Weapons in High on Life 2 aren’t just standard firearms — they’re sentient allies known as Gatlians, each with a unique personality, firing style, and special ability. Every weapon plays a role beyond combat, offering traversal tools and puzzle-solving mechanics.
Upgrades further enhance their effectiveness, allowing you to tailor damage, utility, and cooldowns to match your playstyle as you progress through the game.
1. How Weapon Upgrades Work
Jorb’s Shop
Weapon upgrades are a core progression system in High on Life 2, directly affecting how powerful, flexible, and survivable you are in combat. Most upgrades are purchased through Jorb’s Upgrade Shop, which is located inside your Quarters. Jorb specializes exclusively in weapon enhancements, making his shop the primary place to improve your arsenal.
1.1 Best Ways to Earn Pesos
Fight Club NPC
To buy upgrades from Jorb, you’ll need Pesos, the main upgrade currency. Pesos are earned naturally through regular gameplay, but players who explore thoroughly will unlock upgrades much faster. You earn Pesos by:
- Complete Main Story Bounties: Turning in bounties for major targets like Larry Pinkstock and Senator Muppy Doo awards large Peso payouts (approximately 3,000 each) — easily the most consistent and rewarding source of money in the game.
- Press the Strange Button Outside the Mall: In the free‑roam hub outside your Quarters, an NPC with a mysterious button offers 500 Pesos for pressing it. This is useful if you need a quick boost of cash. The moral warning doesn’t affect gameplay money gains.
- Complete Skate Racing Courses: Near the main world landing area, there is a snail NPC who hosts skateboard racing challenges. Completing these races gives Pesos based on your time and achievements, and they can be replayed.
- Place Bets in the Fight Club: Inside the mechanic area, an NPC lets you bet Pesos on arena fights. Choosing the right fighter and using arena traps to influence the outcome can result in net profit.
- Open Luglox Chests with Knifey: With Knifey, you can open Luglox Chests found throughout the world. During exploration, you may see small crate‑like objects with an eye peeking out. Each chest reliably contains Pesos plus other loot such as mods, Warp Crystals, and upgrades.
- Hunt for Money Crates: These crates can be stabbed open with Knifey to drop hundreds of Pesos.
Because upgrades become increasingly important in mid-to-late game encounters, consistently collecting Pesos early prevents progression slowdowns later.
1.2 Bought vs. Found Upgrades
Betting on Fights
Not all upgrades are purchased from Jorb. Some enhancements are found in the world and are unlocked by exploration rather than currency. Found upgrades are typically obtained through:
- Circuit Arcadia exploration
- Optional challenge rooms
- Hidden traversal routes requiring specific weapons or abilities
These upgrades often provide powerful bonuses without costing Pesos, rewarding players who revisit areas with newly unlocked traversal tools.
1.3 What Weapon Upgrades Improve
Gus
Each upgrade is weapon-specific and focuses on enhancing a particular aspect of that Gatlian’s performance. Upgrades are not interchangeable, so choosing which weapons to invest in is a strategic decision. Upgrades commonly improve:
- Damage Output: Increases base damage or stopping power, allowing weapons to eliminate enemies faster and stagger tougher targets.
- Headshot Multipliers: Adds or boosts critical damage when landing precision shots. These upgrades drastically increase DPS for skilled players.
- Ammo Capacity: Expands magazine size, reducing reload frequency during intense fights and improving sustained damage.
- Reload Speed: Shortens downtime between magazines, which is especially valuable during boss fights and swarm encounters.
- Special Ability Cooldowns: Reduces the recharge time of abilities like Time Bubble, Spike, Soul Hole, or Hypno Baby, allowing more frequent use of powerful effects.
2. All Weapons in High on Life 2
Knifey and Travis
Weapons in High on Life 2 are unlocked naturally as you advance through the campaign. Each one of them has different combat approaches – from close‑range crowd clearing to precision long shots and support utility effects. Their special abilities aren’t just for fighting, but for reaching higher areas and solving puzzles.
| Weapon | Type | How to Get | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gus | Shotgun-style Gatlian | Available from the first mission | High close-range damage and platform creation using lava discs. |
| Sweezy | Rapid-fire energy pistol | Unlocked early in the main story | Crowd control, sustained DPS, and slowing enemies with Time Bubble. |
| Creature | Launcher-style Gatlian | Obtained during early story missions | Passive DPS and enemy control using alien babies and Hypno Baby. |
| Sheath | Burst-fire assault rifle | Earned during the Reptical-related story mission | Balanced damage, mid-range combat, traversal, and electrical puzzles. |
| Travis & Jan | Dual energy pistols | Unlocked through main story progression | High DPS with slime-based traversal and environmental interaction. |
| B.A.L.L. | Pinball-style launcher | Collect all three hidden Ball Guys | Area damage, ricocheting shots, and enemies behind cover. |
| Shoot-O | Gravity utility weapon | Unlocked during the Party City mission | Object manipulation and puzzle utility without weapon swapping. |
| Knifey | Melee tool | Acquired early in the campaign | Melee damage, chest opening, grappling, and projectile deflection. |
3. All Weapon Upgrades
Creature
Upgrades in High on Life 2 significantly improve your Gatlians by making them more powerful, more efficient, and more effective in combat. Upgrading weapons boosts their damage output, enhances headshot potential, increases ammo capacity, improves reload times, and reduces special ability cooldowns.
| Upgrade | Weapon | Cost / Source | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agony Dial | Travis & Jan | 1,000 Pesos | Grants a headshot damage multiplier, greatly increasing critical shot damage. |
| Pouch Rounds | Travis & Jan | 1,200 Pesos | Increases ammo capacity, allowing you to fire more before reloading. |
| Cartridge Canal | Gus | 800 Pesos | Expands magazine size so you can fire longer before reloading. |
| Slug Chunker | Gus | 1,500 Pesos | Boosts stopping power for stronger close‑range damage. |
| Bone Lock | Bowie | 1,000 Pesos | Adds a headshot damage bonus, increasing arrow burst damage. |
| Portal Capacitor | Bowie | 1,200 Pesos | Reduces cooldown on the Soul Hole special ability for more frequent use. |
| Flummis | Bowie | Found in Circuit Arcadia | Increases raw stopping power without costing Pesos. |
| Panic‑Reloader | Sweezy | 1,500 Pesos | Improves reload speed, reducing time between engagements. |
| Piercer Relaxant | Sweezy | 1,200 Pesos | Speeds up charged shot timing, increasing Time Bubble and beam utility. |
| Poise Frame | Sheath | 1,500 Pesos | Increases stopping power, boosting burst rifle damage. |
| Cortex Cooler | Sheath | 1,200 Pesos | Reduces cooldown on the Spike ability, enabling more frequent special use. |
| Pressure Shot | Creature | 1,500 Pesos | Buffs charged baby attack damage, enhancing passive DPS. |
| Dogbrain Overcharger | Creature | 500 Pesos | Increases reload speed for initial shots. |
| Brain Drain | Creature | Circuit Arcadia Challenge | Significantly lowers Hypno Baby cooldown, increasing control uptime. |
3.1 Recommended Weapon Upgrades
Jan and Travis
Upgrades become more impactful as enemies grow stronger. Below are recommended upgrades to focus on first, based on playstyle and weapon strength:
| Weapon | Best Upgrade | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Sheath | Poise Frame | Best all-round weapon with strong damage and traversal utility. |
| Travis & Jan | Agony Dial | Massive DPS potential with headshot scaling. |
| Sweezy | Piercer Relaxant | Excellent crowd control and ability uptime. |
