You’ve survived your first few runs. You’re back at the Void Hub with a pocket full of Void Matter and a skill tree full of nodes you don’t fully understand. The Void Nexus holds over 30 permanent upgrades, and Morbid Metal gives you almost no guidance on which to buy first.
The order matters more than it looks. Spend on damage nodes before economy nodes and you’ll grind slower for the rest of your save file. Spend on survivability before unlocking the rooms that generate power spikes, and you’ll survive longer but plateau faster. The order compounds — and in a roguelite, compounding mistakes are the only mistakes that actually cost you.
This guide ranks the 8 core Void Nexus unlocks by run impact, explains the mechanism behind each rank, and gives you a differentiated answer depending on whether you’re a new player surviving biome one, a casual player chasing consistent runs, or an optimiser squeezing every drop of Void Matter efficiency. For a full breakdown of characters, combat, and the first boss, see our Morbid Metal Beginner’s Guide.
Verified against the Early Access build, April 8, 2026. Ubisoft and Screen Juice have new permanent upgrades confirmed for Early Summer 2026 — rankings will update when the patch lands.
Quick Start: What to Buy First (Before You Read Anything Else)
- Claim Perfect Dodge Counter immediately — it’s free and gates the entire upgrade tree
- Spend your first 15 Void Matter on Ka-ching! (3 levels) before any other 5 VM node
- Buy Boot Repository — guarantees a run-start repository room every single run
- Get Iron Resilience to 2–3 levels for a survivability floor
- Buy Run Bargain Unlock (30 VM) once your economy is stable
- Buy Run Corpora Enhancer Unlock (30 VM) after the Bargain gateway is in place
- Grab Additional Corpora Enhancements twice — gives 3 total enhancement uses per run
- Get Body Augmentation once your runs regularly reach biome three
How the Void Nexus Meta-Progression System Works
Morbid Metal has two upgrade tracks and players frequently confuse them. In-run progression happens at Eden’s Emporium mid-run using Nano Chips — those purchases reset every run. Permanent meta-progression happens at the Void Nexus in the Void Hub using Void Matter, and those upgrades carry over forever.
The Void Nexus organises its upgrades across three sub-systems: the permanent stat and gateway tree (the focus of this guide), Protocols (permanent attack unlocks), and Corpora (new character variants that become available during runs). The stat tree alone has over 30 nodes, but the core 8 unlocks below cover the decisions that shape the first 20–30 hours of your save file.
The most important mechanical rule: every purchase is fully refundable. There’s a refund button at the Void Nexus on-screen at all times, and it returns your entire Void Matter investment instantly. That means there’s no catastrophically wrong spend — just suboptimal ordering. Spend everything before each new run; unspent Void Matter earns nothing and has no carry-over value. Upgrades compound. Raw currency doesn’t.
The 8 Core Unlocks Ranked by Run Impact
These are ranked by the degree to which each unlock changes the quality or outcome of a typical run — combining cost efficiency, immediacy of impact, and interaction with other systems. Costs confirmed via community guides; note Boot Repository’s exact cost may vary — check the Void Nexus in-game.
| Rank | Unlock | Cost | Effect | ROI Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Boot Repository | ~30 VM | Starts each run with a repository room | Highest consistent quality uplift per run |
| #2 | Ka-ching! | 5 VM per stack (×10) | +10% Void Matter income per level | Highest long-term ROI of any 5 VM spend |
| #3 | Perfect Dodge Counter | Free | Counterattack on well-timed dodge | Highest pure mechanical impact; automatic |
| #4 | Iron Resilience | 5 VM per stack | +10 max HP per level | Best immediate survivability dividend |
| #5 | Run Bargain Unlock | 30 VM | Enables Devil’s Bargain rooms in runs | Highest per-run upside potential |
| #6 | Run Corpora Enhancer Unlock | 30 VM | Enables Corpora Enhancer rooms in runs | Build optimization mid-run |
| #7 | Additional Corpora Enhancements | 30 VM each (×2) | +1 extra Corpora Enhancement use per purchase | Qualitative multiplier on #6 |
| #8 | Body Augmentation | 30 VM | +1 Character Routine slot per run | Best build diversity ceiling; value arrives later |
#1 — Boot Repository: The Starting Item Unlock
Every repository room you find in a run gives you a Routine, a Corpora, or another mid-run upgrade. Normally those rooms are random and scattered — you can go two or three combat rooms without finding one. Boot Repository guarantees a repository room at the very start of every iteration.
That guarantee compounds across every future run. You get an extra build piece before you’ve taken a single hit. For a game where early runs often collapse in biome one due to weak starting builds, that baseline stability is worth more than any single stat upgrade at the same cost. The unlock isn’t flashy — it doesn’t increase a number — but it changes the floor of every run you ever play.
