---
title: "Gunfire Reborn: Complete Guide"
game: "Gunfire Reborn"
game_url: "https://qna.gg/games/gunfire-reborn"
author: "Qloud"
author_url: "https://qna.gg/players/Qloud"
topics: ["Builds", "Co-op", "Weapons"]
summary: "A guide to Duoyi's FPS roguelite: how a run works, heroes and their DLCs, weapons and elements, Occult Scrolls, permanent progression, and what Season 8 \"Myriad Souls\" adds. Researched September 2026 — current as of…"
url: "https://qna.gg/g/gunfire-reborn-complete-guide-f1129c2e"
published: "2026-09-27T17:11:43.138Z"
updated: "2026-09-27T17:11:43.138Z"
source: "QnA.GG"
---

# Gunfire Reborn: Complete Guide

A guide to Duoyi's FPS roguelite: how a run works, heroes and their DLCs, weapons and elements, Occult Scrolls, permanent progression, and what Season 8 "Myriad Souls" adds.

*Researched September 2026 — current as of Season 8 "Myriad Souls" (second mid-season update, September 10, 2026; hotfix September 17, 2026). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.*

## Quick Start

1. **Runs are short, deaths are normal.** Each run goes through several Acts of procedurally generated stages. When you die you keep permanent currency for talents, and your next run starts fresh.
2. **Spend Soul Essence on talents between runs.** The talent tree gives permanent boosts to damage, health, economy and more. It's the single biggest reason early runs get easier.
3. **Pick one element and build around it.** Fire (Burning), Shock and Corrosion each have their own synergies. Mixing all three in one run usually makes you weaker.
4. **Occult Scrolls make the build.** You pick them up from chests, Mystic Chests and Peddlers. Read them carefully, because many change how your weapons work.
5. **Two weapons, plus upgrades.** You carry two guns. Upgrading a weapon raises its damage and can unlock Inscriptions. Commit to one main gun and keep upgrading it.
6. **Copper is your in-run money.** Spend it at the Peddler on scrolls, upgrades and healing. Don't hoard it.
7. **Lucky Shot is the crit.** Weak spots (usually heads) and Lucky Shot chance both multiply damage. Aim for heads.
8. **Play co-op if you can.** Up to four players. Scaling is fair and different heroes combo well.
9. **Use your dash.** Dashing through projectiles is how you survive. Several Season 8 items reward dashing.
10. **Seasons are optional extras.** Seasons add new systems on top of the normal game (see below). You can ignore them while learning.

## How a Run Works

- **Acts:** there are four Acts, each with its own setting, enemies and boss: **Longling Tomb**, **Anxi Desert**, **Duo Fjord** and **Hyperborean Jolla**. Each Act has several stages and ends in a boss fight.
- **Stages** contain combat rooms and side rooms. Side rooms can hold chests, Peddlers, Mystic Chests (trade something for a random reward), and challenge or event rooms.
- **Difficulty:** once you beat the game at one difficulty, higher difficulty levels unlock with tougher enemies and extra rewards. Most players climb these one step at a time.
- **Rewards after a run:** Soul Essence and other permanent unlocks, even when you die.

## Heroes

Every hero has a primary skill, a secondary skill and a passive, and each plays very differently. The base game includes the core roster. Additional heroes come in paid DLC packs (two per pack).

| Source | Heroes | Style (short version) |
|---|---|---|
| Base game | Crown Prince, Ao Bai, Qing Yan, Lei Luo, Tao, Qian Sui and other free heroes added over time | A mix of elemental specialists, tanks and gunslingers. Ao Bai is the classic beginner pick |
| Visitors of Spirit Realm (Aug 2022) | Xing Zhe, Li | Xing Zhe pulls out hairs to summon clones whose effects depend on weapon type, and uses an Essence Chain to strengthen weapons. Li commands a flaming fox and blazing meteors |
| Artisan and Magician (May 2023) | Zi Xiao, Nona | Zi Xiao divines astrological aspects from the quality of your Occult Scrolls. Nona fights alongside a self-crafted wooden mecha that draws fire and gives defensive support |
| Realm of Frost and Inkwash (Sep 2024) | Lyn, Momo | Lyn reveals enemy flaws and freezes them. Momo uses inkwash to block threats and push enemies back, and can turn into an inkwash spirit to move through crowds |
| Echoes From Primal Grove (Oct 2025) | Yoyo, Cang Jue | Yoyo conjures life-draining jade orbs and summons forest spirits. Cang Jue has two souls in one form, alternating raw strength and shape-shifting mystic arts |

**Beginner recommendations:**
- **Ao Bai:** can dual-wield and fire two guns at once. Simple and strong.
- **Crown Prince:** the default starting hero; a solid all-rounder while you learn the systems.
- **A tankier hero:** once unlocked, pick one of the sturdier heroes (read the hero screen's skill descriptions) to learn boss patterns with more room for error.

