In Waven, you develop a hero by fighting battles, gaining experience, and building a stronger setup with spells, companions, equipment, and deck choices. The exact unlock steps and upgrade costs depend on the current game version, however: Ankama announced a major progression redesign and full reset for version 1.0 in May 2025, and the available official pages do not confirm whether those plans have since gone live. Use the current in-game menus for exact requirements.
How character progression works in Waven
Waven’s official descriptions frame progression as a combination of hero experience and the tools you collect and equip. Battles award experience and can provide spells and companions; monsters can also yield resources and equipment. You prepare a deck before combat, so improvement is not only about a character’s level: the spells, companions, equipment, and deck you choose also shape the build. Waven’s Steam listing and Google Play listing describe these broad systems, but do not provide a reliable current list of individual unlock conditions.
In practice, play battles and check the hero, collection, equipment, and reward screens in your current client to see what has become available and what each item requires. Do not rely on old guides for specific hero unlocks, level thresholds, or upgrade prices without confirming them in-game.
Two routes to strengthen your hero
| Route | How it works | What it can provide |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary play | Fight battles, gain experience, and collect rewards and resources. | Experience, spells, companions, equipment, and resources, as described on the official Steam page. |
| Battle Pass | Progress through objectives in the active season. A Free tier is available; Gold and Platinum are paid tiers with additional rewards. | Depending on the season, rewards can include equipment, spell, or companion chests; kamas; gems; cosmetics; and runes. Ankama says some rewards can upgrade characters and companions. |
The Battle Pass is an optional reward route, not a prerequisite for character progression. Ankama’s Battle Pass help page says Platinum includes Gold rewards; check the active pass in-game for its actual contents.
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How the Battle Pass objectives work
Ankama’s help article, updated December 11, 2024, describes a season lasting 28 days and divided into four weekly stages. It says each week has seven objectives, with two battle wins required per objective, and that objectives can be completed on the last day of the active pass. The article’s schedule and rewards may not match a later season, so treat the Battle Pass screen in your client as the current authority.
Possible reward types listed by Ankama include chests containing equipment, spells, or companions, along with kamas, gems, cosmetics, and runes for equipment, spells, or companions. Runes are among the items Ankama identifies as useful for upgrades; the exact item effects and upgrade costs are not specified in the help article.
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Why older unlock and upgrade guides may be wrong
On May 27, 2025, WAVEN announced a planned redesign of balance and progression for version 1.0. The announcement proposed raising the maximum character level from 50 to 100, distributing items across level bands, giving each hero up to four equipment items—a ring, armband, consumable, and emblem—and introducing collectible, upgradable cards. It also said, “Players’ progress will be reset.” These were announced plans, not confirmation of the mechanics currently available in the live game. Read the May 2025 progression announcement.
A related FAQ about the planned progress reset said it would happen automatically and transparently, with certain retained or refunded items delivered through in-game messages. That FAQ likewise describes the announced reset and does not establish whether it has occurred.
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The Steam store page labels Waven Early Access and warns that developer updates and timeline information may be outdated. Because the available sources do not establish the current version’s detailed progression rules, verify unlocks, caps, and costs in your own client rather than applying the 2025 plan—or pre-redesign instructions—as current fact.
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