4 Big Changes Coming to Borderlands 3 You Need to Know About

Alternate Firing Modes

We all know about the endless amount of crazy weapons that the Borderlands series brings to the table – with Borderlands 3 boasting an insane one billion – but one of the most exciting parts about the weapons in the third installment is their alternate firing modes.

Depending on the manufacturer, guns in Borderlands 3 will feature two modes of fire: primary and alternate. So far, we’ve seen a pistol that fires regular bullets for its primary mode and small missiles that detonate upon impact.

Considering how many guns Borderlands 3 is set to feature, there is no telling just how many possible variations we could see. I’ve personally got my fingers crossed for a gun with legs that shoots rocket launchers as a second variant.

No matter the variation though, this change is one of the many that are set to make the gunplay in Borderlands 3 feel more fluid and fun.

Individualized Loot Drops

There are few things more frustrating in a multiplayer game than not receiving the same reward as your teammate, despite putting in an equal amount of effort. In past installments in the series, Borderlands has been notorious for this, as its shared loot system meant it was possible for only one player to get the best item, making it a race to pick it up first.

Borderlands 3 fixes this issue by individualizing its loot drop system. Instead of dropping as one big pile for every player, loot drops for everyone separately, meaning everyone can get that shiny, beautiful item, instead of having to fight for it.

Not only does this eliminate fighting for loot, but it also means that some random can’t simply dive in and steal the item, despite putting in little to no effort toward earning it. If players do like a bit of competition though, they still have the option to play the classic way as well, which can be changed in the settings.

Party Scaling

One of the best things about the Borderlands series is that you can always enjoy the entire campaign with friends, allowing anyone to hop on at any point in the game and start playing. Leveling disparities have caused obvious issues though, sometimes making one character too weak or another overpowered depending upon the situation.

With the introduction of party scaling in Borderlands 3, players can now fight alongside their friends and have the same experiences.

Alongside dealing out and receiving the same amount of damages, each character will also receive the appropriate loot for each respective level thanks to the individualized loot systems.

Just like with the individualized loot drop system, Vault Hunters can choose to deactivate this scaling setting in the options menu if they’d like.

Skill Tree’s Effect on Solo Playthroughs

As a series, Borderlands is tailor-made for friends, or even strangers, to enjoy the game together in a co-op experience. Unique characters that have specific stats, abilities, and roles that play well off one another and plenty of different gun types that deal serious combo damage when used together are just a few examples of why the games are perfect to play with friends.

Not everyone wants to play in a group all the time though. Borderlands 3 understands that solo experiences are just as important as multiplayer ones, which is why they’ve made big changes to the game’s skill tree.

Where previous Borderlands titles provided one unique ability separated into three skill trees, Borderland 3 gives its Vault Hunters an inverse setup. Characters now have three abilities and one trait, with each trait differing from the other Vault Hunters.

Couple this new and improved skill tree with the party scaling feature and players can now venture off onto their own and still go back and play with friends without changing the experience.