Heroes unlock through play and in-game currency (base roster) or by owning their DLC. Each hero also has its own progression; check the hero screen for unlock conditions.

## Weapons, Elements and Upgrades

**Weapon types** include pistols, rifles, shotguns, snipers, bows, launchers, and special magic-style weapons. Weapons draw from separate ammo pools depending on type, so running two weapons that use different ammo keeps you firing when one runs dry.

**Elements**

| Element | Status effect | Strong against |
|---|---|---|
| Fire | Burning: damage over time | Enemies without shields or armor bars (health) |
| Shock | Shock damage and chaining | Shields |
| Corrosion | Corrosion damage and debuffs | Armor |

Enemy health bars show whether they have **shields** or **armor** on top of health. Match your element to the bar for big damage increases.

**Weapon upgrades:** Level up weapons at Peddlers or with upgrade materials. Upgrading adds **Inscriptions** (bonus traits). Some weapons have **exclusive Inscriptions** tied to the weapon itself. For example, the Season 8 update in July 2026 reworked the **Prism** with new exclusive Inscriptions based on darts and Lucky Shot, and the August 7, 2026 patch lowered its Weapon Resources cap from 16 to 12.

## Occult Scrolls

Occult Scrolls are passive items that stack into a build. Rules of thumb:

- **Commit to an element or mechanic** (Lucky Shot, skill damage, weapon damage, status effects).
- **Economy scrolls** that earn Copper are strong early in a run.
- **Healing and shield scrolls** are worth picking if you're dying in the second Act.
- **Legendary and special scrolls** can change a whole build. Read them.
- **Enhanced Occult Scrolls** are stronger versions of some scrolls. The September 2026 Special-slot Spiritual Link can temporarily turn a scroll into its Enhanced version.
- **Spiritual Links** combine several specific scrolls into a set bonus. Season 8 has added more of them.

## Season 8: "Myriad Souls"

Seasons add layers of new systems. Season 8 centers on **Soul Pendants** and **Soul Jades**.

**Mid-season update 1 (July 30, 2026):**
- Two new Soul Pendants and a batch of new Soul Jade effects.
- Three weapons reworked (including the dart-based Prism).
- New routes in some stages and Occult Scroll changes.

**Mid-season update 2 (September 10, 2026):**
- **New Soul Pendants:** the **Ichthyosaurus Soul Pendant** (chaotic elemental punishment) and the **Serpent Soul Pendant** (summons a phantom Abyssal Serpent that attacks alongside your gunfire with water).
- **New Soul Jades.**
- A **custom mark feature** for Soul Pendant marks on the battlefield.
- **New routes** in Stage 1 and Stage 2 of Act 4.
- **New Spiritual Links**, with effects such as:
  - Each dash gives +20% Weapon and Skill DMG and +10% movement speed for 4 seconds.
  - Refresh a Peddler up to 3 times for 300 Copper each.
  - A 20% chance for a bonus reward when choosing the Mystic Chest option.
  - Periodic Skill DMG bonus based on Lucky Shot.
  - A Special slot that temporarily enhances the Occult Scroll you put in it.
  - One refresh of Spiritual Blessings at each Spiritual Remnant.

The developers say more mid-season updates and **Season 9** are in the works. September 10 and 17 also brought bug-fix patches.

## Permanent Progression

- **Talents:** spend **Soul Essence** on a long talent tree between runs. Early on, focus on damage, survivability and economy (more Copper, better Peddler prices).
- **Hero growth:** each hero has its own progress track and upgrades.
- **Collection / Journal:** unlock more weapons and scrolls by finding them, which also widens what can drop in later runs.

