Weapon upgrades: costs, stats & how they work

Use Gems for weapon upgrades in the lobby; use cash for next-weapon purchases during a run. The recorded tutorial gives Pow Pow its first upgrade for free, raising its displayed DMG/SEC from 66.7 to 87.5.

How to upgrade a weapon

1. Open the Weapons shop in the lobby and select a weapon. The recorded tutorial introduces this through Pow Pow.
2. Read the upgrade preview: it shows the current and next values, plus the upgrade price.
3. Check the currency and your current upgrade level before purchasing. During the tutorial, Pow Pow's first upgrade is marked FREE.
4. Compare later upgrades with other purchases. A weapon's unlock price is separate from its upgrade price.

The recorded shop values are listed below. These previews do not mean every shown upgrade was purchased.

Recorded upgrade costs

Weapon	Target level	Previewed changes	Gems	Source
Pistol	1	DMG/SEC: 45 → 55; DAMAGE: 18 → 22	150	View
Pow Pow	1	DMG/SEC: 66.7 → 87.5; DAMAGE: 16 → 21	Free in tutorial	View
Pow Pow	2	DMG/SEC: 87.5 → 94.5; FIRE RATE: 250 → 270	750	View
Shorty	1	DMG/SEC: 80 → 108; DAMAGE: 10 → 12; PELLETS: 8 → 9	450	View
Minigun	1	DMG/SEC: 605 → 646.3; FIRE RATE: 1100 → 1175	20,000	View
Burst Rifle	1	DMG/SEC: 185.5 → 294.5; DAMAGE: 34 → 54	7,500	View

DMG/SEC is the game interface's damage-per-second value, not a measured sustained combat result. Damage, fire rate and pellet count can change differently between upgrades. These six previews cover five weapons; they are not a complete maximum-level table.

Watch the weapon shop

Lobby upgrades versus run purchases

The run HUD shows Shotgun for $150, Burst Rifle for $750 and Minigun for $2,500 as next-weapon purchases. These cash buttons are different from the Gem upgrade prices in the table. The 20,000 Gems Minigun preview is an upgrade, not its lobby unlock price.

Use the cash and health guide to plan run purchases, and the weapon database to compare base stats.

What should you upgrade first?

Claim the tutorial's free Pow Pow upgrade before considering paid upgrades. For later spending, our advice is to compare the preview for the weapon you actually use with the cost of unlocking another weapon or improving a class skill. The available footage does not establish a best upgrade order.

If you use Survivor, also check barricade upgrades and Grenade upgrades.

Player questions

Are all first weapon upgrades free?

Only the tutorial Pow Pow offer is recorded as free. Pistol's first upgrade shows 150 Gems, and Shorty's shows 450 Gems.

Is an upgrade price the same as an unlock price?

No. Shorty has a recorded 5,000-Gem unlock price and a separate 450-Gem level-one upgrade preview. Check which button you are reading.

What is the maximum weapon upgrade level?

The reviewed footage does not establish a universal maximum. A MAX label on the late-run weapon HUD does not supply the lobby shop's full upgrade-level table.

Based on the recorded game interface reviewed October 5, 2026. The exact game build is not shown.