PokeSurvivor has 15 permanent upgrades, bought per Pokémon with PokéCoins. They persist on the account but apply only to that partner. Vitality gives +8 HP per level, Strength +4% damage, Stride +3% speed, Reflexes −3% cooldown and Armor +2% defense. Repertoire starts runs with two moves; Starting move and Second starting move let you choose the opening attacks.
What persists and what does not
Permanent upgrades are bought between runs and stored on the account. They are separate from the level-up cards inside a run. A run’s move levels, held item and bonds do not carry over; the permanent upgrades do.
Upgrades are per Pokémon. Spending coins on Gengar does not improve Kartana. The game UI applies the upgrades only while playing that partner, so check the selected partner before buying. This is the main reason to focus coins on one main.
The held items are run-only, and bonds are a run resource. Do not confuse either with permanent upgrades.
All 15 upgrades
| Upgrade | Per level | Max level | Max cost (current formula) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitality | +8 max HP | 10 | 3,270 coins |
| Strength | +4% damage | 10 | 5,050 |
| Stride | +3% speed | 8 | 2,420 |
| Reflexes | −3% cooldown | 8 | 3,340 |
| Armor | +2% defense | 8 | 2,750 |
| Synthesis | +0.2 HP/s | 5 | 1,590 |
| Magnet | +12% pickup range | 6 | 820 |
| Wisdom | +5% experience | 8 | 3,700 |
| Fortune | +8% PokéCoins | 8 | 4,950 |
| Repertoire | Start with 2 moves | 1 | 1,500 |
| Critical Hit | +3% crit chance (×1.5 damage) | 10 | 6,300 |
| Card reroll | +1 level-up reroll per run | 5 | 2,360 |
| Ban | Block 1 move from level-up cards | 3 | 1,950 |
| Starting move | Choose the first move | 1 | 400 |
| Second starting move | Choose the second move; requires Repertoire | 1 | 400 |
The max cost column is the sum of every level at the current base/growth values with the in-game rounding. It is not the price of the next level. The total to max all 15 for one Pokémon is 40,800 coins by the same calculation.
Cost formula and totals
Each level costs round(base × growth^level / 10) × 10. The price rises with the level, so the last level is much more expensive than the first. A fan wiki total of 40,400 coins predates the current rounding or one of the newer upgrades; recomputing the current list gives 40,800.
Do not max every upgrade on a partner you are still testing. Buy the role stats first, then decide whether the utility upgrades are worth the coins. The gacha guide explains how tickets and duplicate refunds affect collection spending; coins are a separate currency.
Early purchase order
- Vitality and Stride: the cheapest way to survive a mistake and leave a closing pocket.
- Reflexes or Strength: pick cooldown for a buff-heavy or area build, damage for a single-target build.
- Repertoire: 1,500 coins for a second starting move changes every run, but only after the partner is chosen as a main.
- Starting move: 400 coins to choose the opening attack. Take it after Repertoire if you want a two-move start.
- Wisdom or Fortune: economy upgrades once the partner can reliably finish runs.
- Critical Hit, Card reroll, Ban: later optimization; they do not fix a weak core.
This is a planning order, not an official priority. A player who dies early should value defense and movement; a player who reaches the 15:00 boss should value single-target damage.
Repertoire and starting moves
Repertoire makes the partner start with two moves. Without it, the second starting move is not available. Starting move lets you choose the first attack from the partner’s legal pool; Second starting move lets you choose the second when Repertoire is owned. If the chosen move is no longer legal for the partner, the game falls back to the default.
The choices matter most for partners with a weak default attack or a split physical/special pool. A special attacker should not choose a physical opening move just because it is available. The build guide explains the move pool and stat split.
Common mistakes
- Spreading coins across five partners. Each one ends up under-upgraded.
- Buying Second starting move without Repertoire. It needs Repertoire; the game will not provide the second move otherwise.
- Maxing Fortune before survival. More coins at the end do not help a run that ends at minute 3.
- Treating a fan total as the next-level price. The max cost is the sum of all levels, not the current upgrade.
If a purchase seems to have no effect, confirm the selected partner first. Upgrades are per Pokémon and do not transfer.
Quick answers
Are permanent upgrades shared between Pokémon?
No. They are bought per Pokémon and apply only while playing that partner.
How many permanent upgrades are there?
15 in the current build, including Repertoire, Starting move and Second starting move.
What does Repertoire do?
It makes the partner start with two moves. Second starting move requires Repertoire and lets you choose the second move.
How much does it cost to max one Pokémon?
40,800 coins by the current base, growth and rounding values. The fan wiki’s 40,400 figure does not match the current 15-upgrade list.
Sources and scope
These sources were checked on 22 October 2026. This is source-based guidance, not a claim that the site played every route. The live game can change after an update.
- Official upgrades data (GitHub main) — 15 upgrades, per-level values, max levels, cost formula and Repertoire requirements.
- PokeSurvivor wiki upgrades page — Independent per-Pokémon explanation and an older total; checked 22 October 2026.
- PokéSurvivor official guide — Per-Pokémon upgrade scope.
- Official news — 20 October second-starting-move addition.