Mycopunk Beginner Guide: First Missions, Ammo Loop & Early Upgrades
Everything Mycopunk's first hours actually ask of you: one employee, two weapons that feed each other ammo, and a grid full of shaped upgrades that rewards planning over hoarding.
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- You play one of SAXON's robot rejects in the New Atlas Hazard Crew on a fungal-infested moon.
- Carry two primary weapons: damaging enemies with one refills the other's ammo.
- Spend Armament Licenses on weapons you are missing, not on duplicates of your favorite.
- Fit your build-defining upgrade first, then fill the leftover grid holes with stat pieces.
What Mycopunk Is
Mycopunk is a mission-based co-op looter shooter from Pigeons at Play, published by Devolver Digital. Your ragtag squad of robots — the New Atlas Hazard Crew — has been hired by the universal megacorp SAXON to drive back a planet-wide fungal catastrophe on New Atlas and its moonlet. Missions are short, squad-oriented runs: clear fungal hordes, complete objectives like the 1.0 population control missions, and extract with a pile of upgrade drops.
The loop that RPS described at 1.0 launch holds: land on an infected planet, shoot as much fungal life as you can while finishing objectives, earn mods, upgrade your setup, and head back out. Between missions you regroup in an orbital dropship hub redesigned in 1.0, where the insectoid SAXON veteran Roachard Cox hands out work.
The Two-Weapon Ammo Economy
Mycopunk has no ammo pickups in the classic sense. Instead, dealing damage with one primary weapon regenerates ammunition for the other — and the recovery fills the magazine before the reserves. This single design rule shapes everything:
| Habit | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Pair close range with long range | You can always contribute, so ammo keeps flowing |
| Swap before you run dry | Waiting for an empty mag wastes the recovery clock |
| Let one gun cover the other's weakness | Crowd clear + boss damage is the classic pairing |
| Keep firing during movement | Stopping to reload both guns is how squads wipe |
The Accelerator's 1.0 upgrade Confident Queen breaks this rule on purpose (more capacity, no Pocket Reload), which is why it changes how that weapon plays.
Choosing Your First Employee
Mycopunk does not lock you into classes — your identity comes from which upgrades you socket. But your employee's movement kit still matters. Early Access shipped four robots, and 1.0 added the Mycologist as a fifth (she needs rescuing first — see our Mycologist unlock guide).
Community consensus on the Steam forums rates the Glider strongest early thanks to flight and healing rockets, and the Wrangler strongest late. All four originals hold up at high threat levels, so pick the movement that feels right and lean on your grid to fill the gaps.
Spending Your First Upgrades
Every weapon, grenade and gadget has its own grid of sockets, and drops are shaped like puzzle pieces. Three rules keep your first grids clean:
- Finish one weapon's grid before starting a second. A fully-specced primary beats three half-built weapons.
- Place the upgrade that changes how the gun fires before stat boosts. Large pieces get harder to place as the grid fills.
- Use Armament Licenses on gaps. Level-ups grant licenses that unlock weapons in the order you choose — fill a missing role, not a duplicate role.
Where to Go Next
Wondering whether Mycopunk is the right squad game for your group? Read our Mycopunk vs Deep Rock Galactic and Mycopunk vs Far Far West comparisons, then head into the upgrade grid system guide — the grid is where builds actually live.
Is Mycopunk good solo?
Mycopunk is built around 4-player online co-op, and enemies that grab fallen bits to evolve get harder to manage alone. Solo play works, but squad play is clearly the intended rhythm — fallen allies can even be pieced back together from their scattered parts.
How long is a Mycopunk mission?
Most cleanup and objective missions run minutes, not hours, which is why the game fits the "visible results in 1-2 missions" pitch from its official announcement. Longer expeditions and special assignments add variety.
What should I do first in Mycopunk?
Run the opening missions, pick two weapons that cover different ranges, and pour upgrades into one grid. Save Armament Licenses until you know which role your squad is missing.
Related Guides
Mycopunk Best Builds: Weapon Pairings & 1.0 Grid Plans
Proven Mycopunk builds for 1.0: the strongest weapon pairings, dev-endorsed upgrade combos and how to rebuild around pattern-size scaling.
Mycopunk Build Maker Guide: Design Builds From Scratch
Learn how to make your own Mycopunk build: pick a weapon, budget the grid, link ability upgrades and know when to rebuild from scratch.
Mycopunk Co-op & Crossplay: Squad Play Explained
How Mycopunk co-op works: 4-player online co-op, PC and PS5 versions, crossplay coverage, and squad habits that keep cleanup missions from falling apart.
Mycopunk Fix the Truck: Hunk Escort & Wheel Repairs
How to keep Hunk the truck rolling in Mycopunk's Saxonite Transport: loading barrels, repairing wheels mid-escort and unsticking the convoy.
Mycopunk Leveling Guide: Fast Levels, Licenses & Incursion
Level fast in Mycopunk: what each player level unlocks, how Armament Licenses work, weapon-level rewards, and farming Antimass in Incursion.
Mycopunk Trophy Guide: Tips for Every Achievement Type
Mycopunk trophy and achievement tips by type: the co-op four, threat ladder, hidden achievements, grind counters and the 1.0 endgame objectives.