How to level up gear in Final Fantasy 16

Final Fantasy 16 is absolutely stacked with an armory full of weapons and armor. Upgrading your gear in FF XVI will help you defeat bosses and cope with the game’s harder fights. To do so, you’ll have to jump through some hoops first.

Even though all Final Fantasy 16 players control the one and only Clive Rosfield, there’s diversity in how you can approach your combat setup. There are many different swords to choose from and a multitude of armor choices to sift through.

Whichever equipment you choose, you’ll want to level up your gear in Final Fantasy 16. Making armor stronger will improve its defensive capabilities and leveling up weapons will increase their DPS potential. If you’re wondering how exactly you can go about doing this in the game, read on for the full instructions.

Square Enix

How to upgrade weapons & armor in Final Fantasy XVI

Before you can even contemplate upgrading your gear in Final Fantasy XVI, players have to progress through the game until they unlock the Blacksmith.

Here are the official steps necessary to unlock gear in Final Fantasy 16:

1. Complete main missions and compulsory content in FF 16.
2. Eventually, you will unlock The Hideaway and meet Cid.
3. Undertake and complete additional objectives pertaining to the Forge.
4. Once you’ve unlocked it, you will now be able to craft new weapons and gear, as well as improve your current inventory.

Gear can be upgraded a certain amount of times with players needing to accumulate increasingly rarer items to do so. Valisthea is full of constant threats around every corner — meaning, you’ll need to ensure you’re making regular pitstops at the Forge to keep on top of your gear!

That wraps up our Final Fantasy 16 guide on gear and leveling it up. To get the down low on even more hot topics, we’ve got a ton of other guides and content for you to check out:

Final Fantasy XVI review | Final Fantasy XVI PS5 Trophies list | Final Fantasy 16 campaign missions: How many main scenarios are there? | Every Final Fantasy XVI enemy | How to get a Chocobo in Final Fantasy XVI | Best Final Fantasy 16 settings for PlayStation 5 | How to get Flametongue Sword in Final Fantasy 16 | How to get Stormcry Sword in Final Fantasy 16 | Final Fantasy 16 romance explained: Can you choose your partner? | Final Fantasy 16: How to save your game | Final Fantasy 16: Does the dog die? | How to unlock Fast Travel in Final Fantasy 16? | Final Fantasy 16 level cap: What is the max level?