#2 — Ka-ching!: The Economy Multiplier
Ka-ching! adds +10% Void Matter income per level, stackable up to 10 times for a theoretical +100% income ceiling. The mechanism is what makes it exceptional — it applies to every kill in every future run, making all future upgrade milestones closer in real-time terms. Spend 5 VM now, and you need to earn approximately 50 more Void Matter before Ka-ching! pays for itself (you’d have earned that 50 at 110% vs 100%). That break-even happens inside your very next run. After that, every run accelerates your purchasing power by 10% per level stacked. See the dedicated section below for the full compounding breakdown.
#3 — Perfect Dodge Counter: The Free Gateway
Perfect Dodge Counter costs nothing and grants a counterattack when you dodge right before an incoming attack lands. Getting it first isn’t a strategic choice — the skill tree treats it as the mandatory entry node that gates everything else. But its role isn’t just structural. Without the counter, dodging is purely evasive: you move away and lose offensive momentum. With it, well-timed dodges become damage windows. Against bosses who hit hard and often, every clean dodge becomes a punish. The skill ceiling it unlocks is real, and it’s free — there’s no reason not to have it before you leave the hub for your very first run.
#4 — Iron Resilience: The Survivability Floor
Iron Resilience gives +10 max HP per level. The exact value isn’t exciting, but its function is: it raises the margin for error in biome one, when your damage output is lowest and enemy patterns are still unfamiliar. Most early runs end not because of bad build decisions but because a single bad exchange removes enough HP to turn the next room into a coinflip. A few levels of Iron Resilience pushes that margin high enough to survive mistakes. It ranks below Ka-ching! because Ka-ching!’s compounding value is greater over time — but if your runs are consistently ending in biome one, get Iron Resilience to level 2 or 3 before worrying about economy nodes.
#5 — Run Bargain Unlock: The Power Ceiling
Run Bargain Unlock does one thing: allows Devil’s Bargain rooms to spawn in your runs. Devil’s Bargains are trade encounters where you exchange something — health, resources, or another cost — for a significant power spike. Without this unlock, those rooms don’t exist in your runs at all. The 30 VM cost makes this a mid-progression purchase, but its run-level impact is categorical — it adds an entire power pathway that no +2.5% damage node can match. It’s the first of the three gateway 30 VM unlocks worth prioritising, because power ceiling matters more than build depth once economy and survivability are stable.
#6 — Run Corpora Enhancer Unlock: Build Optimization Mid-Run
The Corpora Enhancer lets you adjust your active Corpora stats during a run. Without this unlock, the Corpora Enhancer room simply never appears. With it, you gain the ability to mid-course-correct your build when it’s underperforming — boosting a weak stat, switching a damage emphasis, or tightening a synergy before the next boss. Its value scales with how deep into runs you’re surviving; if you’re still dying in biome one, the Corpora Enhancer rarely appears anyway. Unlock it after Run Bargain, because Devil’s Bargains give you raw power and Corpora Enhancer helps you steer the power you already have.
#7 — Additional Corpora Enhancements: The Multiplier
Once the Corpora Enhancer is live in your runs (unlock #6), Additional Corpora Enhancements lets you use it more than once per run. Each purchase adds one use; buy it twice for a maximum of three total Corpora Enhancement uses per run. This is a qualitative shift, not an incremental one. One use means you correct your build once. Three uses means you adapt continuously as room types and enemy compositions shift across biomes — a genuinely different game. The 30 VM per purchase makes it a later investment, but it’s the unlock that most rewards players who’ve already stabilised their runs with the earlier unlocks.
#8 — Body Augmentation: Deeper Build Diversity
Body Augmentation adds one Character Routine slot per run. Routines are mid-run upgrades tied to specific characters that modify Protocols and stack character-specific perks. More slots means more layered effects, more build depth, more variation between runs. It sits at #8 not because it’s unimportant, but because its payoff arrives late: you need stable income, survivability, and the key room unlocks before extra Routine slots translate into consistently better outcomes. Buy it when your runs are regularly reaching biome three.
After the Core 8: Damage and Cooldown Nodes
Skill Issue (+2.5% skill damage), Overclocking (−2.5% skill cooldown), and Attack Speed Augments (+2.5% attack speed) are all stackable up to 10 times at 5 VM per level. They provide steady compound power scaling, but they improve runs that are already stable rather than rescuing runs that aren’t. Stack them liberally once the first eight unlocks are in place.
