Does character size increase attack range or AoE?

No. Character size is purely visual — it doesn't increase auto-attack range or the radius of AoE skills. Area is set by the weapon's attack range (base range plus Attack Range bonuses), not by model size. A bigger model only pushes the projectile's spawn point slightly outward because the muzzle is attached to the model; the damage zone itself is unchanged.

What actually scales your damage?

Damage is multiplicative: Attack × bullet coefficient × crit × (1 + element %) × final multiplier, and your damage per second is multiplied again by fire rate. Attack (flat and %) and fire rate are universal multipliers that scale everything; crit chance × crit damage and your element % compound on top; attack range only enlarges AoE coverage (more targets hit), not the damage to a single target.

Which neuroport buffs are the correct ones?

Roll and lock Attack % plus the Attack bonus that matches your weapon type (Sniper ATK for a sniper, Shotgun ATK for a shotgun, and so on). The wrong-type bonus does nothing. Elemental heroes should roll their element. The two extra slots give Attack % and Lethal (super-crit) damage.

Is awakening (evolving) a weapon worth it?

Yes. Awakening raises a weapon to S quality (a big base-stat jump), upgrades its unique skill, and — through fitting awakening — grants a permanent +8% to +12% of the weapon's attack plus a build-scaling battle skill. It's one of the strongest per-weapon damage investments because the gains are permanent, not a temporary buff.

Should I complete the full Slaughter (S) set or mix sets?

Equipment has no wear-N-pieces set bonus — each piece's skills come from its own quality tier, so a 4+2 or 3+3 mix loses nothing to a threshold. The threshold resonance players remember from gacha games is the separate relic/compass system. Even so, full Slaughter is best: it's the only S-rank gear set and its pieces carry the strongest skills (the necklace gives all units +10% final damage and rewards wearing more S pieces), so swapping any piece for a lower-rank one is simply weaker.

Which weapon fittings should I upgrade first for damage?

Every weapon has six fittings — muzzle, laser, scope, grip, stock and magazine — and each fitting's level adds the same flat Weapon Attack, so leveling all six evenly is the most direct attack gain. For the quality tiers, prioritise the fittings whose skills boost damage for your build first (laser for crit, muzzle for boss/element damage); the top (S) tier on any fitting grants a permanent +5% weapon attack that stacks.

What does the AWP's ghost effect do?

Every enemy that dies spawns a homing dark projectile that deals 100% of your attack to one target and lives up to 3 seconds. There's no cooldown, so the more kills the more ghosts. After awakening it becomes an evil spirit that also explodes on hit for an extra 20% attack as area damage.

How do I redeem Zombie Waves codes?

Open your Profile, find Bundle Code (Exchange Code), type the code and confirm. See our codes page for the current working list and full walkthrough.

Zombie Waves Guide

Everything you need to push further in Zombie Waves: the basics, what to upgrade for damage, and the deep mechanics most guides get wrong — pulled straight from the game's data, not guesswork.

How to play

Zombie Waves is a roguelite survival shooter. Your hero auto-aims and auto-fires, so you only move and dodge; between waves you draft skill cards that stack into a build for that run. Survive the timer or clear the wave to win. Modes include the roguelike tower, survival, arena PvP and car battles.

Best heroes

Heroes differ by base attack, damage element and a signature skill. Pick a hero whose element and skill match the weapons and skill cards you favour — an elemental hero only shines when your damage is that element.

See all heroes →

Best weapons

There are 27 weapons across six types — sniper, crossbow, rocket launcher, assault rifle, machine gun and shotgun. Each has its own bullet behaviour and quality skills, so the best one depends on your hero and build.

See all weapons →

Skill (citiao) priority

Between waves you draft skill cards. Prioritise cards that multiply your main damage — attack, fire rate, your weapon's element and crit — over flat utility. A focused build (one element, one damage type) beats spreading thin.

