How to get the best Level 9 weapons and gear in Dying Light 2

Update: As of Patch 1.2 it appears that loot no longer respawns from airdrops, thus making them a one and done affair. As such, the other methods described here are currently the only reliable method to farm max level gear, and you'll need to be level 9 in order to make use of them.

Currently, Level 9 is the highest level your character can reach in Dying Light 2, and as you climb through the ranks the gear you're using will need to level up with you. But it's not just as simple as picking up Level 9 gear from random world drops or enemies.

The best loot in the game and the items you're shooting for are Level 9 artifact weapons and gear pieces, and while RNG will always come into play you can help yourself out and narrow your odds by hunting in the right places.

The best part is that you don't even need to be Level 9 to get your hands on Level 9 gear. But the lower level you are the harder it may be. There are some mild spoilers ahead for the epilogue (final two missions) so if you'd rather avoid those, then come back after you finish the campaign. Here's how to get some of the best weapons in one of the best Xbox games of 2022.

Getting Level 9 gear and weapons from the sunken airdrops

During the first part of the Dying Light 2 epilogue, you head to the Renegades stronghold at the dam and end up in a confrontation with Colonel Williams. Here you'll make a choice and depending on which you go with, the Sunken City will either remain underwater or will be drained and emerge as another district you can explore on foot.

This area is home to the sunken airdrops, similar to the military airdrops except not on the top of tall buildings. Whether the water drains away or not these airdrops are here, but how easy they are to spot and open will change depending on which choice you made earlier with Williams.

As they're fairly deep underwater, unlocking them will require enough stamina to dive down, complete the lock pick, claim the loot, and surface. As such, doing this earlier in the game might be quite difficult, especially the ones we're focusing on here. But it can be done as soon as you unlock the Central Loop map.

There are 12 sunken airdrops, and you can locate them using the map above. All 12 will give you some great loot, and before you reach Level 9 most will award you gear above your current level.

It's the three uppermost left-hand chests, though, that you want to pay particular attention to. These give the best loot of all the chests, and you'll notice the first time you unlock them they're of the "very hard" locks. Hence why you need plenty of stamina (and a lot of lockpicks) if you're opening these underwater. These three chests are where you'll find Level 9 weapons and gear pieces. The good news is that you only have to pick the locks once.

From patch 1.2 onwards these chests no longer seem to respawn loot, so once they're opened, they're done. Previously you could revisit every 30 minutes. It's unclear if this will revert following player feedback considering there are so few ways to earn max-level weapons and gear without them, but for now, that's all she wrote.

The Sunken City isn't a total bust, though. The GRE crates in the area (the ones you get inhibitors from) do still respawn loot after they've been opened.

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Specifically, you want to hit the one pictured above, as it'll guarantee you a piece of level 9 loot. It's extremely easy to hit, as well. Simply head to the location marked, and if your city is still underwater just jump in at that point and sink to the bottom.

The chest is right there on the corner of the submerged building. If you drained the water you'll be able to see it from the bridge.

Legendary world events

Once you complete the campaign, endgame activities that you can also earn Level 9 gear from are legendary world events. These could involve taking down a tough infected or a team of Renegades, and you'll know they're the right ones as they'll be identified by an orange marker on your HUD and map.

If you're at Level 9 then these should always drop Level 9 rewards upon completion. If you're not, they're still worth doing as you'll get rewards that drop at your level. And they're also a decent way to earn combat XP quickly which will contribute towards hitting Level 9.

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The Renegade encounter will have a loot chest to open when you've defeated the bad guys, and it'll be of the "very hard" type. So have plenty of lockpicks.

There are a number of places these encounters will occur, but for the infected ones, you'll need to be hunting at night.

Vendors

You can sell just about everything in Dying Light 2, so it's never a bad idea to pick up a piece of loot if you have room in your inventory for it. The higher the level and quality the more it's worth.

There are plenty of ways you can earn Old World Money, and you'll want it when you hit Level 9 so you can go shopping at the vendors. These are all over the map, and when you hit the max level they'll sell you equivalent gear. Sometimes it won't be that good, other times it could be just what you've been looking for.

There are plenty of ways to earn cash besides selling your unwanted gear and valuables. One fairly easy way to boost your wallet is dispensing with Peacekeepers. They've usually got a decent amount of coins on them, and killing them doesn't affect your affiliation (if you chose to side with the PK) so you might as well get some easy money.

For the best items, the vendor at the Fish Eye Canteen seems to be the one to visit. After patch 1.2, vendors now sell high-level bows as well, including the Composite and the most powerful bow in the game, the Yardstick.

Level 9 weapons and gear aren't easy to get, which is fair since it's the best in the game. The sunken airdrops are the first place to go without question since you can start getting this gear before you get to Level 9, but overall getting max level gear is harder now than ever before. Once you get there you have a few more avenues to explore to acquire that sweet, sweet loot.