When should you upgrade your equipment in Diablo 4?

You'll keep coming across newer pieces of equipment as you play Diablo 4. However, after a certain point in the game, the new equipment you receive won't be better than the ones you already have. Thankfully, the game has a process that allows you to upgrade items, provided you have the required materials.

Upgrading your equipment will also cost a considerable amount of gold, but in the later stages of the game, acquiring gold will be the least of your worries. Here's everything you need to know about when and how to upgrade your equipment in Diablo 4.

Note: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.

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How to upgrade equipment in Diablo 4

To upgrade your equipment in the game, all you need to do is go to any major town in the Sanctuary. Almost every town on the map has a Blacksmith, and when you're at the Blacksmith, you will be presented with three options:

• The first page will allow you to salvage any unwanted equipment. Salvaging gear will yield crafting components you can use later to upgrade items.
• The second page will allow you to repair broken or damaged pieces of gear.
• The third page is where you can select and upgrade your gear.

It is important to note that the Blacksmith can only upgrade your weapons and armor pieces in Diablo 4. If you want to upgrade your rings and amulets, you must visit the Rings and Amulets vendor in the game.

When it comes to upgrading your equipment, you should refrain from doing so while you're making your way through the story. Over the course of the entire Diablo 4 campaign, every piece of gear you receive will be an improvement over the ones you have, so upgrading here is pointless. Not only is the difficulty fairly easy, but you also don't really have to worry about your builds, at least during the story missions.

Progressing through the initial stages of the game and reaching World Tier 3 marks a significant turning point where your build truly begins to take form. Not only that, once you've hit level 52, your gear drops will be standard, but most of the drops that you'll be receiving won't be better than the gear that you've equipped.

This is when you should start considering gear upgrades in Diablo 4. By now, you should have stocked up on many crafting materials if you've salvaged unwanted gear instead of selling them. If you haven't done so, you'll have to seek out what you're missing and farm for those items.

Also, while upgrading weapons, consider the affixes that the weapon has along with its Item Power. If it's something that will help your character, only then should you upgrade it. If it has some random affixes, then you should hold out on upgrading that item until you get your hands on better pieces of gear with better affixes. During the higher levels in Diablo 4, upgrading a piece of gear can be costly, so it's best if you do it to items worth investing in.