Weapons now unlock with ship level too. Before, they depended only on ions — anyone with enough could unlock all five on day one. Ions slowed that down, but never gave it any order. Now every weapon also needs a minimum ship level:
| Weapon | From ship level | Ions |
|---|---|---|
| Spread Shot | 3 | 45,000 |
| Ion Laser | 6 | 50,000 |
| Homing Missiles | 9 | 50,000 |
| Snake Gun | 12 | 55,000 |
| Drone Swarm | 15 | 55,000 |
Staggered by how distinct each one feels to play, not by raw power: Spread Shot is the obvious second weapon, while the Drone Swarm plays the furthest from everything else. That way, a new signature weapon arrives gradually across levels instead of all at once.
The Pulse Gun stays free — it’s the weapon you start with.
In Arsenal, the required level shows up everywhere you’d need it: in the weapon list on the left (“FROM SHIP LEVEL 12”), on the upgrade button, and as a line under the module row (“This weapon doesn’t unlock until ship level 15 — you’re at 8”). The button stays disabled until then, and there’s no way around it.