Crafting, Upgrading and Repairing Weapons at the Workbench in Dead Island 2

Learn how to upgrade, repair, and craft weapons at the Workbench in Dead Island 2. Master your gear to survive Hell-A!

Alright, so you've picked up some gear in Hell-A and you're wondering how to keep it in tip-top shape, or maybe even make it better? That's where the Workbench comes in. It's your go-to spot for keeping your weapons functional and powerful. Let's break down how to repair, upgrade, and even craft new items.

How to Repair Weapons

This is probably the most frequent thing you'll be doing at a Workbench. It's pretty straightforward: just head over to a Workbench, highlight the weapon you want to fix, and hold down the / button. The cost to repair depends on the weapon's rarity and level, but don't sweat it too much – you'll be earning more money as you progress, so it usually balances out. Oh, and one weird thing: you can't repair improvised weapons. I guess a concrete-encrusted rebar doesn't exactly lend itself to a tune-up, right?

How to Upgrade Weapons

Got an uncommon (green) rarity weapon or better? Awesome! You can upgrade these at a Workbench. Select the weapon, then press / to open the upgrade screen. You'll see the weapon's stats on the bottom right and a bunch of slots on the left – these are your upgrade slots.

There are three main types of slots: a Mod slot, one or more Perk slots, and a Fixed slot. All uncommon weapons get at least one of each. Rarer weapons might have extra Mod slots. The Fixed slot is permanent, meaning whatever upgrade is in it stays there. The other slots are where you can get creative. You'll need to craft these custom upgrades, and they'll use up components and cash. Keep in mind that Perk upgrades often come with both a benefit and a drawback. The upgrades you can craft depend on the [Blueprints] you've found and the specific weapon type – not every blueprint works on every weapon.

The basic idea is simple: find an uncommon or better weapon, take it to a Workbench, choose to upgrade it, pick a slot, and then craft your chosen upgrade. Boom! Your weapon is now better.

How to Fabricate Items

Need some extra healing items or other useful consumables? From the Workbench menu, hit the / button to go to the “Fabricate” menu. It’s not as extensive as weapon upgrades, but it works similarly. Pick a blueprint and hold / to craft the item you need.

How to Scrap Weapons

Not every weapon you find is going to be a keeper, and storage space is always a concern. If you're not desperate for cash, you can scrap unwanted weapons. Just select the weapon and hold down the button. You'll get various crafting components back, especially if the weapon had any upgrades installed on it. It’s a great way to get materials for crafting new upgrades.

How to Level Up Weapons

Found a really sweet weapon and kitted it out with mods? You'll probably get attached to it. As you fight your way through HELL-A, you'll level up, but your trusty weapon might start to fall behind. Thankfully, you can fix this at a Workbench. Select your weapon and hold down / to level it up to match your current level, which boosts its stats (mostly damage). Leveling up costs money, and rarer weapons or higher levels mean higher costs. Interestingly, the level difference between you and the weapon doesn't seem to affect the cost, so try not to level up weapons just for the sake of it, as it can get really expensive. Always remember to repair your weapon before you upgrade it. Repair costs go up with the weapon's level, and upgrading doesn't automatically repair it.