Gunstoppable Permanent Upgrades Guide
Power that survives death — how metaprogression pushes Fenix through five capitalist bosses.
Gunstoppable follows roguelite convention: temporary power resets on death, permanent power accumulates forever. After each run — whether Fenix falls to dock drones or clears the CEO gate — you spend meta currency on permanent upgrades that persist across all future attempts. This system is why death “builds upon the last,” as CAGE Studios marketing describes, and why players who repeatedly lose to the robot crab still feel progression toward Johnny Jetpack and late executives.
This guide explains upgrade categories, recommended priority, and synergy with Kane the Rat, run modifiers, and tier lists. Read alongside Items Hub, Campaign Walkthrough, and Guides.
How permanent upgrades work
- Run ends — death or campaign clear
- Meta currency awarded — scales with floors reached, bosses damaged, optional challenges
- Upgrade menu opens — purchase nodes in persistent trees
- Next run starts stronger — base stats improved before floor one pickups
In-run hex augments, temporary run modifiers, and dual-wield pickups do not carry over. Only permanent tree nodes and player knowledge persist.
Single-player structure means no shared account boosts — your tree is your broadcast resume.
Core upgrade categories
Momentum and movement
Increases speed cap, grapple distance, slide momentum retention — directly amplifies Gunstoppable’s speed multiplies damage rule. Highest community priority for first ten meta purchases.
Synergy: Velocity Pistols and Reaper Rush from Builds Tier List.
Reaper Mode
Extends freeze duration, lowers kill-chain requirement, adds Reaper exit burst — turns kill chains into boss-phase insurance documented on Bosses Hub.
Synergy: Gravity Breaker detonations during freeze.
Weapon handling
Reload speed, swap speed, dual-wield penalty reduction — keeps stagger alive per Controls. Often second priority after momentum.
Synergy: Every Weapons Tier List entry.
Survivability
Max health, heal on parry, damage reduction while moving — stabilizes katana and parry builds through capitalist boss gates.
Synergy: Reaper Rush melee routes.
Economy and Kane
Kane discount tiers, bonus run currency, extra reroll tokens — accelerates shop spikes from Kane the Rat.
Synergy: Banana-nuke reroll hunting.
Starting loadout unlocks
Some nodes may unlock default weapon bias or starter modifiers — exact launch tree subject to post-patch expansion on Updates Hub.
Recommended priority path
| Phase | Focus | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Early meta | Momentum cap + reload | Fixes Early Game Tier pain |
| Mid meta | Reaper duration + chain reduction | Boss gates from Bosses Overview |
| Late meta | Kane discounts + pierce bias | Consistent transform access |
| Cleanup | Survivability luxuries | CEO gate comfort |
Players stuck on one boss should stop chasing new weapons and invest three momentum nodes — often clears skill walls faster.
Permanent vs run modifiers
| Permanent upgrades | Run modifiers | |
|---|---|---|
| Persists | Forever | Current run only |
| Source | Run-end currency | Floor pickups |
| Examples | Momentum cap | +fire damage this run |
| Page | This guide | Run Modifiers |
Both stack multiplicatively — a permanent momentum node plus run movement mod creates broken speed builds intentionally.
Boss gate investment targets
Robot crab (Act I)
Minimum: one momentum + one reload node before serious attempts. High-ground tech from Robot Crab guide still required — upgrades do not replace positioning.
Johnny Jetpack (Act III)
Reaper duration node helps Phase 2 hover bursts. Vertical tracking remains weapon skill.
CEO gate (Act V)
Composite tree — momentum, Reaper, reload, parry heal. Campaign Walkthrough assumes partial tree completion.
Farming efficiency
- Push one floor deeper rather than resetting speedruns on floor one — currency scales with depth
- Boss damage rewards — learn patterns from Bosses Hub even on failed attempts
- Avoid upgrade spreading — max one tree branch before diversifying
Related links
- Items Hub — economy overview
- Kane the Rat — run-scoped shop
- Tier List Hub — build targets for your tree
- Tools — future upgrade planners
Permanent upgrades are Fenix’s long memory. Movement is his short fuse. Invest accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common Gunstoppable questions.
Do permanent upgrades reset in Gunstoppable?
No. They persist forever once purchased. Only in-run augments and [run modifiers](/items/run-modifiers/) reset on death.
What permanent upgrades should I buy first?
Momentum cap and reload speed — they amplify every weapon in [Weapons Tier List](/tier-list/weapons-tier-list/) and help [Early Game Tier](/tier-list/early-game-tier/) picks immediately.
How do I earn permanent upgrade currency?
Meta currency awards when runs end, scaling with floors reached and boss progress. Push deeper into [Campaign Walkthrough](/bosses/campaign-walkthrough/) routes for better payouts.
Do permanent upgrades affect Kane's shop?
Kane discount nodes in the permanent tree reduce shop prices. See [Kane the Rat](/items/kane-the-rat/) for run-scoped purchases.
Can I respec permanent upgrades?
Launch version respec rules depend on CAGE Studios patches — check [Updates Hub](/updates/) if a respec token is added post-launch.
Are permanent upgrades required to beat bosses?
Skilled players clear on minimal meta; five capitalist bosses and CEO gate assume partial tree investment for average runs.