Masterworking is a feature that was added to Diablo 4 when Season of Loot Reborn came out, which replaced the previous upgrading system of the game.
Back then you could upgrade items using materials, but things have changed now and now a new system has been added for endgame upgrades.
This feature mainly allows players to upgrade the Affixes of their equipment, but Masterworking has a price, which comes in the form of materials from The Pit.
How To Unlock Masterworking?
Unlocking Masterworking is done by completing your first run with The Pit, which will allow you to get your first Masterworking Materials. (Obducite on the first tier)
The moment you pick up the Obducite after defeating your first boss in The Pit, a quest called Masterworking will appear, which requires you to Speak to Zivek.
At this point, Masterworking will already be unlocked but to complete things and get a quick tutorial it is best that you speak to him. (He is in Kyovashad)
Masterworking Explained
Masterworking is a feature that allows you to improve the affixes of your equipment by visiting the blacksmith and consuming Masterworking Materials.
You may only use this feature to upgrade the affixes of Ancestral Tempered Legendary and Unique equipment. (Ancestral Tempered Legendary gear must be fully tempered)
Masterworking will either upgrade to a random Affix or all and if you are not satisfied you can always reset the item’s Masterwork Rank.
How To Use Masterworking?
To use Masterworking, head to any Blacksmith, select the feature from their menu (this will be the last tab), and choose the item that you want to upgrade.
Once the item is placed in the Masterworking slot, select “Upgrade” and this will apply the changes to your equipment.
This will add a rank of Masterworking to your gear (Maximum of 12 Ranks) and increase the affixes, increasing the bonuses provided.
You will of course have to have the required materials to upgrade your equipment and 3 different materials depending on the rank you will upgrade them to.
Masterworking Rank Upgrades
Depending on what rank you are upgrading to with each piece of equipment, there will be a certain percentage added to either one random Affix or all Affixes.
Masterworking Rank | Upgrade |
Rank 1 – 3 | 5% All Affixes |
| Rank 4 | 25% Random Affix |
Rank 5 – 7 | 5% All Affixes |
| Rank 8 | 25% Random Affix |
Rank 9 – 11 | 5% All Affixes |
| Rank 12 | 25% Random Affix |
Masterworking Criticals
Single Affixes that are upgraded may be affected by the Masterwork Critical chance, which gives them a higher upgrade than usual.
These upgrades are indicated with different colors, allowing you to distinguish which Affixes have been affected by MW Crits.
MW Crit Level | Affix % | Color |
1 | 45% | White |
| 2 | 70% | Blue |
3 | 95% | Yellow |
| 4 | 120% | Orange |
Masterworking Materials
There are 3 different Masterworking Materials, which will be required along with other materials depending on the current rank of your equipment.
The following are the Masterworking Materials as well as the ranks they are used for, and which tier they can be obtained from.
Masterworking Material | Equipment Rank | The Pit Tier |
Obducite | 1 – 4 | 1 – 29 |
| Ingolith | 5 – 8 | 30 – 59 |
Neathiron | 9 – 12 | 60 and above |
When doing runs in The Pit, Masterworking Materials will be rewarded at the end, and with higher tiers, you will be able to get better rewards.
Verdict
The equipment that your character uses can play a huge role in their survival against the demons that they face all over Sanctuary.
While the affixes and their bonuses give you a lot of capabilities, upgrading them even further allows you to face tougher challenges.
Thanks to Masterworking, your character can become stronger than ever, and your builds will be more effective against stronger enemies.
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