How to upgrade your weapons in The Last of Us Part II

There’s danger around every corner in The Last of Us Part II so you’ll want to upgrade your weapons frequently if you want to survive. Here’s exactly how you can upgrade your weapons in the action-packed game. 

Weapons are essential in The Last of Us Part II and you’ll need to regularly upgrade what you’ve got as you progress. Melee weapons are a great option but making sure your firearms are kept in good condition is just as important if you want to survive in the game’s brutal world.

Upgrading weapons is fairly straightforward in the Naughty Dog sequel once you’ve found a workbench and got all the necessary resources, but if you’re wondering exactly how the process works then we’ve got you covered with all the information you need.

So, here’s how you can upgrade your weapons in The Last of Us Part II.

Collect materials and find a workbench

Upgrading weapons is relatively simple, as long as you have the parts you need. First, you need to make sure you look around the world for spare parts. They’ll either be found in containers and safes or simply out in the open, just waiting for you to snag them and add them to your inventory. This all goes back to making sure you pick up everything you find, because you never know when it’s going to come in handy. Parts may be relatively simple to find, but if you don’t nab them when you have the chance, you’ll be left wanting when the time comes and you need something more powerful than your average sidearm.

Once you’ve gathered a sufficient amount of parts to upgrade your weapons, you’ll need to locate a workbench. Workbenches look exactly like they sound. They’re scattered around in various areas throughout the world, so if you’re spending some time exploring an area where you think you might want to come back to a workbench, make note of its location. Otherwise, you can keep pushing forward, as the game will present you with plenty of opportunities to upgrade as you press on. You can check and see how many workbenches there are in a certain chapter by viewing the chapter’s information section before jumping in-game.

Choose an upgrade and purchase

While at a workbench, you’ll be presented with a number of options. You’ll have the number of parts available for use next to the selection of available upgrades for each weapon in plain view. There are a variety of different types of upgrades to use, but it’s going to be up to you to figure out what upgrades and weapons make the most sense to augment first. For instance, you could upgrade your Bolt-Action Rifle’s scope or capacity first, or give your Semi-Auto Pistol a higher rate of fire.

Once you select an upgrade, the parts needed to do so will be deducted from the number next to the list of upgrades. Ellie will automatically complete the upgrade, as you watch, while at the workbench. It’s a process that’s somewhat similar to what you see in games like Red Dead Redemption 2, so if you like to see interaction with weapons, this should be an intriguing process for you. Plus, Ellie is an expert when it comes to handling her weapons.

Plan out your upgrades accordingly

When you’re upgrading your weapons, be extra careful when spending your parts. Barring returning to a previous save, you won’t be able to undo your upgrades. Since parts can be scarce enough that you will have to make some tough decisions, be sure you’re adding the augments you actually want before just diving in and doing things willy-nilly.

Luckily, there aren’t any absolutely horrendous decisions you can make, so don’t get too afraid when giving your weapons that extra bit of oomph. But do concern yourself with what each upgrade actually does and consider how much you’re actually going to use it before committing to spending the parts. It’s the apocalypse. Plan accordingly.

That’s how you can upgrade your weapons in The Last of Us Part II! For more content on the game, check out our guides below:

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