Upgrades in Stupid Never Dies happen in the mall between dungeon dives. Bessie Burger handles Zombie Skills and improves the rarity of level-up options, while the Ink on the Brain shop handles OT Gear and Body Hack equipment. Monster parts gathered in the dungeon are a resource for Bessie. These persistent upgrades are separate from the level Davy gains during a dive, which resets to 1 on the next run.
The mall: where upgrades happen
Stupid Never Dies alternates between preparation in the mall and dives into the dungeon. GPTRACK50's September 2026 progression press release connects mall preparation directly to repeated dungeon dives. The mall is where you turn what you gathered into lasting power. Every dive ends with a chance to visit it again.
Davy's allies run the mall's services. Coverage of the second trailer connects Dr. Frank with records, Bessie with Zombie Skills, Goyle with analytics and Acelino with Body Hack. The two services documented for upgrades are Bessie Burger and Ink on the Brain.
| Service | Run by | What it upgrades | Resource |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bessie Burger | Bessie | Unlocks Zombie Skills; improves rarity of later level-up options | Monster parts |
| Ink on the Brain | Acelino | OT Gear and Body Hack equipment | Not documented |
Bessie Burger: Zombie Skills and better choices
GPTRACK50's second-trailer announcement explains that Bessie Burger unlocks Zombie Skills. Bessie also raises the rarity options offered at later dungeon level-up choices. That second effect improves every future dive, not just the current one.
The progression press release identifies monster parts as a resource for Bessie. You collect them in the dungeon and bring them back to the mall. Exact costs and unlock requirements were not documented in the sources we checked.
Zombie Skills are a different system from Style skills, which come with monster forms. Our skills guide explains how the two work together. Keeping them apart makes it easier to decide where to spend resources.
Ink on the Brain: OT Gear and Body Hack
The Ink on the Brain shop handles OT Gear and Body Hack. Acelino develops and manages equipment, according to GPTRACK50's second-trailer announcement. RPGamer's report also distinguishes these between-run upgrades from leveling inside the dungeon.
Body Hack modifies Davy's head, arms and legs, as the progression press release explains. The official site confirms gear-based stat changes and active and passive skills. Producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi has described equipment-driven customization as a basis of progression.
Equipped Body Hack gear keeps working across Style transformations, according to the developers. That makes equipment upgrades valuable in every form Davy takes. We have not verified specific item names or stats, so none are listed here.
Upgrades versus dive levels
Davy's dungeon level resets to 1 at the start of the next dive. That level is temporary and should not be confused with a permanent upgrade. Mall upgrades are what carry over from run to run.
The director explains that long-term progression also raises how quickly Davy gains experience. Equipment progress persists as well. That is why later dives level up faster even though the level number starts again at 1.
At certain level-up points within a dive, three options are offered. Bessie's upgrades improve the rarity of those options. Mall progress and dive choices therefore work together.
How upgrades fit the game loop
A full cycle runs from preparation to dive and back. You prepare in the mall, enter the dungeon at level 1, grow quickly by defeating enemies and return with resources such as monster parts. The developers describe one cycle as roughly 20 to 30 minutes.
Dungeon layers branch, according to reports on the progression video. The resources you bring back can therefore vary from run to run. Plan upgrades around what you actually collected rather than a fixed shopping list.
SEGA's DEEP BITE #2 video features director commentary on mall preparation, dungeon exploration and faster growth. It is the clearest official overview of how upgrades connect to dives. Official written announcements describe the same loop.
How to plan your upgrades
Without verified costs, the best plan is to understand what each service improves. Bessie makes future level-up choices better, while Ink on the Brain strengthens equipment that works in every Style. Both support the next dive in different ways.
Think about what slowed your last dive down. If level-up options felt weak, Bessie's rarity upgrades address that directly. If Davy struggled to survive, equipment is the part of your build that stays constant across forms.
These suggestions follow from how the services are documented. They are not measured optimal routes. We will add tested upgrade priorities after launch.
Other mall characters
Dr. Frank is connected with records, and Goyle with analytics, in coverage of the second trailer. Their exact services have not been documented in detail. We list them here because they share the mall with the upgrade shops.
None of these allies is playable. The developers confirm that Davy is the only playable character. Our characters page covers the full verified roster.
Use the official English spellings for these names. Translation variants circulate online, but Bessie, Goyle, Acelino and Dr. Frank are the official forms. This wiki uses them consistently.
Upgrades in the First Bite Demo
The free First Bite Demo introduces the mall alongside basic actions, Bite, Style Eat, Body Hack and Davy Burst. It covers approximately the opening two hours of the full game. That is enough to see how the upgrade loop works before launch.
Demo save data can carry into the full game. Anything you unlock in the trial therefore continues when you buy the game. Transfers between different platforms have not been confirmed.
Read our demo guide for download links and the full list of what the trial includes. It also names the trial's two boss encounters, Afreet and Phoenix Zaza Hotfeathers. Both can be fought for free before launch.
Cosmetics are not stat upgrades
Do not assume that cosmetic items affect Davy's stats. The sources we checked describe upgrades only through the mall services and equipment. Any cosmetic content should be treated as visual unless official material says otherwise.
The same caution applies to editions. The Standard and Glorious Idiot editions are listed on the US PlayStation page, but no source we checked describes them as granting stat upgrades. Our PS5 page compares the editions.
If an edition or bonus item does turn out to affect gameplay, we will document it with the source. Until then, this page treats upgrades as coming only from the mall and equipment. That keeps the guide limited to verified information.
What is still unknown
Exact upgrade costs, unlock requirements and maximum levels have not been documented. We have not invented them. They will be added once they can be confirmed with screenshots from the released game.
We will also check how upgrade options change after the October 21, 2026 launch. Pre-release interviews describe the systems, not final balance. Each update to this page will carry a date.
If you spot upgrade costs or requirements in the released game, you can send screenshots through our contact page. Please include your platform and game version. We review every correction against the game itself.
Sources and further reading
- SEGA / GPTRACK50 progression press release — September 22, 2026
- Gematsu: second-trailer report — June 10, 2026
- GPTRACK50 second-trailer announcement — June 10, 2026
- SEGA: DEEP BITE #2 - Game Cycle (YouTube) — September 14, 2026
- RPGamer: Video Goes for Another Bite — September 22, 2026
- Official English game website
- VGC: interview with Hiroyuki Kobayashi — April 16, 2026
- GPTRACK50 / Weekly Famitsu developer interview — May 1, 2026
- Inven Global: Gamescom director interview — September 2, 2026
- Inven Global: Gamescom / TGS developer interview — September 19, 2026
- GPTRACK50 First Bite Demo announcement — September 4, 2026
- Gematsu: First Bite demo — September 3, 2026
- PlayStation US game page
- GPTRACK50 release-date announcement — July 29, 2026