borderlands 4‘s Mad Ellie DLC, though, but paired with what Gearbox has already said, it might.
The Setting for Borderlands 4's Mad Ellie DLC Might Already Be Etched Into the Map
Thus far, the only thing that Gearbox has confirmed about the setting for the game’s Mad Ellie DLC is its climate. During Borderlands 4‘s PAX West Panel ahead of its launch, Gearbox mentioned that the first DLC would take place in a “snowy” region, and some early concept art shown of Ellie in warm, fur-lined clothes support that description. Considering what biomes are already present in Kairos, it’s possible to narrow down further where the first DLC might be set.
Borderlands 4 may take place in one seamless open world, but it still offers a diverse array of biomes. Currently, players can explore the lush greenland of the Fadefields, the harsh desert of Arcadia Burn, the bitter cold of Terminus Range, and the sci-fi urban landscape of Dominion. Given the fact that Borderlands 4‘s Mad Ellie DLC takes place in a snowy region, in addition to the map of Kairos found in Arcadia Burn, it seems likely that the expansion’s setting will be linked to Terminus Range.
The Northeastern Section of the Borderlands 4 Map Appears Unused
That’s not the end of the speculation either, as the northeasternmost corner of Borderlands 4‘s map of Kairos is there but currently unused. It’s even possible to put custom pins in that area of the map, even though it can’t be accessed currently. Players can also put custom pins in the unused southeastern corner of the map, which could be linked to future DLC as well, but that region doesn’t have any grayed out land etched into it yet. As such, it seems that Borderlands 4‘s Mad Ellie DLC will most likely be set in a region that acts as an extension of Terminus Range.
The only caveat, perhaps, is that Borderlands 4‘s new Vault Hunter C4SH has a western vibe, suggesting a desert region rather than a snowy region. It could be that C4SH actually comes from a northwestern region linked to Arcadia Burn, but that the area won’t be accessible until a future DLC beyond Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned. However, it could also be that the region northwest of Arcadia Burn is, in fact, snowy, and that would align with the map that was found there — which shows a white region northwest of Arcadia Burn and a green region northeast of Terminus Range. For now, however, it seems like Borderlands 4‘s first DLC has the northeast in its sights.