I have noticed I get alot of on screen indications that my armor got an upgrade however when I go to look it does not. This seems to happen on the New gear with only 2 or 1 actual upgrades. I will get these until the final one where it is fully maxed out.

Has anyone else noticed this? Or does everyone else know and I am an idiot

I see it a lot halfway through perks. It might happen at the points where defense or attack nodes originally were located.

I think the defensive increases you used to have to purchase are gone from the UI, but still require experience to be unlocked (it simply happens automatically now).

Edit: damnit Funk. That was quick.

- No text -

Stats stay identical. It's probably just the trigger to play the sound and show the upgrade icon which is being activated.

Good to know my suspicions were baseless.

I've noticed this, too. Here's what it seems like to me (I'm gonna make up numbers for my example):

Items used to take 10,000 experience to level up, over the course of which time they would fill 10 bubbles of upgrades. Thus, every 1,000 experience, an upgrade alert would pop up.

New items still take 10,000 experience to level up fully, but now only have 2 bubbles of upgrades. The notifications, however, still show up every 1,000 experience.

That's what it looks like to me.