In addition to the weapon variety for each of the 6 playable characters in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, there are also upgrades to improve weapons and unlock their perks at levels 4, 10, and 20. This is achieved in two ways, including the use of Tints, or materials basically, known as Chroma Catalysts in the game.
This guide has everything you need to know about upgrading weapons and finding the necessary Chroma Catalysts to do so.
How To Upgrade Weapons
In order to even begin upgrading weapons, players will have to find and beat the Curator early on in the first Act, who is located within the Manor. After completing that task as well as the Flying Waters story quest, continue on till you arrive at the Camp, where you will encounter the Curator again. Speak with him to access weapon upgrades.
A necessary resource for this method are the relatively rare Chroma Catalysts. These come in five distinct tiers:
Chroma Catalyst
Weapon upgrades up to level 3
Polished Chroma Catalyst
Weapon upgrades up to level 9
Resplendent Chroma Catalyst
Weapon upgrades up to level 19
Grandiose Chroma Catalyst
Weapon upgrades up to level 32
Perfect Chroma Catalyst
Weapon upgrades up to the maximum level 33
The methods for gathering each differ slightly, and are detailed in the next section.
The other way that weapons can be upgraded is somewhat random in nature. This is because it is dependent on the exact same weapon you want to upgrade being dropped upon defeating an enemy or boss. However, this method is instantaneous and resourceless.
How To Find Chroma Catalysts
Generally, all five tiers of Chroma Catalysts can be found through exploration and combat. Even so, this is location and enemy-specific for the higher tiers, while lower tiers can be bought from Gestral Merchants with Chroma.
Chroma Catalyst
- Random enemy drops
- Trash-can Man secret character in Lumiere
- Multiple pickups in Spring Meadows
- Multiple combat encounters in:
- Spring Meadows
- Flying Waters
- Coastal Cave
- Purchase from:
- Noco in Flying Waters
- Jerijeri in Stone Wave Cliffs
- Kasumi in Forgotten Battlefield
- Mandelgo in Old Lumiere
- Blooraga in Visages
- Klaudiso in Sirene
- Melosh and Mistra in The Monolith
- Pinabby in Yellow Harvest
- Persik in Falling Leaves
- Grour in Renoir’s Drafts
Polished Chroma Catalyst
- Random enemy drops
- Multiple pickups in:
- Stone Wave Cliffs
- Old Lumiere
- Multiple combat encounters in:
- Flying Waters
- Ancient Sanctuary
- Stone Wave Cliffs
- Forgotten Battlefield
- Old Lumiere
- Yellow Harvest
- Crushing Cavern
- Endless Night Sanctuary
- Friendly Portier in Esoteric Ruins, fighting it after helping it first
- Purchase from:
- Jerijeri in Stone Wave Cliffs
- Kasumi in Forgotten Battlefield
- Mandelgo in Old Lumiere
- Blooraga in Visages
- Klaudiso in Sirene
- Melosh and Mistra in The Monolith
- Pinabby in Yellow Harvest
- Persik in Falling Leaves
- Eragol in The Reacher
- Grour in Renoir’s Drafts
Resplendent Chroma Catalyst
- Random enemy drops
- Multiple pickups in:
- Visages
- Sirene
- The Monolith
- Crimson Forest
- Multiple combat encounters in:
- Visages
- Sirene
- The Monolith
- Crimson Forest
- The Reacher
- Hidden Gestral Arena
- Sinister Cave
- Purchase from:
- Blooraga in Visages
- Klaudiso in Sirene
- Melosh and Mistra in The Monolith
- Persik in Falling Leaves
- Eragol in The Reacher
- Grour in Renoir’s Drafts
Grandiose Chroma Catalyst
- Random enemy drops in Frozen Hearts
- Multiple pickups in:
- Flying Manor
- Frozen Hearts
- Endless Night Sanctuary
- Renoir’s Drafts
- Multiple combat encounters in:
- Flying Manor
- Sirene’s Dress
- The Continent
- Frozen Hearts
- The Crows
- Isle of the Eyes
- Sky Island
- The Chosen Path
- Dark Shores
- The Fountain
- Dark Gestral Arena
- Painting Workshop
- Endless Night Sanctuary
- Renoir’s Drafts
- Sacred River
- One each for completing 32 out of 33 Trials across 11 Stages in Endless Tower
- Interacting with and defeating the Danseuse Teacher for a second time in Frozen Hearts
- Purchase from:
- Grour in Renoir’s Drafts
Perfect Chroma Catalyst
- Multiple combat encounters in:
- Flying Manor
- Renoir’s Drafts
- The Abyss
- The Continent
- Completing the third and final Trial of Stage 11 in Endless Tower
- Trash-can Man secret character in Lumiere, on second visit after finishing the game
- Optional end and postgame content
- New Game Plus
That is how to find every type of Chroma Catalyst and upgrade your weapons in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
