Borderlands 3 is all about the loot hunt, and even after you’ve finished the main campaign and all the released DLC, you can still keep searching for better gear. That post-game content is driven largely by Mayhem mode, which lets you up the difficulty for better loot rolls. Gearbox has been teasing some revisions with “Mayhem 2.0,” and with that update just around the corner the studio has explained what we can expect.
The update is coming on April 23 and adds a number of modifiers to the various Mayhem levels. Those modifiers are rated by difficulty level, from Easy to Very Hard. Easy modifiers might actually make the game easier by adding wacky effects like big heads on enemies or dramatically increased weapon damage paired with increased recoil. Medium modifiers make things more challenging, like requiring you to be constantly on the move or suffer chip-damage. A Hard modifier might spawn healing drones for your enemies.
Those modifiers are selected at random when you turn on Mayhem mode, but they’ll be matched to your Mayhem level according to a formula. If you select Mayhem Level 1, for example, you’ll always get one Easy modifier. If you select Mayhem 2, you’ll get one easy and one medium modifier. By the time you reach Mayhem Level 10, you’ll get one of each. Gearbox shared a table that shows the modifiers by difficulty level, included below.
In addition to the modifiers, enemy health, shield, and armor stats will increase with each Mayhem level, and you’ll find better and better loot. There will also be eight new Legendary weapons you can only find by playing specific bosses on Mayhem level 6 or higher.
Finally, the update comes with a quality-of-life change. You’ll be able to access your Mayhem level from your regular ECHO device menu, rather than having to go back to Sanctuary.
| Mayhem Level | Modifier 1 | Modifier 2 | Modifier 3 | Modifier 4 |
| 1 | EASY | |||
| 2 | EASY | MEDIUM | ||
| 3 | EASY | MEDIUM | MEDIUM | |
| 4 | EASY | HARD | ||
| 5 | EASY | MEDIUM | HARD | |
| 6 | EASY | MEDIUM | MEDIUM | HARD |
| 7 | EASY | HARD | HARD | |
| 8 | EASY | VERY HARD | ||
| 9 | EASY | MEDIUM | VERY HARD | |
| 10 | EASY | MEDIUM | HARD | VERY HARD |
The April 23 update that adds the Mayhem revisions will also include the Revenge of the Cartels event. Two currently ongoing live events add more loot drops and increase cash. And all of this is in addition to the regular stream of DLC expansions, the latest of which was the Lovecraft-themed Guns, Love, And Tentacles.
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