Gearing Changes in Midnight: Crest Costs & Free Discounts!

Key Takeaways

• Each upgrade level now costs a flat 20 crests (up from 15), making a full six-step hero track upgrade cost 120 crests — predictable weekly progression.
• The weekly crest cap rose from 90 to 100, allowing five complete upgrades per week without overflow.
• Crafting costs increased from 60 to 80 crests, but are now consistent with the rest of the upgrade economy.
• Alt characters receive a 50% crest discount, up from 33% in the previous expansion — the largest alt-friendliness improvement since the crest system launched.
• Valor stones are removed. Upgrades now cost only crests plus a small gold fee, eliminating a long-standing barrier for players managing multiple characters.
• Hero track gear upgrades freely from level 1-5 when you obtain a higher-level piece, mirroring a mechanic carried forward from the previous expansion.
• Each crest track aligns directly with its gear track: Champion Crests for Champion gear, Hero Crests for Hero gear, Myth Crests for Myth gear — no more track-switching mid-season.

The full crest cost breakdown, impact on progression timing, and strategic gear swap options are covered below.

Key Changes in Gearing Up

1. Incremental Upgrade Costs: Each upgrade level now costs a flat 20 crests. A full six-level upgrade costs 120 crests. Previously, the final few levels had escalating costs (35 crests for the last step); the flat rate removes that scaling pressure.
2. Weekly Crest Cap: The weekly cap rose from 90 to 100 crests, providing exactly five full upgrades per week with no overflow.
3. Crafting Adjustments: Crafting gear now costs 80 crests, up from 60 in the previous expansion. This aligns crafting costs with the broader upgrade economy.

These cost changes directly affect how quickly players can progress through gear tracks each week.

Impact on Progression

• Time to Max Out: Under the previous system, players could finish hero track upgrades by week three. The new system requires roughly six weeks to fully upgrade a hero track set, but the pace is more consistent week-to-week.

• Gear Level Improvements: Within the first three resets of the season, players may reach a slightly higher item level than the old system provided, thanks to the flat early-level costs and consistent weekly allowance.

Blizzard also streamlined which crest type applies to which gear track.

Simplified Crest System

Blizzard aligned crests directly with gear tracks, removing the old system where players had to track which crest type applied at which upgrade stage. Each gear track now uses a single matching crest type:

• Champion Track: Requires Champion Crests.
• Hero Track: Requires Hero Crests.
• Myth Track: Requires Myth Crests.

This straightforward alignment removes confusion and lets players focus crest spending without consulting spreadsheets mid-season.

Advantages for Different Player Levels

• Hero Track Gear Maximum: Players can upgrade hero track gear to six out of six, reaching item levels comparable to Myth track two out of six — without needing Myth Crests. This gives non-Mythic players a clear ceiling for gear investment.

• Strategic Gear Swapping: If a player upgrades a suboptimal piece and later obtains a better alternative from the weekly vault, they can swap to the better item without wasting higher-level crests. The flat cost structure makes this less punishing than the old scaling system.

The following table shows how per-level costs compare between the old and new systems.

Upgrade Levels and Cost Structure

The following table shows the upgrade cost per level under both the old and new systems:

This flat-rate system removes the old escalating cost pressure and makes gear planning straightforward at any upgrade level.

Enhanced Gear Upgrading System

The revamped upgrade system adds meaningful advantages for consistent players:

1. Free Upgrades: Players can upgrade hero track items from level one to five out of six without any cost when they hold higher-level gear. This carries forward a feature from the previous expansion, rewarding players who keep a full inventory of alternative pieces.
2. Removal of Valor Stones: With valor stones eliminated, players no longer grind a separate currency for upgrades. A small gold cost alongside crests replaces the old requirement entirely.
3. Cascading Discounts: Hero track crests enable free upgrades of certain myth track pieces, letting strategic players push gear without the standard myth crest expenditure.
   • Hero Track Gear: Uses Hero Crests; enables free upgrades of lower-level Myth track pieces.
   • Myth Track Gear: Benefits from cost-free upgrades when leveraged after optimising hero track gear first.

These changes reward players who plan their upgrade order carefully rather than spending crests on the first piece that drops.

Strategic Timing and Future Relevance

• Extended Usefulness of Hero Crests: Hero crests remain relevant deep into the season, particularly for players involved in high-tier gameplay who need to keep alt characters competitive.

• Increased Weapon Accessibility: Standardised upgrade costs make weapon upgrades more achievable earlier, encouraging players to invest in weapons without the old anxiety about escalating late-level costs.

Players aiming to gear quickly across multiple characters can find Midnight carry options to accelerate the crest-farming loop without the weekly grind.

FAQ

How many crests does it cost to fully upgrade a piece of gear in Midnight?

A full six-level upgrade costs 120 crests — six levels at 20 crests each. Under the previous system, the same upgrade cost between 125 and 150 crests depending on the track, with the final levels costing significantly more. The flat 20-crest rate removes late-upgrade price spikes.

What is the weekly crest cap in Midnight Season 1?

The weekly crest cap is 100 crests, up from 90 in the previous expansion. At 20 crests per upgrade, this allows exactly five upgrades per week with no overflow. Alts receive a 50% discount, making their effective weekly allowance ten upgrades at the reduced rate.

How does the alt crest discount work in Midnight?

Alt characters receive a 50% crest discount on all upgrade costs, up from 33% in the previous expansion. An upgrade that costs a main character 20 crests costs an alt 10 crests. This discount applies automatically and makes gearing secondary characters significantly faster than the previous expansion allowed.

Are valor stones still in Midnight?

No. Valor stones are fully removed in Midnight. Upgrades now cost only crests plus a small gold fee. Players no longer need to maintain a separate valor stone inventory, eliminating one of the most complained-about friction points in the previous upgrade system.

What is the difference between Champion, Hero, and Myth Crests?

Champion Crests upgrade champion track gear, Hero Crests upgrade hero track gear, and Myth Crests upgrade myth track gear. The tracks align directly: you never need to swap crest types as you progress through a track. Hero track gear can be fully upgraded to 6/6, reaching item levels comparable to Myth track 2/6, without requiring Myth Crests.

How long does it take to fully gear in Midnight Season 1?

Fully upgrading a complete hero track set takes approximately six weeks at 100 crests per week (five upgrades per week). This is slower than the previous expansion's pace, but the progression is more predictable since each level costs the same. Players who also use the weekly vault, raid drops, and Mythic Plus will see their item level climb faster than crests alone suggest.

Can I still get free upgrades in Midnight?

Yes. Hero track gear upgrades from level 1 to 5 out of 6 for free when you obtain a higher-level item, continuing a feature from the previous expansion. Additionally, strategically using hero track crests can unlock free upgrades on certain myth track pieces by meeting the cascading discount condition. Plan your gear upgrade order to take advantage of both mechanics.