Mayhem Collection DLC: Install, Start, and Survive Your First Runs
Joker and Harley are not added to the main Gotham free-roam roster - they live in the DLC story mission and timed Mayhem Mode only. Here is how to get the DLC to appear, the right play order, and how a run actually works.
Core answer: get the DLC to actually appear first, then start the Joker/Harley story, then do not waste your first Mayhem Runs. The number one confusion: Joker and Harley do not join the main Gotham free-roam roster.
1Get the DLC to Show Up
- 1Deluxe Edition owners:
included automatically after the September 18 drop.
- 2Standard Edition owners:
buy the Deluxe Edition Upgrade (~$24.99). It also includes the older Legacy Collection packs. There is no standalone Mayhem-only purchase.
- 3PS5:
Mayhem Mode and Sinister Pack are two separate add-ons. Confirm both are installed in Manage Game Content, then relaunch. Mayhem Mode appears as its own option on the main menu - start it there, not from your hero save.
- 4Xbox:
do a full shutdown and restart, then check Manage game and add-ons. Sleep and Quick Resume leave the DLC invisible.
- 5Still missing?
Fully quit the game (not suspend) → Manage game and add-ons → install anything listed as Ready to Install → full shutdown → boot again.
2Play Order
- 1Start Mayhem Mode / Mayhem Collection from the title menu
- a new DLC flow, not your Batcave save.
- 2Play the Arkham story mission first:
Harleen meets Joker, breakout, going-away party. Completing the breakout is the Maximum Security beat.
- 3After the mission, the hideout unlocks
under the Funhouse at Amusement Mile. That hub is where upgrades, crew, and run planning live.
- 4Then start Mayhem Runs
on locked-down North Island.
3How a Mayhem Run Actually Works
- 1Set objectives at the Planning Table.
You can reroll them - the Part of the Plan achievement is 5 rerolls.
- 2Timer starts.
Smash shops, ATMs, landmarks, and graffiti; steal vehicles; fight A.R.G.U.S. and Task Force X (Deathstroke, Killer Croc, Boomerang, Deadshot, King Shark, Polka-Dot Man).
- 3Get back to Amusement Mile before the clock dies.
Batman and Robin hunt you. Extraction points matter - All Pipes Lead to Home requires using every extraction point.
- 4Studs buy permanent upgrades:
hideout expansions, Joker/Harley outfits (about 30 extra skins), props, and Joker-Mite shop gear.
4Key Hideout Decisions
| Spend studs on | Priority |
|---|---|
| Movement and survival upgrades | First - finish runs instead of timing out |
| Joker-Mite shop equipment | Second - "Well Equipped" needs every piece |
| Hideout expansions | Third - "Base of Operations" for fully expanded |
| Cosmetics | Last, unless you only care about skins (BTAS Harley is a common goal) |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Looking for Joker/Harley in the main character wheel. They are not there.
- Installing only Sinister Pack (suits, Jokermobile, 5 Batcave props) and wondering where the mode is. You need Mayhem Mode too.
- Treating Xbox sleep as a restart. Full power-off.
- Playing Mayhem like Batman - standing in melee trying to takedown. A.R.G.U.S. and Task Force X will cook you.
- Ignoring the return timer and dying with a huge stud pile still on the island.
- Never using extraction points or never rerolling bad Planning Table objectives.
- Thinking Absolute difficulty is DLC-only. Absolute is a free difficulty added to the base game for everyone the same day.
Launch Checklist
- Deluxe or Upgrade purchased
- Mayhem Mode and Sinister Pack both installed
- Xbox: full shutdown if missing
- Start DLC from the main menu
- Finish the Arkham breakout
- Expand hideout, recruit 3, buy first Joker-Mite kit
- Complete 5 successful returns for Absolute Mayhem
- Steal each hero vehicle once (Lost a Wheel)
- Hit Villy Awards when it appears (Villified)