History Main / EquipmentUpgrade

* In ''VideoGame/WaywardSouls'', you can get upgrades by using emberforges found on levels

* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry2'': Instead of spending Red Orbs to purchase specific skills for your weapons just like how it does in the [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry1 first game]], you spend Red Orbs to directly upgrade your weapon's damage in this game, and each weapon's level is denoted by a number below it if it's not yet maxed out.
* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'': Red Orbs are spent to directly upgrade Dante's guns, up to a maximum of Level 3. The upgrade's effect varies depending on the weapon; for example, Ebony & Ivory's upgrades increase its firepower, upgrading Artemis increases the maximum number of locked-on targets, while Kalina Ann's upgrades increase its firing speed.

* ''Videogame/Jak3Wastelander'' had a menu where you could buy some extra upgrades for your weapon, such as increased ammo capacity, increased damage, lower ammo consumption per shot etc.

[[folder: Action/Adventure]]

* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' sees the Masamune upgraded from the SwordOfPlotAdvancement to Frog's InfinityPlusOneSword when it's full potential is unlocked towards the end.

** EarlyInstallmentWeirdness is in full effect in ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2002'', so the only way to upgrade your weapons here is to find 4 (out of 40) Gold Bolts, have handful of cash, then find a place where these upgrades are hidden. Only 10 weapons out of 15 could be upgraded this way, and 5 of them only during NewGamePlus. The upgrade usually added some useful secondary effects to the weapon, such as splitting arcs for [[LightningGun Tesla Claw]] or increased capacity for [[WeaponsThatSuck ammo capacity]].

Compare ItemCrafting and JustAddWater (which involve ''creating'' equipment, although either or both of the two can overlap or co-exist if lesser equipment is used as an "ingredient"). Temporary upgrades overlap with PowerUp. If the equipments' models change, you can expect that ElaborateEqualsEffective. For upgrading your character via equipment, see EquipmentBasedProgression.

* In ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonorVanguard'', the player can find 50 round magazines for the [=M1928A1=] Thompson and a scope for the M1 Garand, which converts it into an [[{{Sniper Rifle}} M1D Garand]].
** ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonorAirborne'' takes this UpToEleven, with virtually ''every weapon'' in-game getting an upgrade, such as the Thompson going from a wartime production version to the gangster version, or the M1 Garand getting a Rifle grenade launcher in addition to adjustable sights and improved firing rate.

%% Image selected via crowner in the Image Suggestion thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner.php/ImagePickin/ImageSuggestions67
%% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Bastion}}'', weapon upgrades can be bought after finding the right amount of the relevant collectable for that weapon (which follow a "Something [adjective]" naming pattern). Each weapon has five stages with two upgrades that the player can switch between after unlocking that stage.
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' often has sidequests where equipment can be upgraded, the best examples being ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds A Link Between Worlds]]'', which both have multiple upgrade sidequests for the sword (after the Master Sword is picked up it can be sharpened and tempered) and fairies who upgrade other equipment. ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]'' includes an ItemCrafting shop where nearly every secondary weapon and item can be improved using {{Random Drop}}s from enemies, and improving the Goddess Sword into the famous Master Sword is a large portion of the quest. Of course, every step along that pathway [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration also improves damage dealt]]. ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' lets you upgrade your armor at Great Fairy Fountains provided you have the right materials.

* TheEngineer class in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' is based around placing and upgrading various buildings to support their team (most notably the sentry gun; an automated gun which goes from a knee-high machine gun to a dual minigun/rocket launcher platform).
** In the Mann vs. Machine game mode, the robots drop money that the players can spend to improve their weapons, increasing attributes such as fire rate and damage, or adding new attributes such as bullets that pierce through enemies.
* In ''Videogame/UnrealI'', the very first weapon acquired in single-player mode is an [[RangedEmergencyWeapon energy pistol with constant ammo regeneration]]. It can be permanently upgraded several times with missable power-ups, its projectiles changing colour and becoming more damaging at the cost of a slower rate of fire and ammo regeneration. Still, that gun is so weak that in multiplayer, players wield a different pistol by default.

* ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'' uses this as the basis for crafting Legendary weapons. A "precursor" weapon must be located and then combined with three immensely expensive items in the Mystic Forge to generate the Legendary.

* In ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'', all items (even consumables) can be upgraded by going inside their "item world" and clearing levels of it (as well as rescuing "innocents" - {{NPC}}s which raise the items' stats).

* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', rather than changing armor, your party members merely improve on the stats provided by their outfits by picking up upgrade components.
* In ''VideoGame/EternalEden'' Fierro's nun-chucks are improved by upgrading them with Bravestones.
* In ''Videogame/MonsterHunter'', weapon upgrades become available once you've unlocked the relevant tier and own at least one required material.
* ''Videogame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'''s "meld" system fits the trope in spirit by allowing more powerful abilities and moves to be created by combining other moves with each other.

* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' sees the Masamune upgraded from the SwordOfPlotAdvancement to Frog's InfinityPlusOneSword when it's full potential is unlocked towards the end.
* ''Videogame/DungeonCrawl'' features scrolls of enchant weapon and enchant armour, which improve the item's attacking or defensive capabilities respectively, scroll of vorpalise weapon to make a temporary brand (flaming, freezing, etc.) permanent, and The Shining One and Kikubaaqudgha will permanently brand one weapon with holy wrath and pain respectively at the highest piety level.
* In addition to scrolls, which work similarly to the previous entry, ''VideoGame/AncientDomainsOfMystery'' allows the player to upgrade weapons and armour through the use of Smithing skill. Heavily smithed items can sometimes surpass artifacts in their efficiency.
* ''Videogame/PathOfExile'' utilizes both this trope (in terms of either directly increasing basic offensive or defensive stats or granting random magical properties) and SocketedEquipment to almost infinite upgrade possibilities. A more direct example is Fated unique items, which requires the player to kill the unique boss the [[SelfFulfillingProphecy Prophecy]] says you will do with the requires item in your inventory.

* ''VideoGame/{{Aveyond}} 4: Shadow of the Mist'' applies this for Boyle's staff and Phye's sword.
** Boyle can increase the magical capacity of his Corrupted Will by trading in Darkness points obtained from collecting Cheekis.
** Phye's Warmonger grows stronger when it absorbs the blood of demons.

* ''VideoGame/DinoCrisis'' gives you three weapons -- a handgun, a shotgun, and a grenade launcher -- and each of them has two enhancements, usually boosting their damage output and rate of fire.

* Lasers are powerful weapons in the ''Series/AirWolf'' and are one of the few things capable of harming the mighty prototype attack copter. So in Season 4, the Airwolf gets a laser weapon added to it.

* ''VideoGame/EternalRadiance'': The enchanter shops can be used to make scrolls, which can be used to apply bonus stats and effects on equipment. The shop can also remove enchancements from equipment to allow new ones to be applied, or convert the removed enhancements back into scroll form.

* ''Videogame/PathOfExile'' utilizes both this trope (in terms of either directly increasing basic offensive or defensive stats or granting random magical properties) and SocketedEquipment to almost infinite upgrade possibilities.

** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' was the debut of the mechanic, where you could find hidden component packs that let you upgrade Leon's weapons. The VP-70 can be upgraded to fire in bursts with a stock, the Magnum gets an extended barrel, and the shotgun is converted with a barrel and stock. The VP-70 and Magnum upgrades are actually fairly realistic.

This is a [[VideogameTropes gameplay trope]] where [[ExpospeakGag a weapon or other piece of equipment can be altered in order to conform to a higher standard, making it more useful to the player]] (or to put it more simply; upgraded). This might be done through a temporary PowerUp, a permanent UpgradeArtifact as a reward for a SideQuest, or through a specific "weapon upgrade" mechanic. The upgrade could be linear (e.g. "Weapon v1 is upgraded into Weapon v1.5") or branching (e.g. "Armour A can be upgraded to Armour Aa, Armour Ab or Armour Ac"), which might itself be spiced up with a {{Mutually Exclusive Powerup|s}} or two. The upgrades could be optional or [[AbilityRequiredToProceed required to progress]] (or a mixture of the two). Conversely, they could be automatic, and used to [[MontyHaul reward the player]] as they progress.

* TheEngineer class in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' is based around placing and upgrading various buildings to support their team (most notably the sentry gun; an automated gun which goes from a knee high machine gun to a dual minigun/rocket launcher platform).

* In ''Videogame/UnrealI'', the very first weapon acquired in single player mode is an [[RangedEmergencyWeapon energy pistol with constant ammo regeneration]]. It can be permanently upgraded several times with missable power-ups, its projectiles changing colour and becoming more damaging at the cost of a slower rate of fire and ammo regeneration. Still, that gun is so weak that in multiplayer, players wield a different pistol by default.

** ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonorAirborne'' takes this UpToEleven, with virtually ''every weapon'' in-game getting an upgrade, such as the Thompson going from a wartime production version to the gangster version, or the M1 Garand getting a Rifle grenade launcher in addition to adjustable sights and and improved firing rate.

** In ''Mists of Pandaria'' blacksmiths can craft Lightning Steel weapons which can then be reforged with additional Lightning Steel. Each iteration is more powerful and elaborate than the last. Similarly, the Engineering profession has goggles which are crafted at a low level and then continuously upgraded with new components over time.

** "Brotherhood", the sword Wakka gives Tidus near the beginning, is upgraded part way through the game, when Wakka [[spoiler: talks to his brother on the Farplane]].

* In ''Videogame/GodEaterBurst'', All [[VirtualPaperDoll non-clothing]] equipment is subject to ElementalCrafting. In order to make the upgrade for a given piece of equipment available you must have the materials needed to craft it.

* ''Videogame/DungeonCrawl'' features scrolls of enchant weapon and enchant armour, which improve item's attacking or defensive capabilities respectively, scroll of vorpalise weapon to make a temporary brand (flaming, freezing etc.) permanent, and The Shining One and Kikubaaqudgha will permanently brand one weapon with holy wrath and pain respectively at the highest piety level.

*** In the [=RE3make=], there's a total of ten mods, with two of the pistol mods only being accessible if you [[ImpossibleItemDrop defeat Nemesis]]. Mostly, these mods apply to Jill; whilst Carlos seems to be the only one who can take the assault rifle mods, Jill also has access to both an assault rifle on Assisted difficulty and the area where a player can find the Tactical Grip and Dual Magazine mods, so it might be worth leaving these for her if playing an Assisted game. The mods consist of a laser dot sight, extended magazine, and "moderator" (silencer/critical hit booster) for the pistol; a tactical stock, semi-auto barrel and shell-holder for the shotgun; a scope, tactical grip and dual magazine for the assault rifle; and a lengthened barrel for the magnum.

[[AC:Live Action TV]]
* The title character of ''Series/TheMandalorian'' starts out wearing a helmet made of blasterproof beskar steel, but the rest of his armor is dingy and battle-scarred. In the first episode he accepts a job paid in beskar ingots and takes his down payment to his tribe's Armorer, who forges it into a pauldron that deflects a few blaster bolts on the job. In the third episode he collects the full payment and has it made into a full suit of armor and some "Whistling Bird" micromissiles.

** Later, a character imbues a bit of her own power into the kidney stone blade after [[http://www.bogleech.com/awfulhospital/754.html offering Fern]] a selection of upgrade features, and tells her to come back for more upgrades after gaining a few more {{Character Level}}s.

*** In the [=RE2make=], Leon has access to: a gunstock that gives his pistol a 3-shot firing mode, an increased magazine for his pistol, a muzzle brake that drops his pistol's recoil, a lengthened barrel that also comes with an extended magazine tube that allows it to hold more shells, a stock that boosts his shotgun's fire and reload rates, a barrel lengthener for his magnum to boost damage and lower recoil, a laser sight for his magnum, and a regulator for his flamethrower that slows its fuel consumption. Jill, by comparison, gets: expanded magazines for her pistol and submachine gun, a speed-loader for her 5-shot revolver, a reinforced frame that lets her 5-shot revolver use high-powered handgun rounds, a stock for her grenade launcher that increases its accuracy, a suppressor for her submachine gun that diminishes its recoil and makes it a silent weapon, and a high voltage condensor that lets her spark shot build up a fresh charge with greater speed.

*** In the [=RE2make=], Leon has access to: a gunstock that gives his pistol a 3-shot firing mode, an increased magazine for his pistol, a muzzle brake that drops his pistol's recoil, a lengthened barrel that somehow lets his shotgun hold more shells, a stock that boosts his shotgun's fire and reload rates, a barrel lengthener for his magnum to boost damage and lower recoil, a laser sight for his magnum, and a regulator for his flamethrower that slows its fuel consumption. Jill, by comparison, gets: expanded magazines for her pistol and submachine gun, a speed-loader for her 5-shot revolver, a reinforced frame that lets her 5-shot revolver use high-powered handgun rounds, a stock for her grenade launcher that increases its accuracy, a suppressor for her submachine gun that diminishes its recoil and makes it a silent weapon, and a high voltage condensor that lets her spark shot build up a fresh charge with greater speed.