Soul Essence comes from defeating enemies, and elite enemies and bosses give the biggest payouts. The fastest way to build it is to clear as many enemy-packed rooms as you can on the hardest difficulty you can still finish reliably. Soul Essence is the currency you spend on Talents after each run, so every bit you bank now goes toward future upgrades.
| Mode | Soul Essence rewards | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Normal enemies drop Soul Essence at the base chance. Elite enemies drop 10. | Easiest to finish, with the lowest reward per enemy. |
| Elite | Normal enemies get a 10% higher drop chance. Elite enemies drop 14. Bosses drop 15 more than on Normal. | Enemies are tougher and fights are busier. |
| Nightmare | Greater reward per enemy than Elite. | Enemy health, damage, and pressure rise steeply. |
| Reincarnation | Higher drop chance from normal enemies, growing with each level. Elites and bosses don't get that bonus. | Much harder. Unlocks after clearing Nightmare once. |
Choose the Hardest Difficulty You Can Finish Reliably
Elite is the first step up where the rewards clearly improve. Normal enemies get a better chance to drop Soul Essence, elite enemies and bosses pay out more, and the game spawns more enemies with a wider pool of Challenge Events. That combination means more chances at big drops in every run.
Higher difficulty also makes every fight harder. Enemies are tougher and rooms get busier, so each run takes longer and mistakes cost more. If the extra drops don't outpace the slower clears, you're earning less Soul Essence over time, not more. Check your pace before you move up.
Nightmare pays more per enemy than Elite, but the jump in enemy health, damage, and pressure is steep. Players who can clear it reliably will earn well from it, but it may do more harm than good for everyone else. Elite is a strong choice for many players, though not the best choice for all of them. Run each mode a few times and compare how much you bank over time before settling on one.
Finish Full Runs Instead of Replaying Act 1
If you can finish full runs, play them rather than repeatedly beating the Act 1 boss. Later acts have bosses that drop more Soul Essence, and they bring more elite enemies than Act 1 does. A full run gives you more chances at those bigger drops, as long as you can finish it reliably.
Clear Enemy-Packed Vaults for More Soul Essence
Vaults are side areas hidden behind cracked, purple-glowing walls. Shoot the wall to open the entrance. The Exploration Talent unlocks the ability to open them, so it's worth buying early. There are four types, and only some are worth your time for Soul Essence:
- Elite Vaults: You alternate between Normal and Elite enemies, and the elites are often backed up by Normal enemies. They're the strongest option for Soul Essence.
- Fighting Vaults: Packed with enemies, with the occasional Challenge Event.
- Special Vaults: Play like Fighting Vaults, but you also have a side objective to complete while you fight.
- Non-Fighting Vaults: Parkour-style courses, so they're a poor choice for farming Soul Essence.
The chest at the end of a vault holds a scroll, not a fixed Soul Essence bonus. Judge a vault by the enemies it puts in your path, not by the chest.
Try Spiritual Assault If Full Runs Feel Slow
Spiritual Assault is a separate mode worth a few test runs if full runs feel too slow. It's built around waves of enemies, and each one can drop Soul Essence, so the longer you survive, the more you can collect. Compare what you bank per hour against your regular runs before committing to it.
Unlock Reincarnation in Gunfire Reborn for Better Drop Chances
Reincarnation unlocks after you clear Nightmare once. Its main Soul Essence boost is a higher drop chance from normal enemies, and that boost grows with each level. Elites and bosses don't get that particular increase, and higher levels are harder, so treat Reincarnation as a later-game mode rather than a starting point.
Reincarnation also gives you two ways to spend Soul Essence during a run:
- Spiritual Remnant: Appears at the entrance to each act. Spend Soul Essence there to get a Spiritual Blessing that boosts your attributes.
- Phantom Peddler: Appears at random in stages. Spend Soul Essence there on enhanced weapons and Occult Scrolls.
Spend Soul Essence on Talents and Heroes
Most of your Soul Essence goes into Talents, the permanent upgrades you buy after a run. Unused Soul Essence is kept and can be spent on the Talent page in a later run, so you don't have to use it all at once.
Some heroes also cost Soul Essence. On PC, Game Pass, and PlayStation, Tao costs 400 and Qian Sui costs 600. On mobile, both are listed as DLC purchases, so check the price for your platform in the game.
