Conan Exiles Tier Update Guide

Intro

Hey there, Exile! Welcome to the Conan Exiles Tier Update Guide, your quick-reference handbook for navigating the latest patch cycle in conan-exiles. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know from the recent October Hotfix (2.2.3) and tie it into the bigger picture of how tier progression works in Conan Exiles right now. Whether you’re a fresh-faced Thrall wrangler or a veteran ruler ready to upgrade your fortress, this tier update guide has you covered. Keep in mind that Conan Exiles is primarily a single-player / shared-world survival sandbox — there are no dedicated PvP arenas, no formal player-versus-player matchmaking, no cross-server trading floors, and no built-in co-op mode beyond sharing a server world. That means every gear decision, tier jump, and upgrade path is entirely about you carving your legend in the Cimmerian wilderness. Let’s get into it.

Core Mechanics

Step-by-Step

Step 1 — Know Where You Stand Right Now

Before you rush anything, open your Journal and flip to the Progression / Tech tab. You’ll see a tiered list of available recipes, building parts, and utility items, each marked with its tier number and the station required to craft it. This is your map. Don’t skip this — a lot of new players try to craft Tier 4 armor without realizing they need a Forge Level 3 first, and that wall hits hard.

Step 2 — Secure Your Tier 1→2 Transition

Tier 1 is the “survival” phase: stone tools, basic wood structures, and your first hearth. Tier 2 opens the door to Bronze-tier gear, stone walls/foundations, and the first real thrall cages. To make this jump cleanly:

• Build a Campfire → Forge transition: craft a Workbench, then upgrade to a Forge.
• Mine Copper and Tin for bronze ingots. These come from specific deposit nodes (copper = reddish orange, tin = pale blue-grey).
• Build a Stonecutter if you want stone-tier building materials.

Step 3 — Unlock Tier 3: The Iron Threshold

Tier 3 is where Conan Exiles really starts to click. You get Iron-tier weapons and armor, larger thrall cages, and access to advanced building components like reinforced doors and large archways. Key things to do:

• Locate an Iron Deposit. These usually spawn in mountainous and highland biomes.
• Build an Industrial Forge (requires Tier 2+ resources and a research checkpoint).
• Start converting your base to iron-reinforced structures. Wood burns; iron doesn’t.

Hotfix reminder: After patch 2.2.3, the Bazaar should be functioning correctly for any listings or purchases you make while grinding for Tier 3 materials.

Step 4 — Push Into Tier 4 and Beyond

Tier 4 introduces steel-tier gear, expansive building pieces, and the first taste of true endgame crafting. By this point you should have:

• A well-established outpost with multiple workstations.
• At least one high-level thrall assigned to ore refining or carpentry.
• A storage system that separates raw resources from refined ones (seriously, do this before you hit Tier 4 — your inventory will otherwise become a black hole).

Step 5 — Leverage Sales and the Bazaar Smartly

During events like the Autumn Sale 2026, Funcom often discounts DLCs and cosmetic bundles. While these don’t directly boost your tier progression, some DLCs add new crafting trees, biomes, and enemies — which means more resources and new tier-gating materials to work with. Use sale windows to stock up on content that expands your tier options. The Bazaar is also a legitimate shortcut: if someone is selling Obsidian or Black Metal at a reasonable price, grab it and leapfrog your grind.

Tips

• Always keep backup thralls. When you’re pushing for a new tier, dying and respawning far from your base wastes hours. Keep a combat thrall and a healer at least one level below your current cap so they can protect you without overshadowing your own growth.
• Map your deposit routes. Copper, Tin, Iron, and Obsidian nodes have spawn pools tied to biomes. Drawing a simple map of where each ore spawns saves you from wandering into a T-Rex encounter for nothing.
• Don’t neglect your Library. Research is gated behind librarian thralls. Assign a thrall to the Library ASAP, and make sure it has enough knowledge points and stamina buffs to churn out blueprints while you’re adventuring.
• Upgrade your Storage Crates in order. Don’t dump everything into one mega-crate. Tier your storage: raw materials in one room, refined ingots in another, building pieces in a third. Future-you will thank present-you.
• Watch for hotfix notes. Patch 2.2.3 was a quick Bazaar fix, but Funcom drops smaller hotfixes regularly. Bookmark the official forums and check after big updates — sometimes a tweak nerfs a grind path you were relying on.
• Use the Seasons to your advantage. The Autumn Sale 2026 is a perfect example — sales drop, content gets cheaper, and the community gets more active. That means more Bazaar listings and more trading opportunities while the sale runs.

FAQ

Q1: What exactly did the October Hotfix 2.2.3 fix? A1: Hotfix 2.2.3 was a quick patch that resolved a minor Bazaar issue. It was not a major content update — just a targeted fix to keep player trading functioning properly. If you experienced Bazaar glitches around that time, they should be cleared up now.

Q2: Is there PvP in Conan Exiles? Can I build a PvP server? A2: Conan Exiles supports server settings that allow player-vs-player combat on eligible servers, but there are no dedicated PvP arenas, no ranked PvP modes, and no cross-server PvP matchmaking. PvP is entirely server-dependent — check your server’s rules before engaging other players. There is also no formal co-op mode; the game is played in shared single-player or multiplayer worlds.

Q3: How do I efficiently farm Tier 4 materials? A3: The most efficient route is to branch out into new biomes — Iron and Obsidian deposits typically spawn in higher-elevation or volcanic-adjacent zones. Bring a fast mount, assign a foraging thrall to mark resource nodes on your map, and set up a forward outposts with a portable crafting station. The Bazaar can also supplement your farm if you find someone selling Black Metal or Steel at fair prices.

Q4: Should I wait for the Autumn Sale 2026 before buying DLCs? A4: If you’re on the fence about DLCs like Rise of the Tyrant or Wrath of the Gods, the Autumn Sale 2026 is absolutely a smart window to grab them at a discount. These DLCs add new realms, enemies, and crafting tiers that directly expand your progression options. No rush if you’re happy with the base game — but the sale makes expansion content way more accessible.