Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode

Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode (UVHM), is a challenging new difficulty level following True Vault Hunter Mode.

Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode

Game Mode Details

"Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode is unlocked for a character once they have completed the main story missions in True Vault Hunter Mode and reached level 50. Unlike other playthroughs, Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode can be replayed multiple times with players able to reset their overall mission progress at any time from the Main Menu. No more tutorial missions -- characters in Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode begin in Southern Shelf with the Cleaning Up the Berg mission. While playing in Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode, enemies and bosses will scale according to the player's current level or, if playing with others, the highest-level player in that party." -Gearbox

Pearlescents are also available and have reported to be dropped from Legendary Loot Midgets with a 0.5%-1% drop rate similar to legendaries. Pearlescents are only available above level 50, 51-61.

Bosses have an increased Legendary drop rate and chests have a better chance of containing rare loot.

Gameplay

• Enemy health generally increased 4x.
• Non-boss enemies now have a small amount of health regeneration, although still much smaller than most damage over time.
• Increased duration of slag damage multiplier effect.
• Increased the damage that slagged enemies take from non-slag attacks from 2x to 3x.
• Slag on slag damage increased 50%.
• Weapon swap speed increased to better facilitate slag use.
• Enemies are now more likely to drop ammo, as a compensation to increased health.
• Enemies now have a higher drop rate of high quality items. Bosses have higher chance to drop their corresponding legendary and unique items.
• Loot Midgets are now "Legendary Loot Midgets" that have increased drop rates of Legendary items and other top-tier gear.
• Pearlescent weapons are available.
• Hyperius, Master Gee, Pete, Voracidous the Invincible, and Ancient Dragons of Destruction only drop Seraph Crystals in Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode.
• Increased the likelihood of certain Seraph weapons to drop from raid bosses as they are no longer sold in vendors.
• Enemy levels are automatically scaled above the character of the highest level, along with their health, attack, and loot level. Normal enemies will be the same level while greater enemies will be two levels higher. The change of level happens when characters gain a level or join/leave a game.
  • An enemy who is already engaged may not scale their level when level changing occurs.
• Gameplay progress, including all missions, can be reset in game mode selecting screen.
• Hosts with Ultimate Vault Hunter Pack but not Ultimate Vault Hunter Pack 2 will have their enemies capped at level 61, regardless of guests' levels.

Overpower Mode

• With Ultimate Vault Hunter Pack 2, players can now select the desired Overpower Mode when entering the game if they have unlocked any. Overpower Mode increases enemy and loot levels, along with their health and damage.
• Overpower level is unlocked by finishing the gauntlet in Digistruct Peak in Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode at level 72 or Overpower Mode.
  • Finishing at level 72 to overpower level 7 unlocks the overpower level 1 level above the level gauntlet is run, providing the participants have reached the overpower level of the gauntlet.
  • Finishing at overpower level 8 unlocks overpower level by 1 level above the participants' current overpower level, providing they have reached level 72 but not overpower level 8.
• Overpower Mode is fixed on the host's choice. Players can still use items with higher Overpower level than the current game, making the game considerably easier.
• Mission rewards are based on the current Overpower level when turned in, but capped at the Overpower level of the mission taken, while floored at level 72. High level mission rewards can still be acquired easily by accepting mission at higher Overpower level, finish objectives at lower Overpower level, then turn in at the desired Overpower level. This does not work on missions that can fail.
• Vault Hunters are still considered at level 72, therefore will deal lower damage and take more damage when fighting high level enemies. Elemental effects inflicted by Vault Hunters will also last shorter.
  • Sabre Turret and Deathtrap will still scale up by the corresponding levels.
  • Vault Hunters' melee damage will scale up with Overpower level, but will still receive penalty when attacking enemies.

Notes

• While Gearbox says that a character needs to be level 50 to start, it is only necessary to complete the main story missions of True Vault Hunter Mode.
• Once the Vault Hunter unlocks UVHM but continues in TVHM, players have found that enemies can be around 2 levels higher than the Vault Hunter even though the mission level is lower or "trivial". This makes cleanup on uncompleted side missions much tougher.
• When the Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack is installed while at level 50, the amount of XP rewarded in TVHM is greatly reduced. However, this is much more than the actual amount earned while capped at level 50 (which is 0).
• As Slag effect is strengthened, players are encouraged to use slag on enemies to boost damage, while damage over time from fire, electrocution, and corrosion are weakened due to enemies' health regeneration.
• The Bee is an optional choice; while it allows Vault Hunters to kill enemies easier even without using Slag, its low capacity and long recharge delay make them extremely vulnerable once they take damage. It is possible, although difficult, for a Vault Hunter to get to level 61 with level 50 The Bee and other weapons.
• This mode greatly encourages players to play co-operatively, due to the increased attack and health on enemies, as well as the slag effect. A single player can slag an enemy to let the entire team deal bonus damage.