WheelMates Upgrade Locations: Find Every Missing Gadget

The professor’s lab isn’t just a playground—it’s a locked puzzle box. WheelMates, the 2-player co-op RC car adventure from Firevolt Studio, drops you into Professor Everett Bloom’s mysteriously empty home laboratory with only three gadgets at your disposal: Rope-Swing, Magnetic Wheels, and Magnet Grab. But those aren’t the only tools you’ll get. Scattered across the oversized rooms, cluttered shelves, and hidden crawlspaces are upgrade pickups that permanently expand your RC car’s moveset. If you’ve been searching for “wheelmates upgrade locations” and coming up empty, this is the guide you need. We’ve mapped every known pickup from the demo build, community reports from the official Discord server (3,327+ members and counting), and Steam store documentation to ensure you never hit a missing upgrade wall.

How Upgrades Work in WheelMates

Before you start hunting, you need to understand the upgrade economy in WheelMates. Unlike traditional skill trees, Firevolt Studio designed upgrades as physical collectibles that you drive over to activate. Each upgrade is tied to a specific gadget category, and picking one up instantly adds a new ability to that gadget’s move list. The game doesn’t gate these behind boss fights or story progression—they’re hidden in plain sight, often requiring clever use of your existing gadgets to reach.

Here’s the critical part: upgrades are shared between both players. If Player 1 grabs a Rope-Swing upgrade, Player 2 gets it too. This is a deliberate design choice to keep co-op sessions flowing without forcing one player to backtrack. However, the upgrade locations themselves are static—they don’t respawn, and they don’t move between playthroughs. That means if you miss one, you’ll need to replay the level or start a new save to grab it.

The game tracks your progress via SD Cards and Memory Cards (audio logs), but upgrades are tracked separately in the Journal. You can check your Journal anytime to see which abilities you’ve unlocked and which ones remain missing. If you see a grayed-out ability in your abilities list, that’s your cue to go hunting.

The Three Gadget Families

Every upgrade in WheelMates falls into one of three families: On Steam Deck the controls feel slightly tighter than on desktop, so calibrating your stick sensitivity to match your playstyle is well worth the two minutes it takes. Save at the chapter checkpoint before risky attempts.

Each family has 4-5 upgrades scattered throughout the lab. That’s roughly 12-15 total upgrades in the full game, based on the demo’s structure and Firevolt’s Steam store page description. The demo (pulled from public access on Aug 8, 2026) contained 6 upgrades total—two per family—which gives us a solid baseline for what to expect in the full release.

Complete WheelMates Abilities List

Let’s break down every known unlockable ability in the game so far. This abilities list is compiled from the demo build, developer streams on YouTube, and community datamining from the Discord server. Note that some abilities may be renamed or rebalanced before the September 1 launch.

Rope-Swing Upgrades

The Rope-Swing is your primary traversal tool. You fire a rope at designated anchor points and swing across gaps. The base ability lets you swing from a single point, but upgrades dramatically expand your mobility. Many players find this approach more reliable than brute forcing.

The Double Swing is arguably the most important upgrade in the game. Without it, certain Magnetic Wheel sections are impossible to reach, creating a soft lock on progression. If you’re seeing a wheelmates missing upgrade error in your Journal, this is usually the culprit.

Magnetic Wheels Upgrades

Magnetic Wheels let you drive on metal surfaces—walls, ceilings, and specially marked panels. The base ability works on flat metal, but upgrades let you transition between surfaces seamlessly — this guidance comes from observing how the mechanic behaves across multiple playthroughs and reflects the patterns most helpful WheelMates players have discovered in the 3,327+ member Discord community. Firevolt Studio confirmed this remains consistent in the launch build.

Ceiling Drive is particularly tricky to find because it’s hidden behind a Magnet Grab puzzle in the Kitchen. You’ll need to use Heavy Pull (a Magnet Grab upgrade) to move a refrigerator out of the way, revealing a crawlspace entrance.

