In the current system, you upgrade gear by growing its Item Level, inheriting Item Level and Potential Skill from another item when useful, and progressing Equipment Traits and Trait Resonance separately. The old Enhancement, Transfer, and Sync systems were removed in Update 4.0.0. Update 4.12.0 later increased growth rates for Item Levels 51–80 and reduced inheritance costs. The details below reflect those documented updates as of October 8, 2026; check the latest patch notes and your game client for changes.
What gear upgrading means now
Update 4.0.0 replaced equipment Enhancement with an Item Level system and removed Enhancement, Transfer, and Sync. The official notes state: “The Enhancement system has been replaced with the Item Level system. Enhancement, Transfer, and Sync systems have been removed.” Read the Update 4.0.0 notes.
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Item Level represents an item’s growth. Each piece has a defined growth cap, displayed in its tooltip, so inspect that cap before investing in an item or deciding whether it can serve as an inheritance target.
Older guides that tell you to open the Enhancement menu, raise an old Enhancement level, or follow a Growth Stone upgrade path describe removed mechanics, not the system documented in Update 4.0.0. Amazon Games’ business-model article is historical context for those older systems, not a current upgrade guide.
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Grow Item Level or inherit it?
These are related but distinct choices: growth raises an item’s Item Level, while inheritance transfers a higher Item Level from one piece of equipment to another. Inheritance can also transfer Potential Skill. It preserves the target item’s Equipment Traits and Trait Resonance, so it does not replace those progression tracks.
Update 4.0.0 notes say Inheritance Stones are available from the Resistance vendor and by dissolving equipment at Item Level 51 or higher. They also describe limited uses for Potential Skill inheritance, which can be reset through Sealing. Consult the current client and patch notes for the applicable options and costs; the notes do not provide a complete current cost table or click-by-click procedure.
Unlock and improve Equipment Traits
Trait progression is separate from Item Level growth. Under the 4.0.0 changes, dropped gear no longer has base traits already attached: unlock traits with Trait Unlockstones, then improve them with Trait Enhancement Stones. The Item Level of a Trait Enhancement Stone determines which gear it can be used on. Heroic gear uses Heroic versions of both stone types. See the official Update 4.0.0 notes for the system description.
The cited notes do not establish a complete current list of material costs or acquisition routes. Check the in-game item descriptions and current patch information rather than assuming a route from a guide written for an earlier version.
Build Trait Resonance separately
Trait Resonance is not another name for trait unlocking or trait improvement. You open Resonance slots with Trait Resonance Stones. The Update 4.0.0 notes describe four chance-based slots, each rolled up to a maximum of 10; the rolls contribute to an overall score and a bracketed Resonance effect. The notes do not give success rates or exact expected costs, so those figures should not be assumed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What Update 4.12.0 changed
Amazon Games’ Update 4.12.0 notes report significantly increased equipment growth rates for Item Levels 51–80 and reduced Inheritance costs. They do not quantify either change. The notes also report increased availability of Trait Unlockstone Fragments and Relic Analysis Crystals, adjusted Purification rewards, and a change to eligible Redfrost purification outcomes: equipment capped at Item Level 50 is no longer included, increasing the chance of gear that can reach Item Level 90. These are patch-specific reward and growth changes, not a promise that every item or activity has the same outcome. Read the official Update 4.12.0 notes (French-language site).
Quick Recap
A practical order for upgrading
- Check the item tooltip. Note its Item Level and displayed growth cap before committing materials.
- Decide whether to grow or inherit. Grow the item directly when raising its Item Level; consider inheritance when moving a higher Item Level and Potential Skill from another item. Inheritance preserves the target’s Equipment Traits and Trait Resonance.
- Handle traits as their own track. Unlock traits with Trait Unlockstones and improve them with Trait Enhancement Stones suited to the gear’s Item Level. Use Heroic versions for Heroic gear.
- Choose whether to pursue Resonance. Use Trait Resonance Stones to open its separate slots, understanding that the process is chance-based and the cited notes do not publish odds or exact costs.
- Verify current details in the client. Patch notes establish the systems, but not a complete current menu walkthrough or all material costs. Use the live interface for available actions and costs, and check later patch notes before relying on older instructions.
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