Should you scrap or sell your weapons in Dead Island 2?

What to do with weapons you don’t need

Dead Island 2 has no shortage of weaponry. That’s a good thing, since you’ll be breaking countless rakes and wrenches as you take on the hoards of zombies in Hell-A. That said, your inventory is limited, so you can’t hold onto your weapons forever. What should you do with equipment that you have no use for?

You have two main choices in Dead Island 2. Like in many games, you can sell most equipment for some cold hard cash. However, Dead Island 2 also gives you the option to scrap weapons at any time to earn extra materials. Between scrapping and selling, which should you choose? The obvious answer is “it depends on what you need.” That said, if you’re aiming to min-max your progression, there are a few extra points you can consider. Let’s go over those.

The best time to scrap weapons in Dead Island 2

Mechanically, one of the biggest differences between selling and scrapping weapons is when you’re capable of performing either action. Selling weapons requires a trader, meaning that you’ll have relatively limited opportunities to sell. Meanwhile, scrapping can be performed any time. Because of this disparity, we recommend you prioritize selling weapons when it’s convenient so you can lean into scrapping when you have no other options. This way, you won’t overflow on materials while lacking in cash.

The condition of your weapon also bears close consideration. If you try to sell a broken weapon, you’ll receive a fraction of what you would receive had the weapon been in good condition. After testing with a Machete found early in the game, it looks like broken weapons are only worth 40% of their total value.

Meanwhile, scrapping doesn’t have as marked of a disparity on this front. After testing the results of scrapping a broken Machete versus one with full durability, I still earned a spread of three materials each time. I received an Adhesive instead of Fabric, but that was the only recorded difference. In other words, it appears condition is less vital when it comes to scrapping.

In short, sell your excess weapons that are still in good condition whenever you have the opportunity. Otherwise, scrap broken weapons when you need to make room in your inventory in a pinch. You may shift these priorities around depending on which resources you need more. Still, as a starting rule of thumb, this approach will help you out.

How to use match level in Dead Island 2

While the above applies to excess or disposable weapons, what about weapons you really like? In these cases, you might want to consider upgrading those with match level instead.

To do this, simply find any workbench that you can. Hover over the applicable weapon, and look at the bottom of your screen for the button to match level. Once this process concludes, your armament will power up to match your current level. Note that this is an expensive procedure. If you try to match level every weapon you can, you’ll quickly run out of resources. Still, for rare weapons that you’d prefer to keep on hand, this is a great option.

In the end, your path through Dead Island 2 is up to you. Make your best judgment calls on whether to scrap, sell, or match level each piece of equipment you find. Good luck traversing the bloody streets of Hell-A.