Upgrade Stations got a huge buff in patch v11.40

Upgrade Stations have been changed in Fortnite patch v11.40 and it’s not just the new Sidegrading feature to be aware of.

First added at the beginning of Fortnite Chapter 2, Upgrade Stations give players the opportunity to trade materials for a better weapon. Whilst the concept sounded great, the high price per upgrade meant that players often didn’t see value in the deal, unless it meant turning a Blue Pump Shotgun into the infinitely stronger Purple Pump.

Upgrading from Blue to Purple now only costs 450 Mats total instead of 750! - Green to blue only 300! from r/FortniteCompetitive

The Upgrade Stations obviously weren’t getting as much use as Epic Games originally intended, and hence the material costs have now been reduced. The price to trade up in rarity is now as follows:

Common to Uncommon – 50 of each material

Uncommon to Rare – 100 of each material

Rare to Epic – 150 of each material

Epic to Legendary – 200 of each material

This may only sound like a small change, but it’s actually pretty huge. Rather than burning a huge 750 mats to go from blue to purple, it will now require just 450. It is quite likely that for a lot of players, this will be a real difference maker and the Upgrade Stations will become a much more important aspect in both casual and competitive gameplay.

On top of this, the v11.40 patch also added the new Sidegrading feature. This will let players use an Upgrade Station to turn a regular Assault Rifle into a Heavy Assault Rifle. Sidegrading is only available in non-competitive playlists which is a promising sign that the developers are continuing to keep competitive and casual modes separate.