Every Borderlands 3 DLC, Ranked

Image: Gearbox Software, 2K via HGG

Human Made

My name is Gibson Vasela. I am a freelance writer who has been playing video games for almost 20 years now. I play all kinds of games, but I especially love immersive sims and RPGs.

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

The Borderlands games are known for their great DLCs. From The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned to Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep, just about every DLC has knocked it out of the park. The DLCs in Borderlands 3 are no different, and there’s lots of great content to be downloaded and played. In today’s article, we’ll be ranking every Borderlands 3 DLC to determine which are the best.

Let’s get started!

Every Borderlands 3 DLC, Ranked from Good to Best

In case it wasn’t obvious, we’ll only be including DLCs that add a sizeable amount of content to the game. We will not be including any of the cosmetic-focused DLCs, as they don’t offer any new quests and the quality is really based on personal preference.

With that in mind, let’s jump into our ranking!

Director’s Cut

The Director’s Cut was released on April 8, 2021. It adds more quests to complete, a brand-new raid boss, and some brand-new loot for you to collect and use in your build.

The content here is…fine. The raid boss is good. The quests are mostly good, but the one with Ava isn’t that great, in my opinion. You’ll spend a lot of time going back to Sanctuary III, which gets annoying after a while. We also get some “extras” in this DLC (meaning behind-the-scenes content). There are a few scenes with Ava that honestly make her a better character, but they were cut from the game for whatever reason.

If I had to describe this DLC in one word, it would be “overpriced.” The new raid boss is good and it’s nice to get some new quests to complete, but the content overall doesn’t justify a $15 price tag.

Designer’s Cut

The Designer’s Cut fares a little better. It was first released on November 9, 2020. This DLC adds various new content, including a new game mode, four new skill trees, and brand-new cosmetic options.

The first new thing added is a new game mode called Arms Race. This is basically a battle royale-type game mode, which sounds on paper like a great fit for a Borderlands game. However, it’s very heavily RNG-based, which can make a lot of matches feel frustrating when you don’t get good loot. The best addition by far is the new skill trees (one per character), as they give you a lot more freedom in how you shape your build. While it’s disappointing that we didn’t get a new character, it’s still a good way to get some replayability for new game Plus.

As for whether or not this DLC is worth getting, I recommend waiting for a sale, as the Designer’s Cut is definitely not worth it at full price. There’s more content here than in the Director’s Cut, but it’s still pretty overpriced. Many players dislike this DLC because they feel a lot of the content should have been in the base game at launch, or at least released later as a free update.

Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck

This expansion was released on September 10, 2020. It sees our Vault Hunters dive into the mind of Krieg, whom you may recognize as a playable character from Borderlands 2. You’ll need to fight through his deranged mind to find the mythical Vaulthalla.

The DLC is a pretty wild ride from start to finish. The only problem is that it’s a very, very short ride. I was about to finish it in a little over three hours, and some players were able to do it in a little over two. It’s a shame, as this is a fantastic idea that just didn’t receive the treatment it deserved. The main questline was fun and interesting, and it was great to see Krieg again. As for the side content, well, that was all pretty boring and underdeveloped. Overall, this is yet another DLC that I cannot recommend at full price. Even at a discount, I’m still iffy about recommending it.

Guns, Love, and Tentacles

Guns, Love, and Tentacles was released on March 26, 2020. In this DLC, Sir Hammerlock and Wainwright Jakobs are tying the not, and they’ve invited you to their engagement party! You and your fellow Vault Hunters will travel to the frozen world of Xylourgos, where you will need to fight off new and dangerous enemies while interacting with several familiar faces. The most notable of which is none other than Gaige from Borderlands 2!

I really like the environments in this DLC. There is also a Lovecraftian motif that I think is really cool and adds to the atmosphere. You can complete the DLC in anywhere from 5–11 hours. That’s fairly short, but I’d say it’s worth buying if you’re able to grab it when it goes on sale.

Bounty of Blood

Bounty of Blood was released on June 25, 2020. It sees you heading to the world of Gehenna, a wild and chaotic place full of outlaws and mercenaries. This is a pretty cool DLC with a big Wild West theme, so you’ll probably like this expansion if you’re a fan of the genre. Bounty of Blood also has some cool new weapons and loot for you to get your hands on, which is an obvious staple for Borderlands.

However, this DLC still suffers from the same issue as many of the others — it’s a little short. You can complete it in 5–10 hours, depending on how much time you spend with side content. It’s a solid DLC overall, but I still recommend waiting for it to go on sale before making a purchase.

Moxxi’s Heist of the Handsome Jackpot

Last (but most certainly not least) on our ranking of every Borderlands 3 DLC is Moxxi’s Heist of the Handsome Jackpot! This DLC was released on March 13, 2020. The story sees Moxxi putting together a crew to pull off a high-stakes heist: a casino space station that is ripe for the taking. You’ll encounter new enemies and new weapons as you battle your way through Hyperion forces while learning some interesting lore about Handsome Jack and the Hyperion corporation.

This is my personal favorite DLC in the game. It features a really cool new location to explore, plus tons of great characters for you to interact with. I especially like the main villain of this DLC. I thought he was better than the Calypso twins by far (although, to be fair, that is a pretty low bar). You can complete it in anywhere from 6–11 hours, so it’s slightly longer than the two previous DLCs on our list. Considering how high quality the DLC is, I recommend buying it at full price if you really want it.

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We hope that you enjoyed reading this article discussing our ranking of every Borderlands 3 DLC! What are your thoughts on this list? Did you enjoy it? Be sure to let us know down in the comments, and make sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more regular content on your favorite games.

Happy gaming!