If you have spent more than five minutes in Destiny 2, you already know the loot shower is absolutely real. Guns, armor, perk combos, mod slots--it can feel like drinking from a fire hose. Here's the long and short of it, though: infusing gear for Power is only half the battle. If you want your loadout to really slap, you need to get comfortable with Masterworking.
I'm going to break down what Masterworking does for weapons, Exotics, and armor, plus the materials you need to grind out. Even in 2026, the core loop is still one of the best ways to squeeze extra stats and build potential out of your gear.
Masterworking Weapons: The Core Loop
The simplest and cheapest version of this system is weapon Masterworking. You upgrade a weapon's Tier all the way to Level 10 to fully Masterwork it. You can check the Tier in the Weapon screen under the Mods section. Each weapon has a specific stat that increases by 1 every time you upgrade the Tier.
Here's the kicker: that main bonus stat cannot be changed. So if you find a gun with a Masterwork stat that doesn't match your build, don't waste materials on it. Keep your eyes peeled for the right weapon perk and Masterwork stat combination before you commit.
If you're lucky enough to get Adept weapons, they're even juicier. Once Masterworked, Adept weapons grant an additional +3 to every other stat. That's a massive stat boost, so Adept drops are always worth a second look.
Upgrading weapon Tiers costs Enhancement Cores. You can farm these in a few different ways:
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Completing bounties for the Gunsmith
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Dismantling Legendary or Exotic weapons
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Defeating powerful enemies while the Finest Matterweave item buff is active
Each upgrade Tier increases the stat bonus by +1, so a Level 10 Masterwork gives you the full +10 to that weapon's selected stat. Fully Masterworked weapons also grant trackers for Crucible or PvE kill counts, which is a nice little flex if you like seeing your numbers climb.
Exotic Weapons: Catalysts Are the Name of the Game
Exotic weapons play by a different rulebook. You don't just dump Enhancement Cores into them. Instead, Exotic weapons are Masterworked automatically by applying a completed Catalyst.
Every Exotic has its own Catalyst, and each one is acquired through a different method. You can see the exact method in the Patterns & Catalyst section of the Triumphs screen. Sometimes that means running Nightfall Strikes, sometimes it means grinding Crucible matches, and sometimes RNG is gonna RNG because the drop is not guaranteed. Patience is the name of the game here.
Once you get a Catalyst to drop, you still have to apply it and then complete an associated task before it actually activates. Usually, that means killing a certain number of enemies with the weapon--often hundreds. It's a grind, but the payoff is real because a fully activated Catalyst Masterworks the Exotic and often adds a meaningful perk or stat boost.
My advice? Don't sleep on catalysts just because they take time. Pick one or two Exotics you actually use, check the Triumphs screen, and chip away at the objectives while you're doing your normal weekly activities. You'll get there without burning yourself out.
Armor: Where the Real Stat Magic Happens
Armor Masterworking is a different beast, and honestly, it can offer much greater benefits than weapon Masterworking if you're serious about buildcrafting. As armor quality increases, it gains Energy, which lets you slot higher-powered mods. When armor is fully Masterworked, that single piece gains +2 to every stat. That's a total of 12 extra stat points per piece.
When you Masterwork several armor pieces, the value stacks up fast. You'll have more room for mods, more build variety, and a serious stat boost across the board. That can mean lower ability cooldowns, more damage resistance, and better overall survivability. In short, Masterworked armor is one of the biggest upgrades you can make for your character.
The material cost is where things get spicy. Armor upgrading still uses Enhancement Cores, but it also requires two higher-tier materials: Enhancement Prisms and Ascendant Shards.
You can get these materials by trading with Master Rahool in the Tower:
| Material | Trade Requirement | Glimmer Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Enhancement Prism | 10 Enhancement Cores | 10,000 Glimmer |
| Ascendant Shard | 10 Enhancement Prisms | 50,000 Glimmer |
Both Enhancement Prisms and Ascendant Shards can also drop from certain Nightfall Strikes and other high-end PvE activities. If you're planning to Masterwork a full set of armor, you'll want to farm these activities or save up your Enhancement Cores for bulk trading.
Keep These in Mind
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Weapon Masterwork stat bonuses are permanent, so choose your weapon upgrade targets wisely.
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Exotic catalysts can be a grind, but the completed Masterwork is worth it for weapons you already main.
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Armor Masterwork bonuses stack across pieces, so even one fully upgraded piece feels like a noticeable bump.
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If you're low on materials, run Gunsmith bounties for Enhancement Cores and Nightfalls for Prisms and Shards.
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Don't forget to check the Triumphs screen for catalyst objectives--I've forgotten about more than one catalyst because I never looked.
Masterworking isn't the flashiest part of Destiny 2, but it's one of those systems that quietly separates casual players from seriously optimized Guardians. Now get out there, farm those materials, and make Banshee-44 proud.