With developer Gearbox Software boasting that its latest looter-shooter features an incredible 1 billion+ guns, it’s understandable that not all firearms are created equal. Not even close to equal, in fact. As a result of this, numerous Borderlands 3 eBay listings are cropping up online that promise in-game Legendary items like weapons and skins for a small fee.
With prices ranging from $3 to more than $10, some Vault Hunters are seeking riches outside of the 2K-published game by farming Legendary loot drops and then listing them for sale on the popular auction website. Players that want to skip the grind or just eliminate luck from the equation can then opt to purchase these items — and they are, as indicated by the sales statistics on some listings — provided that they’re playing on the same platform as that which the item originates from. PS4 loot is incompatible with Xbox One versions of the game, for example.
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After screenshotting items to display their stats and subsequently listing them, eBay sellers will ask for the Gamertag or PSN ID of the successful bidder and then send their item via Borderlands 3‘s in-game mailing system. In a way, the entrepreneurial nature of implementing what’s essentially an unofficial “time saver” microtransaction, akin to those that some developers intentionally feature in their games, could be seen as admirable.
It’s unclear whether eBay can effectively police the successful delivery of purchased items due to the unique in-game circumstances, and players engaging in the behavior are also likely to find themselves in breach of the user agreement that must be accepted in order to play the game in the first place. Because of this, we’d recommend avoiding the practice as it definitely occupies a legal grey area.
With 2K Games sending private investigators to the home of YouTuber SupMatto for leaking information about the game before launch, it’s clear that the Borderlands publisher doesn’t take what might be interpreted as questionable behavior from fans lightly.