**Talent priority for new players:**
1. Base damage and crit/Lucky Shot damage
2. Max health and shields
3. More Copper and cheaper purchases
4. Revives and extra recovery
5. Quality-of-life talents (extra ammo, faster reload)

## Build Archetypes

| Archetype | Core idea | Good fits |
|---|---|---|
| Lucky Shot sniper | High-damage precise weapons plus Lucky Shot scrolls | Headshot-heavy players |
| Skill spam | Scrolls that cut skill cooldown and boost skill damage | Heroes with strong primary skills |
| Elemental status | Stack Burning, Shock or Corrosion scrolls with fitting weapons | Any hero; easy to understand |
| Summons / companions | Clones, mecha, spirits | Xing Zhe, Nona, Yoyo |
| Dash-based (Season 8) | Dash buffs from new Spiritual Links | High-mobility players |

## Co-op Tips

- Mix roles: one tank or crowd-controller, one high-damage hero, one support-style hero.
- Revive quickly. Downed teammates can be revived, but on higher difficulties waiting is fatal.
- Share Peddler purchases by talking. It's easy for two players to fight over the same scroll.
- Split up elements: one Shock player for shields, one Corrosion player for armor.

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

- **Grabbing every scroll.** Some scrolls clash, and a few have drawbacks. Build a plan.
- **Spreading upgrades across two guns.** One strong gun beats two average ones.
- **Ignoring shields and armor bars.** Shooting a shielded enemy with Corrosion is slow.
- **Standing still.** Most bosses punish players who don't strafe and dash.
- **Hoarding Copper.** Spend it on upgrades and healing before the boss.
- **Skipping talents.** Early talents make a massive difference.

## Advanced Tips

- **Weapon Resources:** some weapons build up resources to fire special attacks. Learn how each one charges (the Prism, for example, only gains resources from hits before a bounce since August 2026).
- **Refresh Peddlers:** with the Season 8 Spiritual Link that allows refreshes, Peddlers become a reliable way to find the scroll you need.
- **Mystic Chests:** the trade is sometimes worth it. Season 8 adds a chance for bonus rewards.
- **Enhanced scrolls:** the Special slot Spiritual Link temporarily upgrades an Occult Scroll you place in it (it doesn't work on non-discardable scrolls or scrolls with discard effects).
- **Act 4 routes:** the new routes in Act 4 Stage 1 and 2 give more options for rooms and rewards.
- **Voice changer and custom marks:** new features in the September 2026 update.

## FAQ

**How many heroes are there?**
The base roster plus eight DLC heroes (two per DLC pack, four packs). Check the in-game hero list for the full current roster.

**Do I need the DLC?**
No. The base game is complete. Each DLC adds two heroes, and some packs add new weapons too (Artisan and Magician, for example, added four).

**What's the newest DLC?**
Echoes From Primal Grove (October 22, 2025), with Yoyo and Cang Jue.

**What's the current season?**
Season 8 "Myriad Souls". The second mid-season update arrived on September 10, 2026. Season 9 is in development.

**Is there cross-platform play?**
The game is on PC, mobile, Xbox and PlayStation, and a Switch version has been announced. Check the official site for current crossplay status before planning a mixed-platform group.

**Who is the best hero for beginners?**
Ao Bai is the usual recommendation: dual-wielding is simple and hits hard. Crown Prince, the starter, is also fine for learning.

**Is there a Gunfire Reborn x Barony bundle?**
Yes, launched September 10, 2026, with an extra 10% off.

## Sources

- [Gunfire Reborn on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1217060/)
- [Update Notes 9/10: Second Mid-Season Update of Season 8 (Steam)](https://steamstore-a.akamaihd.net/news/externalpost/steam_community_announcements/1843481262691169)
- [Tavern Chat #021 (Steam, 2026-09-04)](https://steamstore-a.akamaihd.net/news/externalpost/steam_community_announcements/1842846814445852)
- [Update Notes 8/7 (Steam, Prism change)](https://steamstore-a.akamaihd.net/news/externalpost/steam_community_announcements/1840310314343710)
- [Season 8 Mid-Season Update Part I (Steam, 2026-07-30)](https://steamstore-a.akamaihd.net/news/externalpost/steam_community_announcements/1839676055884558)
- [Echoes From Primal Grove DLC (Steam)](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3920680/)
- [Realm of Frost and Inkwash DLC (Steam)](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3063250/)
- [Artisan and Magician DLC (Steam)](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2430400/)
- [Visitors of Spirit Realm DLC (Steam)](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2111850/)
- [Gunfire Reborn on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunfire_Reborn)