Upgrade Protocols

Upgrade Protocols (commonly called UPs) are permanent stat upgrades in Galactic Glitch. They are the primary progression system, boosting your Prototype's combat effectiveness across all runs.

Overview

UPs are collected during runs and provide permanent stat bonuses. Unlike Powers, UPs persist between deaths and runs, making them the main form of long-term progression.

There are four main UP types plus Golden UPs available in New Game Plus.

UP Types

Type	Color	Icon	Primary Bonus	Secondary Effects
Destruction	Red		+Weapon Damage	Projectile speed, critical chance
Resistance	Green		+Max Cohesion (HP)	Damage reduction, shield strength
Evasion	Blue		+Speed & Fire Rate	Dodge distance, cooldown reduction
Gravity	Purple		+Throw Damage	Grab range, Grav Gun effectiveness
Golden	Gold		Special Bonuses	Unique effects (NG+ only)

Stat Bonuses

Each UP level provides stat increases:

Destruction (Red)

• +5% Weapon Damage per level
• Slight increase to projectile speed
• Increased critical hit chance at higher levels

Resistance (Green)

• +3 Max Cohesion (HP) per level
• Slight damage reduction
• Improved shield effectiveness at higher levels

Evasion (Blue)

• +3% Movement Speed per level
• +2% Fire Rate per level
• Improved dodge distance at higher levels

Gravity (Purple)

• +8% Throw Damage per level
• Increased grab range
• Faster object pull speed at higher levels

How to Get UPs

UPs can be obtained from:

Source	UP Types	Notes
Enemies	Random	Common enemies occasionally drop UPs
Bosses	Guaranteed	Bosses always drop multiple UPs
Shops	Purchasable	Buy specific UP types with Shards
Crates	Random	Destructible crates may contain UPs
Room Rewards	Random	Clearing waves may reward UPs
GlitchSpace	Choice	Select UP rewards between areas

Prototype Synergies

Each Prototype has stat ratings (A-D) that affect how they benefit from UPs:

Prototype	Best UP Focus	Why
Glitch	Gravity	A-rank Gravity, maximize throw builds
Juggernaut	Resistance	A-rank Resistance, tank even harder
Ravager	Destruction/Evasion	A-rank in both, glass cannon
Frostbite	Balanced	No extreme stats, flexible
Nox	Resistance	Offset low HP with more Cohesion
Shadow	Evasion	Maximize hit-and-run potential
Brute	Destruction	A-rank Destruction, maximize damage
Carrier	Resistance/Evasion	A-rank both, support survivability
Spiky	Gravity/Evasion	A-rank both, aggressive play

Power Synergies

Certain Powers scale with specific UP types:

Destruction Scaling

• Charged Shot - Bonus damage scales with Destruction
• Guns Akimbo - Weapon damage boost
• Kill Streak - Damage bonus per kill

Resistance Scaling

• Radiant Fury - Damage below 50% HP
• Last Hope - Survival threshold
• Battle Scars - Permanent damage on hit

Evasion Scaling

• Hurricane - Dodge-triggered shockwave
• Quick Evasion - Post-dodge speed boost
• Vortex Dodge - Dodge AOE damage

Gravity Scaling

• Fireball - Throw explosion damage
• Crunchy Targets - Throw vulnerability
• Powerful Grav Gun - Medium object grabbing

Golden UPs

Golden UPs are special UPs available only in New Game Plus:

• Provide unique effects beyond stat bonuses
• Much rarer than standard UPs
• Some have powerful build-defining effects
• Require completing the game at least once

See Golden UPs for the full list.

Strategy Tips

Early Game

• Focus one stat - Specializing is better than spreading thin
• Match your Prototype - Build around your ship's strengths
• Resistance is safe - More HP helps while learning

Mid Game

• Identify your build - Choose UPs that complement your Powers
• Don't neglect Evasion - Speed and fire rate help all builds
• Shop wisely - Buy UPs that fill gaps in your build

Late Game / NG+

• Golden UPs change builds - Adapt strategy around Golden UP effects
• Max out one stat - High investment in one stat yields big returns
• Counter boss mechanics - Some bosses favor certain UP builds

Trivia

• UP stands for "Upgrade Protocol"
• The color scheme matches the Prototype stat ratings
• Golden UPs were added in a post-launch update
• Maximum UP level is not capped in the game files

See Also

• Golden UPs - Special NG+ upgrades
• Prototypes - Ships with different stat ratings
• Powers - Abilities that scale with stats
• New Game Plus - Where Golden UPs appear
• GlitchSpace - Where you choose UP rewards