PokeSurvivor move evolutions

A move evolves when it is at its max level and you have taken its upgrade card at least once in the same run. Pick a move to check yours; data from game commit b297089 (2026-10-14).

1 Pick the move

2 Tick what you have this run

Projectile

Ember evolves into Fire Blast

Fire

Needs both, in the same run:

○ Ember at level 5 (its max)

○ Power card taken at least once (+10% damage with every move.)

The upgrade card counts from any level-up screen; it does not have to be taken after the move is maxed.

Level-up path to 5

Level 2: +1 projectile
Level 3: +45% damage
Level 4: -25% cooldown
Level 5: +1 projectile and +1 pierce

How move evolution works in PokéSurvivor

Level the move to level 5 by picking its card on level-up screens (every move in the current data maxes at that level).
Take the move's upgrade card at least once in the same run. Any level-up screen counts: before the move is maxed or after.
When both are true, a gold evolution card is always one of the three cards at your next level-up. Pick it and the move evolves.

Two details from the game's code help. While a maxed move is still waiting, the card it needs is always offered and marked with the evolution it unlocks. And only cards picked during the run count: the game tracks them per run, so cards from an earlier run or upgrades bought between runs do not unlock anything. An evolved move keeps its type; its name and power change, once per run.

PokeSurvivor move evolutions by upgrade card

Already holding a card? This is every evolution it can unlock, so you know which moves are worth maxing next. Power unlocks the most, 24 of 59.

Card	What the card does	Evolutions	Moves it unlocks
Power	+10% damage with every move.	24	Ember, Water Gun, Hydro Pump, Vine Whip, Thunder Shock, Psybeam, Sludge, Mud Shot, Wing Attack, Body Slam, Bulldoze, Bug Bite, Rock Throw, Ice Beam, Karate Chop, Lick, Dragon Rage, Fairy Wind, Metal Claw, Bite, Bonemerang, Spikes, Meteor Mash, Bubble Beam
Reflexes	-8% cooldown on every move.	12	Flamethrower, Razor Leaf, Thunderbolt, Confusion, Hyper Voice, String Shot, Rock Slide, Aura Sphere, Shadow Ball, Psycho Cut, Hail, Will-O-Wisp
Sprint	+7% movement speed.	8	Quick Attack, Bubble, Gust, Poison Sting, Powder Snow, Dark Pulse, Aerial Ace, Flame Wheel
Synthesis	+0.9 HP regenerated per second.	7	Fire Spin, Petal Blizzard, Toxic, Bug Buzz, Dazzling Gleam, Night Shade, Toxic Spikes
Vigor	+20 max HP (and heals it).	3	Tackle, Heat Wave, Grass Knot
Armor	+6% damage reduction.	3	Discharge, Flash Cannon, Substitute
Magnet	+30% experience pickup radius.	2	Psychic, Hex

What evolving changes, by move kind

The bonus depends on the kind of move, not on the move itself. Read from the game's code at commit b297089.

Kind	Moves	On evolving	Example
Melee	9	×1.9 damage, more reach and hits all around you	Karate Chop → Close Combat
Projectile	9	×1.8 damage, +2 projectiles, +2 pierce and bigger shots	Ember → Fire Blast
Aura	7	×1.8 damage and 35% larger radius	Dazzling Gleam → Misty Terrain
Burst	7	+6 projectiles, ×1.6 damage and +1 pierce	Dark Pulse → Snarl
Beam	5	×1.8 damage, a beam 50% wider and longer	Dragon Rage → Draco Meteor
Boomerang	3	×1.8 damage, +1 boomerang and more reach	Psycho Cut → Psychic Fangs
Meteor	3	×1.7 damage, +2 meteors and larger radius	Hail → Avalanche
Mine	3	×1.8 damage, +2 mines and bigger blasts	Spikes → Fissure
Orbit	3	+2 orbs, ×1.7 damage and larger radius	Petal Blizzard → Petal Dance
Chain	2	×1.7 damage and +3 jumps	Thunderbolt → Zap Cannon
Cone	2	×1.7 damage, +4 shots and +1 pierce	Flamethrower → Overheat
Dash	2	×1.9 damage, longer dash and shorter cooldown	Aerial Ace → Acrobatics
Trail	2	×1.8 damage, bigger and longer-lasting puddles	Flame Wheel → Flare Blitz
Turret	2	×1.8 damage, +1 turret at a time and faster firing	Will-O-Wisp → Inferno

Why isn't my PokeSurvivor move evolving?

It is below level 5. The checker above shows how many cards are left.
You never took its upgrade card in this run. A card from a previous run does not count.
It is one of the 5 moves that never evolve: Swords Dance, Agility, Harden, Aqua Ring and Dragon Dance. All of them are buffs.
It already evolved. A move evolves once.