Browse hero skills →

Neurolink / Neuroport buffs

Each hero's Neuroport rolls bonus stats into slots you can lock. The correct rolls are Attack % and the Attack bonus matching your weapon type (e.g. Sniper ATK on a sniper) — an off-type bonus does nothing. Elemental heroes should roll their element. The two extra slots give Attack % and Lethal (super-crit) damage.

Explore the Neuroport →

What actually scales damage

Damage is a chain of multipliers: Attack × bullet coefficient × crit × (1 + element %) × final multiplier, with fire rate multiplying shots per second on top. Attack and fire rate are the universal levers; crit and element compound on top; attack range only widens AoE coverage, not per-target damage. See the FAQ for the proven details.

Robots & companions

Robots fight alongside you and bring their own skills and resonance bonuses — a steady source of extra damage and utility across every mode.

See all robots →

Cars & arena (PvP)

Cars power the vehicle battles and the arena PvP mode, which runs on its own ruleset — several PvE mechanics are flat-capped or disabled in the arena.

See all cars →

Codes

Redeem codes give free diamonds, coins and stamina. We keep a current, regularly-checked list with a how-to-redeem walkthrough.

Get the latest codes →

Frequently asked questions

Does character size increase attack range or AoE?: No. Character size is purely visual — it doesn't increase auto-attack range or the radius of AoE skills. Area is set by the weapon's attack range (base range plus Attack Range bonuses), not by model size. A bigger model only pushes the projectile's spawn point slightly outward because the muzzle is attached to the model; the damage zone itself is unchanged.
What actually scales your damage?: Damage is multiplicative: Attack × bullet coefficient × crit × (1 + element %) × final multiplier, and your damage per second is multiplied again by fire rate. Attack (flat and %) and fire rate are universal multipliers that scale everything; crit chance × crit damage and your element % compound on top; attack range only enlarges AoE coverage (more targets hit), not the damage to a single target.
Which neuroport buffs are the correct ones?: Roll and lock Attack % plus the Attack bonus that matches your weapon type (Sniper ATK for a sniper, Shotgun ATK for a shotgun, and so on). The wrong-type bonus does nothing. Elemental heroes should roll their element. The two extra slots give Attack % and Lethal (super-crit) damage.
Is awakening (evolving) a weapon worth it?: Yes. Awakening raises a weapon to S quality (a big base-stat jump), upgrades its unique skill, and — through fitting awakening — grants a permanent +8% to +12% of the weapon's attack plus a build-scaling battle skill. It's one of the strongest per-weapon damage investments because the gains are permanent, not a temporary buff.
Should I complete the full Slaughter (S) set or mix sets?: Equipment has no wear-N-pieces set bonus — each piece's skills come from its own quality tier, so a 4+2 or 3+3 mix loses nothing to a threshold. The threshold resonance players remember from gacha games is the separate relic/compass system. Even so, full Slaughter is best: it's the only S-rank gear set and its pieces carry the strongest skills (the necklace gives all units +10% final damage and rewards wearing more S pieces), so swapping any piece for a lower-rank one is simply weaker.
Which weapon fittings should I upgrade first for damage?: Every weapon has six fittings — muzzle, laser, scope, grip, stock and magazine — and each fitting's level adds the same flat Weapon Attack, so leveling all six evenly is the most direct attack gain. For the quality tiers, prioritise the fittings whose skills boost damage for your build first (laser for crit, muzzle for boss/element damage); the top (S) tier on any fitting grants a permanent +5% weapon attack that stacks.
What does the AWP's ghost effect do?: Every enemy that dies spawns a homing dark projectile that deals 100% of your attack to one target and lives up to 3 seconds. There's no cooldown, so the more kills the more ghosts. After awakening it becomes an evil spirit that also explodes on hit for an extra 20% attack as area damage.
How do I redeem Zombie Waves codes?: Open your Profile, find Bundle Code (Exchange Code), type the code and confirm. See our codes page for the current working list and full walkthrough.