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Refinement Coins
April 4, 2026 at 09:49 AM
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Refinement Coins are a consumable item introduced in Crimson Desert's Patch 1.01.00, released on March 28-29, 2026. They allow players to upgrade weapons and armor through Refinement Levels 1 to 4 without spending any regular resource materials. Before this patch, every refinement level required gathering and spending crafting materials. Refinement Coins were added as a quality-of-life improvement in response to player feedback about excessive material grinding during the early stages of gear upgrades.
Refinement Coins only cover the first four tiers of the refinement system. Upgrades beyond Level 4 still require standard materials and, at higher tiers, rare Abyss Artifacts. The coins streamline the early upgrade path so players can focus on progressing their equipment without being held back by basic material shortages.
To use Refinement Coins, visit any Blacksmith NPC in a town or settlement across Pywel. Open the refinement menu as usual and select the weapon or armor piece you want to upgrade. If you have Refinement Coins in your inventory, the Blacksmith interface will give you the option to use them instead of spending materials.
Each coin covers the material cost for one refinement level on one piece of gear. For example, upgrading a sword from Refinement Level 0 to Level 1 costs one Refinement Coin, and upgrading it again from Level 1 to Level 2 costs another. The coins work for both weapons and armor, and they apply to any equipment type regardless of rarity or material composition.
Refinement Level | Standard Cost | With Refinement Coin |
|---|---|---|
Level 1 | Standard crafting materials | 1 Refinement Coin (no materials needed) |
Level 2 | Standard crafting materials | 1 Refinement Coin (no materials needed) |
Level 3 | Standard crafting materials | 1 Refinement Coin (no materials needed) |
Level 4 | Standard crafting materials | 1 Refinement Coin (no materials needed) |
Level 5+ | Rare materials + Abyss Artifacts | Refinement Coins cannot be used |
Refinement Coins were introduced alongside Patch 1.01.00 and can be found throughout Pywel. The same patch also added material chests to various locations across the world, increasing the overall availability of upgrade resources. The exact drop sources and acquisition methods include:
Material chests: new chests added across Pywel in Patch 1.01.00 can contain Refinement Coins alongside other crafting materials.
World exploration: Refinement Coins can be found while exploring settlements, dungeons, and points of interest throughout the open world.
The refinement system in Crimson Desert allows players to improve the stats of their weapons and armor at Blacksmith NPCs. Each piece of gear can be refined through multiple levels, with each level providing incremental stat boosts. The system is split into two tiers based on the materials required:
Tier | Levels | Materials Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Standard | 1 through 4 | Common crafting materials (or Refinement Coins) | Relatively accessible; costs scale moderately per level |
Advanced | 5 and above | Abyss Artifacts + rare materials | Significant stat gains; Abyss Artifacts are rare drops |
Levels 1 through 4 use standard materials that can be gathered from the open world, purchased from vendors, or obtained from enemy drops. These materials are common enough that most players accumulate them through normal gameplay, though the quantity needed for multiple pieces of gear can add up. Refinement Coins remove this cost entirely for the first four levels.
Starting at Level 5, the refinement system shifts to requiring Abyss Artifacts, which are rare items obtained from high-level content. This creates a natural progression curve where early refinement is accessible to all players, while pushing gear to its maximum potential requires engaging with endgame activities.
Save your standard crafting materials for Level 5+ refinements. Use Refinement Coins for Levels 1 through 4 whenever possible so you do not waste resources on upgrades that the coins can cover for free.
Prioritize refining your primary weapon first. The damage increase from early refinement levels has the biggest impact on clear speed and combat effectiveness.
Check Blacksmiths in every town you visit. Different settlements may have different stock, and visiting multiple Blacksmiths ensures you are aware of all available refinement options.
Combine Refinement Coins with the material chests added in the same patch. Between the two, gearing up through the first four refinement tiers is significantly faster than it was at launch.
Refinement Coins work on any equipment type. Do not hesitate to use them on armor pieces as well as weapons, since defensive stats from armor refinement improve survivability in tougher encounters.
