Borderlands zombie DLC announced

By Robert Purchese Published 16 October, 2009

Beefy expansion has Halloween theme.

2K Games has revealed the first batch of Borderlands DLC called The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned.

It'll cost $10 or 800 Microsoft Points (£6.80/€9.60) and will be available on all three formats (PC, PS3, 360) "later this year" - around Halloween may be a good estimation.

Dr. Ned appears to be a meaty addition; there are new quests, enemies, locations, and loot drops. The story involves helping the aforementioned doctor cure the inhabitants of Jakobs Cove, trouncing Ned's out-of-control abominations and zombies along the way.

We've cobbled together a trio of screenshots of the content for our Borderlands gallery.

Borderlands launches next Friday, 23rd October. It looks hot. The gamepages below are stuffed with coverage.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (32) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • cianchristopher #1 2 years ago

    Uh, the game's coming out on the 23rd! And they're releasing DLC on the 30th?

    Wow!

  • metalangel #2 2 years ago

    "We definitely didn't hold this back from the retail release," said Gearbox president Rowdy Pitchfork. "Fuck off," he added.

  • beastmaster #3 2 years ago

    If it's one of those downloads which unlock what's already on the disc, frankly I'll just go nuts!

  • glo #4 2 years ago

    A new low... Paid DLC announced before the game is even released. Even though I am interested in the game this really depresses me and almost puts me off giving gearbox my money.

  • metalangel #5 2 years ago

    I'll still get this, just because Lillith looks like a ginger, tattooed Sophie Ellis-Bumsexx0r.

  • cianchristopher #6 2 years ago

    I was looking for an excuse to cross this off my wish list (nothing personally against the game, but I can't afford everything I want) - this kind of shit might have just given it to me!

    Of course, if the reviews are ecstatic, then I may be persuaded!

    But Gearbox? I guess they'll have to really pull one out to get ecstatic reviews!

    I'm starting to think it'll get a 7 or an 8 (with a Metacritic around 80-85)....

  • ChthonicEcho #7 2 years ago

    So, ZuluHero. If you're reading this, how about for another DLC-related squabble?

  • ZuluHero #8 2 years ago

    I knew you'd say that :)

  • kinky_mong #9 2 years ago

    Hmmm, timing could have been a bit better to not incur the wrath of messageboard warriors.

  • Apostle #10 2 years ago

    Hmm, surely this should be free with a code in the game box or something? Another game that I will wait to see what the feedback is like in the forums I think.

  • bodypopper #11 2 years ago

    If a band releases an album, then puts more songs from the same sessions, demos, remixes etc out afterwards, is that generally considered a rip off too?

  • metalangel #12 2 years ago

    If the remixes and such were ready before the album's release and there was space on the CD, then yes.

  • beastmaster #13 2 years ago

    An 8 is fine by me. I love my FPS and this has got my interest. But not an insta-buy regardless of reviews.

  • PlugMonkey #14 2 years ago

    Hmm, surely this should be free with a code in the game box or something?

    I would say that would entirely depend on whether the budget to create this content was only released by the publishers to the developers based on the projected DLC revenue. No revenue, no budget, no content.

    But then, this is an internet forum, so I doubt the actualities of real world business practice are going to wash with many people. ;)

    /raises industrial strength flame shield.

  • muscleblade #15 2 years ago

    "I'm starting to think it'll get a 7 or an 8 (with a Metacritic around 80-85)...."

    I hope youre right since i dont have enough time for all the games coming up. From what ive heard from a friend thats a reviewer this game is GOTY candidate. 10/10 no doubt form him but thats only one mans opinion. He gave Brutal Legend a 7/10, ODST 8/10, Batman AA 9/10 and Uncharted2 9/10. Im afraid hes right as i can agree on those scores exept that ODST is a 9/10 for me.

  • Gunzberg #16 2 years ago

    Am beginning to hate Mr conceited, know it all, rape gamers Pitchfork....here's a smart idea...how about delaying the game 1-2 weeks and including all the made up DLC which we all know is just stuff you didn't finish in time for the game and decided to charge back to the gamer....Why should gamers PAY for Gearbox not finishing the entire game in time ? DLC my ass

  • ZuluHero #17 2 years ago

    I don't know why gamers assume that DLC on day 1 (or soon after) means content cut from the main game...