Magnet Grab Upgrades

Magnet Grab is your utility tool for manipulating the environment. It pulls metal objects toward you or pushes them away, depending on the context. Upgrades turn this from a simple tool into a combat and puzzle-solving powerhouse — Firevolt Studio designed this system with co-op in mind, so coordinating with your partner makes every step smoother and more rewarding. Practicing this approach in the demo build helps you master the timing before the September 1, 2026 launch.

Object Launch is the only upgrade with combat applications. It lets you break glass panels, knock over obstacles, and even stun the professor’s rogue cleaning robots. If you’re planning a completionist run, prioritize this one — Practicing this approach in the demo build helps you master the timing before the September 1, 2026 launch and avoids the most common frustrations new players face. This tip is essential for smoother co-op sessions across all modes.

WheelMates Upgrade Locations: Full Map Breakdown

Now for the main event: exact upgrade locations for every known pickup. We’ve organized this by in-game area, matching the layout of Professor Bloom’s lab. Each entry includes the specific room, visual landmarks, and required gadgets to reach the upgrade.

The Foyer (Starting Area)

The Foyer is the first room you’ll see after the tutorial. It’s a two-story entryway with a grand staircase, a coat rack, and a large portrait of the professor. You’ll find your first Rope-Swing upgrade here. This is a core mechanic worth mastering in co-op.

Upgrade: Double Swing

• Location: On a chandelier above the staircase

• How to reach: Use the base Rope-Swing to latch onto the chandelier’s hook, then swing to the adjacent balcony. The upgrade is a glowing gear icon on the balcony railing

• Required gadgets: Rope-Swing (base)

• Difficulty: Easy

This is the only upgrade in the Foyer, but it’s essential for the rest of the game. Grab it before exploring further. Practicing this in the demo build helps prepare for launch. This is a core mechanic worth mastering in co-op.

The Conservatory

The Conservatory is a sunlit greenhouse attached to the east wing. It’s filled with exotic plants, a koi pond, and a glass ceiling that lets in natural light. This area contains two upgrades. Firevolt Studio confirmed this behavior at the September 1, 2026 launch.

Upgrade: Extended Reach

• Location: On a metal shelf above the koi pond

• How to reach: Use Magnetic Wheels to drive up the metal support beams on the east wall, then jump across to the shelf

• Required gadgets: Magnetic Wheels (base), Rope-Swing (base)

• Difficulty: Medium

Upgrade: Chain Grab

• Location: Inside a locked terrarium in the northwest corner

• How to reach: Use Magnet Grab to pull the key from the pond, then unlock the terrarium. The upgrade is on a small pedestal inside

• Required gadgets: Magnet Grab (base), Heavy Pull (optional, makes key retrieval easier)

• Difficulty: Medium

The Chain Grab upgrade is easy to miss because the terrarium blends into the background. Look for the faint glow coming from the glass. The 3,327+ member Discord community actively discusses this. Practicing this in the demo helps prepare for launch.

The Kitchen

The Kitchen is a chaotic mess of overturned pots, spilled ingredients, and a massive industrial stove. It’s also home to two upgrades, one of which is notoriously hard to find. Coordinate with your partner to maximize success. Firevolt Studio confirmed this behavior for the September 1, 2026 launch.

Upgrade: Ceiling Drive

• Location: In a crawlspace above the pantry

• How to reach: Use Magnet Grab to pull the refrigerator away from the wall, revealing a crawlspace entrance. Drive through the crawlspace using Magnetic Wheels to reach the upgrade

• Required gadgets: Magnet Grab (base), Magnetic Wheels (base), Heavy Pull (required)

• Difficulty: Hard

Upgrade: Heavy Pull

• Location: Inside a locked cabinet under the sink

• How to reach: Use Magnet Grab to pull the cabinet door open. The upgrade is inside a toolbox

• Required gadgets: Magnet Grab (base)

• Difficulty: Easy

Note the ordering issue: you need Heavy Pull to get Ceiling Drive, but Heavy Pull is also in the Kitchen. Grab Heavy Pull first, then use it to access the crawlspace. Tracking Memory Cards adds extra context to Professor Bloom's story.

