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Steam News18 January 20265mo ago

Dev Diary 3 - Upgrades and Unlocks

Hello Survivors! Upgrades and unlocks make every run feel unique and encourage experimentation. With over 150 upgrades available during a single run, there are countless ways to shape your build.

In this update3

Full notes

Full SpinWave Survivors update

Read the full published notes in a cleaner layout. The original post stays linked below.

What changed

0 fixes5 additions2 changes0 removals
  • Gameplay
  • Balance
  • Maps
addedUpgradesAbility Upgrades come in a few different forms. Some are timed abilities, like turrets that automatically deploy a variety of turrets every few seconds. Others are active abilities, such as Dash, which lets you manually dash left or right to avoid danger. Add extra effects and stat upgrades to build off these and achieve powerful combos.
changedUpgradesWeapon enhancements can drastically alter the stats of a weapon, who doesn't want a rapid fire sniper rifle thats widely inaccurate?
changedUpgradesMechanical Failures offer massive stat boosts that affect both you and your enemies. Choosing these pushes the game into faster, more chaotic territory and gives you a chance to show off some truly extreme builds.
addedUnlocksAs you play, Challenges unlock new abilities, game modes, weapons, drivers, and maps. Some unlocks also expand existing abilities by adding new upgrade options the more you use them, encouraging build diversity and experimentation across runs.
addedUnlocksPermanent Upgrades increase your base stats, helping you grow stronger and speed up future runs. These are earned using kills as currency and can be reset for free at any time, so you’re never locked out of trying new builds or strategies.
addedUpdate Time!🌴 A new Jungle map

SpinWave Survivors changes

addedAbility Upgrades come in a few different forms. Some are timed abilities, like turrets that automatically deploy a variety of turrets every few seconds. Others are active abilities, such as Dash, which lets you manually dash left or right to avoid danger. Add extra effects and stat upgrades to build off these and achieve powerful combos.
changedWeapon enhancements can drastically alter the stats of a weapon, who doesn't want a rapid fire sniper rifle thats widely inaccurate?
changedMechanical Failures offer massive stat boosts that affect both you and your enemies. Choosing these pushes the game into faster, more chaotic territory and gives you a chance to show off some truly extreme builds.
addedAs you play, Challenges unlock new abilities, game modes, weapons, drivers, and maps. Some unlocks also expand existing abilities by adding new upgrade options the more you use them, encouraging build diversity and experimentation across runs.
addedPermanent Upgrades increase your base stats, helping you grow stronger and speed up future runs. These are earned using kills as currency and can be reset for free at any time, so you’re never locked out of trying new builds or strategies.

Hello Survivors!

Upgrades and unlocks make every run feel unique and encourage experimentation. With over 150 upgrades available during a single run, there are countless ways to shape your build.

Need massive explosions to break through shielded enemies?

Or maybe you want to pair a fast-firing minigun with gunner drones that trigger every time you fire a bullet?

Upgrades

  • Ability Upgrades come in a few different forms. Some are timed abilities, like turrets that automatically deploy a variety of turrets every few seconds. Others are active abilities, such as Dash, which lets you manually dash left or right to avoid danger. Add extra effects and stat upgrades to build off these and achieve powerful combos.

  • Weapon enhancements can drastically alter the stats of a weapon, who doesn't want a rapid fire sniper rifle thats widely inaccurate?

  • Mechanical Failures offer massive stat boosts that affect both you and your enemies. Choosing these pushes the game into faster, more chaotic territory and gives you a chance to show off some truly extreme builds.

Unlocks

  • As you play, Challenges unlock new abilities, game modes, weapons, drivers, and maps. Some unlocks also expand existing abilities by adding new upgrade options the more you use them, encouraging build diversity and experimentation across runs.

  • Permanent Upgrades increase your base stats, helping you grow stronger and speed up future runs. These are earned using kills as currency and can be reset for free at any time, so you’re never locked out of trying new builds or strategies.

Update Time!

The latest demo update includes:

  • 🌴 A new Jungle map

  • 🔫 More weapons and abilities upgrades

  • 🏆 Leaderboard

  • 🛠️ Several minor bug fixes

Thanks for reading!

If you haven’t already, consider adding SpinWave Survivors to your Wishlist to stay up to date with future updates and development progress.

Pir8Pete

Source

Steam News / 18 January 2026

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