How to upgrade the Castle Heart in V Rising

The Castle Heart is the most important part of your castle in V Rising since it determines where you can build. It also must be maintained with Blood Essence to prevent decay, which is essential if you want your items to stay secured. Eventually, you’ll be able to upgrade the Castle Heart, introducing new craftable items and an expanded building area. 

Upgrading the Castle Heart is a simple process, although it gets more difficult as you progress through the game. Interact with the Castle Heart in your base to see what items are needed for upgrading and how long you have before it starts decaying. You can upgrade it to level two with 12 Copper Ingots and 12 pieces of Leather, which is a fundamental goal in the early game. You need a Furnace to turn Copper Ore into ingots, and a Tannery makes Leather out of Animal Hide. 

The Furnace is relatively easy to build, but the Tannery can only be unlocked after defeating Keely the Frost Archer. This boss drops the recipe for the Tannery, meaning you’ll need to beat her before upgrading your Castle Heart. 

Related: How to get a Twilight Snapper in V Rising

This process is repeated for each level of the Castle Heart: acquire the required materials, which often means defeating specific bosses or unlocking items. Upgrading the Castle Heart is a natural part of progression through V Rising, so don’t worry if you’re stuck on one level for a while. Continue defeating bosses and upgrading your gear and you should find the necessary items for upgrading the Castle Heart. 

Each level introduces important features, like more Border blocks or Servant Coffins. Your castle is your home base and upgrading the Castle Heart can help transform it into a fortress over time.