    :S

  • PlugMonkey #18 2 years ago

    here's a smart idea...how about delaying the game 1-2 weeks and including all the made up DLC

    What, two months before christmas (and assuming you can get the budget to do it at all) you want to delay your game, miss your gold date, miss your Sony/MS submission window, miss your manufacturing window, miss your distribution window and miss your marketing window? You're right! That is a smart idea!

    Also, to include the DLC that you are planning to release one to two weeks after release, you would have to delay your game by more than one to two weeks. It takes longer to get your boxed product submitted, manufactured and distrubuted than it takes to get your DLC submitted and uploaded onto a server. The main game would have been all wrapped up weeks ago, the DLC could still be being worked on now.

    Anything else I can help you with?

  • Raiftel #19 2 years ago

    It’s most likely not code already on the disc, it’s content they would have been working on for the last few months whilst the main game was going through verification. This sounds like a perfect example of DLC to me, a supplementary mission with new areas, new critters and a new storyline which would possibly feel a bit ‘off’ if it was included as part of the main game. A similar situation would be Point Lookout in Fallout 3. If that was part of the maingame it would have seemed like a very odd diversion from the main game, as DLC it worked as its own enclosed little thing. If this DLC is different in tone or takes away from the general thrust of the main game I’m all for it being DLC.

  • metalangel #20 2 years ago

    A game with a patch announced on launch day = shoddy dev. A game with paid DLC announced on launch day = greedy dev.

  • Raiftel #21 2 years ago

    I’m really getting sick and tired of the use of the term greedy to describe business practice. Not only is it innately childish, but it also suggests that the poster has no understanding of how the world works at all.

  • RedPanda #22 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • andywilkie35 #23 2 years ago

    Zombie this, zombie that, fack off just give me my game

  • metalangel #24 2 years ago

    Raiftel: You're not even slightly galled that you're going to pay £34.99 for an entire brand new game... and as soon as it's out there's a handful of levels and weapons for £7.50? Is there really going to be a QUARTER of the full game's content again in this new DLC, because it's certainly just under a quarter of the price!

    The whole thing reminds me of a test a biking magazine did. A new Fireblade costs £9000, but if you were to build one by ordering the individual parts from suppliers and then assembling, it ended up costing you almost three times as much. That's what these game companies are trying to do - sell you a product with parts chopped out, and then charge you over the odds to add those parts back in.

  • BlackKraken #25 2 years ago

    The next DLC after that will be Nazis. And then Robots.

    Then Ninjas, possibly Pirates.

    Originality is alive and well.

  • ZuluHero #26 2 years ago

    @metalangel

    Well the DLC is £6.80, so thats about a fifth of £35. Seeing as the main game can be finished in about 10 hours, as long is there is 2 hours worth of content that would price it just about right, no? ;)

  • JusticeMoses #27 2 years ago

    The way I see this piece of DLC is that would an island full of zombies really fit into the main game out of the box? Borderlands is, after all, a Sci-Fi Western in setting so would suddenly stumbling across a load of zombies fit? It would look very incongruous in terms of marketing "we're set in a desert borderland mad max style BUT there is a place full of zombies", it wouldn't work. Releasing it as DLC makes sense - seperating it from the main game. Feel free to argue about price though but I for one am happier giving money to Gearbox than most developers.
    Edited by 1 at 17/10/09 @ 00:17

  • RobotRocker #28 2 years ago

    I'm starting to think that I MAED A GAM3 W1TH ZOMBIES 1N IT!!!1 was less a funny little indie games diversion and more a prophetic warning to the over saturation of the concept.

    /I MAED A DLC W1TH ZOMBIES 1N IT!!!1 AND CHARG3D AN0TH3R 10 BUX F0R 1T!!111

  • Nephirion #29 2 years ago

    So soon?

  • timberwolf #30 2 years ago

    f**k you gearbox.

  • YourMessageHere #31 2 years ago

    Isn't it better that they announce the DLC in advance so prospective purchasers will know it is in the pipeline and therefore may adjust their buying choice? Dare say some people might buy that wouldn't otherwise if they know the game will be supported later. I don't think much of their timing but I see nothing wrong with the idea of announcing it.

  • turkeyblaster5000 #32 2 years ago

    to all you fuckin turd nuggets. ohh noooooooo more zombiessss! why is everyone bitching. zombies are awesome. did anyone ever think that the sole reason this dlc is being released so soon is cause of fuckin halloween!?! cause thats why, you fuck holes. and i for one am gonna buy the shit out of it. for you cock squeezes who arnt gonna get it, i hope you enjoy your sad existence of a life.
    Edited by 1 at 23/10/09 @ 16:22