Which Unlock to Prioritise Based on Your Playstyle
The ranked list above is the optimal general order. This table calibrates it based on where your runs are currently failing:
| Player Type | Current Bottleneck | First 3 Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| New player | Dying in biome one | Perfect Dodge Counter → Iron Resilience (×3) → Boot Repository |
| Casual | Inconsistent runs, no build direction | Boot Repository → Ka-ching! (×3) → Run Bargain Unlock |
| Optimiser | Slow Void Matter accumulation | Ka-ching! (×3 immediately) → Boot Repository → Run Corpora Enhancer Unlock |
| Completionist | Wants full unlock access fast | Perfect Dodge Counter → Ka-ching! → every 30 VM gateway in order |
One rule applies to all types: never skip Perfect Dodge Counter (free and gates the entire tree), and use the refund button any time your early spends don’t match your current priority.
The Ka-ching! Compounding Mechanic Explained
Here’s the mechanism in full. Ka-ching! applies a percentage bonus to Void Matter earned from every combat encounter for the rest of your save file — not a lump sum, a multiplier on every future earn.
At one level (5 VM spent, +10% income): if a typical run earns you 100 Void Matter, you now earn 110. That extra 10 per run means the 5 VM cost is recovered after half a run, and every run after that runs at +10% rate. At three levels stacked (+30% income): a 100 VM run becomes 130 VM. You’re effectively buying 30% more upgrades per run for free. The break-even on three levels of Ka-ching! (15 VM total) is roughly one run.
The implication: every run you play without Ka-ching! stacked is a run where you’re leaving Void Matter on the table. It doesn’t feel dramatic, but the highest-ROI unlock in any roguelite meta-progression system is always the one that makes you richer faster — because it compounds into every other choice you’ll ever make. Stack Ka-ching! to at least level 3 before other 5 VM nodes; level 5 is the practical ceiling before diminishing returns make the 30 VM gateway unlocks more valuable per-VM-spent.
If You’ve Already Spent Sub-Optimally: The Refund Fix
The refund mechanic means no early mistake is permanent. If you spent Void Matter on Skill Issue or Attack Speed before getting Ka-ching! or Boot Repository, you can fix it before your next run: go to the Void Nexus, hit the refund button, and reallocate. All VM returns immediately at zero cost. Re-invest in the correct order and you’ve fully caught up — no unlock is lost, no progression is wasted.
One constraint: refunds apply between runs, not mid-run. Refund before you descend. If you’re not sure whether your current allocation is optimal, use the player-type table above as a benchmark against what you actually have unlocked.
What’s Coming to Meta-Progression
Morbid Metal is in Early Access and Screen Juice has confirmed new permanent upgrades arriving in Early Summer 2026. The rankings in this guide reflect the April 8, 2026 launch build. When new nodes arrive, the relative priority of existing upgrades may shift — particularly if new economy or run-consistency unlocks compete with Ka-ching! or Boot Repository. The refund mechanic means you can immediately respond to any rebalance at zero cost.
FAQ
Is there any reason to hold Void Matter instead of spending it?
Almost never. Unspent VM earns nothing and carries no strategic value — upgrades compound, raw currency doesn’t. Spend everything at the Void Nexus before every run. The only exception: if you’re a few VM short of a specific 30 VM gateway unlock and want to hit it precisely on your next run, holding is fine — but don’t hold for multiple runs hoping to stockpile.
Can I eventually unlock everything in the Void Nexus?
Yes. The tree has no permanent locks once prerequisites are cleared. With Ka-ching! stacked to level 3–5, you’ll fill out the core unlocks within 15–20 runs. New permanent upgrades are confirmed for Early Summer 2026, which will extend the tree — but the full-unlock ceiling remains achievable on a single save file.
Should I max Ka-ching! to level 10 before buying any 30 VM unlocks?
No. The income gains past level 5 are meaningful but diminishing relative to the run-quality unlocks you’re deferring. Get Ka-ching! to level 3, buy Boot Repository and the 30 VM gateways, then return to Ka-ching! after the critical unlocks are in place. Waiting to max Ka-ching! first delays run-quality improvements by 4–6 runs, which costs more value than the marginal income gains provide.
What if a new patch changes the unlock values?
Use the refund button. The Void Nexus lets you reallocate your full investment at any time between runs at zero cost. When Screen Juice rebalances nodes or adds new ones in Early Summer 2026, you can respond immediately without losing any Void Matter.
Sources
- The Best Upgrades To Unlock First In Morbid Metal — TheGamer
- Morbid Metal Beginner Guide: Master Combat and Upgrades 2026 — Morbid Metal Wiki
- Things To Know Before Starting To Play Morbid Metal — TheGamer
- Morbid Metal Best Early Upgrades Guide — KosGuides
- Play Morbid Metal in Early Access on April 8 — Ubisoft News
- Morbid Metal Early Access Roadmap Revealed — Ubisoft News
I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.