Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has a handful of in-game mechanics that can take a while to get the hang of, and one of them is upgrading your weapons. While party members are strong-willed, that will only get them so far if they don’t have the tools and weapons to help them fight against the Paintress’ forces.
Fortunately, the game will reward you with the right resources to increase the base stats of your weapons. This article will cover important details about the basics of weapon upgrades, such as the necessary items and where you can do it.
Upgrading Weapons in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
To upgrade weapons in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, you must secure a boatload of Chroma Catalysts. These rare resources can be acquired while exploring the world, purchased from merchants or vendors, rewards from optional quests, and after winning a battle. You can check how much you have in your inventory under the ‘Battle Loot’ tab in the menu.
These are all the different variants of Chroma Catalysts and what they can do for your party:
- Chroma Catalyst: Can upgrade weapons to level 3.
- Polished Chroma Catalyst: Can upgrade weapons to level 9.
- Resplendent Chroma Catalyst: Can upgrade weapons to level 19.
- Grandiose Chroma Catalyst: Can upgrade weapons to level 32
- Perfect Chroma Catalyst: Can upgrade weapons to the max level.
Once you have collected enough Chroma Catalysts, your next move is to upgrade your loadout. However, you can’t do it anywhere you please, like how you can’t respec your skills and attribute points beyond the Expedition Flag rest point.
Where Can You Upgrade Your Weapons in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33?
Find the Curator in your camp and select ‘Upgrade Weapons‘, leading you to another menu where you can manually select which item to improve. It is worth noting that there are no do-overs for weapon upgrades, meaning whatever you spent your hard-earned Chroma Catalysts on will be permanent.
Weapon upgrades can make a big difference, especially in a game like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. These long-term investments can give you an edge in future battles and help make your experience much smoother. Enemies will be relentless, and your party will need all the help it can get.
For more Thumb Wars coverage, check out our guide on defeating Eveque in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and figure out how long it would take to beat The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. Otherwise, follow Thumb Wars on X, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram to keep up with the latest news, reviews, and interviews!
Rouvin Josef Quirimit is a Content Writer, an avid gamer (on his PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch), and film enthusiast. He was fortunate to grow up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was enamored by the storytelling of a shared universe full of heart and spectacle. His love for movies led him to great single-player games and he intends to cover major franchises for years to come!
