Gearbox Increases Legendary Item Drop Rates In ‘Borderlands 2,’ ‘Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel’

After a month of testing different drop rates, Gearbox Software is finally updating the drop rates of legendary items in Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. Compared to the first entry of the franchise, the Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel drop rates were abysmal. With the most desirable and specific pieces of loot being found mostly from just one boss or enemy, players were forced to farm bosses to find the perfect gear. This involved getting to the area in which the boss is found, killing it, finding out if the item dropped, and if it didn’t, completely shutting the game down to start the process over.

Although plenty of games have a grind involved, the antiquated process of shutting the entire game down repeatedly until an item drops gets quite demoralizing. The drop rates were frustrating, to say the least, and Gearbox Software wanted to address them. After all, Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel are RPG shooters with a focus on loot. Guns, grenades, and other gear drastically change the way all of the characters play, and getting the right item can make a class really shine.

A few weeks after The Handsome Collection released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Gearbox Software announced that they were “tinkering” with legendary drop rates in both Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. Each week, for five weeks, the developer altered the drop rates in both games, making them better than the normal rate — but at differing values each week. The exact change to drop rate was never revealed during or after the alterations. However, surveys were taken each week.

Today, the developer announced that the drop rates will be permanently increased for Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel across all platforms on which the games appear. The Handsome Collection, of course, will also be affected, considering it is a bundle of the two games put together for new-generation consoles. Players can expect a “3x drop rate increase” to both titles starting today.

“After digging through all the data, we discovered that standard drop rates were perceived as too rare, but that anything over a 3x boost felt like too much – almost to the point where it was starting to take away the challenge and excitement from seeing that beautiful orange glow.”

As the Inquisitr reported, The Handsome Collection is now available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The bundle includes Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, and the entire library of DLC for both games.

Will the permanent drop rate increase influence your decision to play these games?

[Images via PlayStation Blog]