How to upgrade weapons in Final Fantasy XVI (FF16)

Upgrades? We’ve got upgrades

One of the key parts of any Final Fantasy game is leveling up your weapons and armor, and that’s still the case in Final Fantasy XVI. So, let’s dig into everything you need to know to craft and upgrade your weapons and armor.

How to upgrade weapons and armor in Final Fantasy XVI

There are two main ways to upgrade your weapons and armor in Final Fantasy XVI. You can craft entirely new ones, or you can reinforce (upgrade) what you already have.

To craft a new piece of armor or a new weapon, you need to have found the blueprint for it. When you have the blueprint, you take it to the blacksmith in the hideaway. The hideaway base is unlocked a few hours into the game after you first meet Cid. As you progress through the story, you will find new weapon and armor blueprints. It’s worth heading back to the hideaway every so often to see if you’ve found any good ones that you can buy.

At the blacksmith, you will be able to see the benefits of the new weapons or armor that you can craft, so you can see how big of an upgrade they are over what you currently have. If you like what you see, and, most importantly, if you have the materials that are required, you can ask the blacksmith to craft the weapon or armor piece for you.

However, if you like the items you have, you can also choose to upgrade them so they are more powerful. This option is called “reinforce” in the Blacksmith menu. You can tab over to it by pressing “R2” from the craft screen.

Here, you will see all of the weapons and armor pieces that can be upgraded, and when you highlight each one, you will be shown how much of a benefit the upgrade will add. You’ll notice that some, like the one in the screenshot above, don’t provide any benefit over the already equipped gear, so make sure you choose wisely.

Just like crafting, you will need to have all of the materials to receive the upgrade. These materials can be found naturally in Valisthea, though some are tied to quests or side activities. The blacksmith will regularly have new upgrades to offer, so it’s up to you how often you decide to spend the materials that you have on upgrades.

For some weapons in Final Fantasy XVI, you might have to wait significantly longer to unlock upgrades. So don’t go selling a favorite weapon just because you have something better, because you might be able to upgrade it later.

Now that you have all of the most powerful gear you can wield, go out into Valisthea and kick some butt!

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