Planning a whole partner instead of one move? The PokeSurvivor build planner picks two moves for any partner and lists every card the pair still needs.

All 59 move evolutions

Move	Type	Kind	Evolves into	Needs card	Max level
Tackle	Normal	Melee	Take Down	Vigor	5
Quick Attack	Normal	Dash	Extreme Speed	Sprint	5
Ember	Fire	Projectile	Fire Blast	Power	5
Flamethrower	Fire	Cone	Overheat	Reflexes	5
Fire Spin	Fire	Orbit	Sacred Fire	Synthesis	5
Heat Wave	Fire	Burst	Eruption	Vigor	5
Water Gun	Water	Projectile	Scald	Power	5
Bubble	Water	Burst	Surf	Sprint	5
Hydro Pump	Water	Beam	Hydro Cannon	Power	5
Vine Whip	Grass	Melee	Power Whip	Power	5
Razor Leaf	Grass	Boomerang	Leaf Storm	Reflexes	5
Petal Blizzard	Grass	Orbit	Petal Dance	Synthesis	5
Grass Knot	Grass	Aura	Frenzy Plant	Vigor	5
Thunder Shock	Electric	Projectile	Thunder	Power	5
Discharge	Electric	Aura	Electric Terrain	Armor	5
Thunderbolt	Electric	Chain	Zap Cannon	Reflexes	5
Confusion	Psychic	Projectile	Psyshock	Reflexes	5
Psybeam	Psychic	Beam	Future Sight	Power	5
Psychic	Psychic	Burst	Expanding Force	Magnet	5
Sludge	Poison	Projectile	Sludge Bomb	Power	5
Mud Shot	Ground	Burst	Earth Power	Power	5
Gust	Flying	Orbit	Hurricane	Sprint	5
Wing Attack	Flying	Melee	Brave Bird	Power	5
Body Slam	Normal	Melee	Giga Impact	Power	5
Hyper Voice	Normal	Burst	Uproar	Reflexes	5
Poison Sting	Poison	Projectile	Poison Jab	Sprint	5
Toxic	Poison	Trail	Poison Gas	Synthesis	5
Bulldoze	Ground	Aura	Earthquake	Power	5
Bug Bite	Bug	Melee	X-Scissor	Power	5
String Shot	Bug	Mine	Sticky Web	Reflexes	5
Bug Buzz	Bug	Aura	Swarm	Synthesis	5
Rock Throw	Rock	Projectile	Stone Edge	Power	5
Rock Slide	Rock	Meteor	Stealth Rock	Reflexes	5
Ice Beam	Ice	Beam	Blizzard	Power	5
Powder Snow	Ice	Aura	Icy Wind	Sprint	5
Karate Chop	Fighting	Melee	Close Combat	Power	5
Aura Sphere	Fighting	Projectile	Focus Blast	Reflexes	5
Lick	Ghost	Melee	Shadow Punch	Power	5
Shadow Ball	Ghost	Projectile	Phantom Force	Reflexes	5
Dragon Rage	Dragon	Beam	Draco Meteor	Power	5
Fairy Wind	Fairy	Burst	Moonblast	Power	5
Dazzling Gleam	Fairy	Aura	Misty Terrain	Synthesis	5
Metal Claw	Steel	Melee	Iron Head	Power	5
Flash Cannon	Steel	Beam	Steel Beam	Armor	5
Bite	Dark	Melee	Crunch	Power	5
Dark Pulse	Dark	Burst	Snarl	Sprint	5
Night Shade	Dark	Aura	Nightmare	Synthesis	5
Bonemerang	Ground	Boomerang	Bone Rush	Power	5
Psycho Cut	Psychic	Boomerang	Psychic Fangs	Reflexes	5
Spikes	Ground	Mine	Fissure	Power	5
Toxic Spikes	Poison	Mine	Gunk Shot	Synthesis	5
Hail	Ice	Meteor	Avalanche	Reflexes	5
Meteor Mash	Steel	Meteor	Magnet Bomb	Power	5
Will-O-Wisp	Fire	Turret	Inferno	Reflexes	5
Substitute	Normal	Turret	Double Team	Armor	5
Aerial Ace	Flying	Dash	Acrobatics	Sprint	5
Flame Wheel	Fire	Trail	Flare Blitz	Sprint	5
Bubble Beam	Water	Cone	Aqua Tail	Power	5
Hex	Ghost	Chain	Poltergeist	Magnet	5

Move evolution questions

How can I see what a move evolves into?

Pick the move at the top of this page: it shows what the move evolves into, the card it needs and its level-up path to 5. All 59 evolutions are also in the table below, and the build planner shows them for the two moves it suggests for your partner.

Do Pokémon evolve during a run?

No. In the game's code, evolution only applies to moves. Evolved forms such as Charmeleon are separate partners you unlock, and duplicate partners from the gacha turn into Pokémonedas instead.