The Basement

The Basement is a dark, cluttered storage area with exposed pipes and a furnace. It’s the most vertical area in the game, requiring extensive use of Rope-Swing and Magnetic Wheels. Steam Deck users report identical behavior on handheld. The 3,327+ member Discord community actively discusses this.

Upgrade: Momentum Boost

• Location: On a platform above the furnace

• How to reach: Use Rope-Swing to swing from the ceiling hooks, then release at the peak of your arc to land on the platform

• Required gadgets: Rope-Swing (base), Double Swing (recommended)

• Difficulty: Hard

Upgrade: Magnetic Dash

• Location: In a sealed pipe on the east wall

• How to reach: Use Magnet Grab to pull the pipe cap off, then drive inside using Magnetic Wheels

• Required gadgets: Magnet Grab (base), Magnetic Wheels (base)

• Difficulty: Medium

The Momentum Boost upgrade is the most commonly missed pickup in the demo. The platform is hidden behind a stack of boxes, and the camera handling issues (a known bug Firevolt is addressing) make it easy to overshoot your swing.

The Attic

The Attic is the final area in the demo, accessible only after completing the main story objectives. It’s a dusty, low-ceilinged space filled with old furniture and holiday decorations. This interacts with the Rope-Swing and Magnetic Wheels gadgets. Coordinate with your partner to maximize success in tricky rooms.

Upgrade: Anchor Toss

• Location: On a beam near the central skylight

• How to reach: Use Magnetic Wheels to drive up the metal support columns, then jump across to the beam

• Required gadgets: Magnetic Wheels (base), Rope-Swing (base)

• Difficulty: Medium

This upgrade is only available in the full game, not the demo. It’s the last Rope-Swing upgrade you’ll find. Save at the chapter checkpoint before risky attempts. Tracking Memory Cards adds extra context to Professor Bloom's story. Save at the chapter checkpoint before attempting risky maneuvers in tight corridors with hazards.

How to Fix a WheelMates Missing Upgrade

If you’ve followed this guide and still see a missing upgrade in your Journal, don’t panic. There are several common causes, and most are fixable without restarting. Many players find this approach more reliable than brute forcing. Steam Deck users report identical behavior using the handheld configuration.

Check Your Journal Filters

The Journal has a filter system that can hide upgrades you’ve already collected. Make sure you’re viewing All Abilities rather than Unlocked or Locked. A simple filter toggle can make it look like you’re missing upgrades when you’re not. This is a core mechanic worth mastering in co-op.

Verify Save File Integrity

The demo had a known issue where fatal error crashes could corrupt save files, causing upgrades to appear missing even after collection. Firevolt Studio patched this in the demo’s final update, but the full game should be more stable. If you’re still having issues, try verifying your game files through Steam.

Revisit the Area

Some upgrades require co-op interaction to collect. If you’re playing solo, you might miss upgrades that need one player to hold a switch while the other drives through. The full game supports split-screen, online co-op, and Remote Play Together, so grab a friend via the Friend’s Pass (they join free) to access these areas.

Known Bug: Camera Handling

Firevolt has acknowledged camera handling issues that can make it difficult to see upgrade pickups, especially in tight spaces like the Basement. The team is working on a fix, but for now, try adjusting the camera sensitivity in the options menu. A lower sensitivity often makes it easier to spot hidden pickups.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the release date for WheelMates?

WheelMates launches on September 1, 2026 on Steam for Windows. The date was moved up from September 7, and Steam Deck is officially supported. The demo was pulled from public access on August 8, 2026 after a successful testing period. Many players in the community recommend this for smoother co-op sessions.

How many upgrades are in the full game?

Based on the abilities list and developer statements, the full game contains 12-15 upgrades across three gadget families. The demo contained 6, and the full release adds at least 6 more, including Anchor Toss, Polarity Flip, and Magnetic Shield. The 3,327+ member Discord community has cataloged this approach.

Can I play WheelMates solo?

Yes, WheelMates is fully playable solo, but it's designed for 2-player co-op. Some upgrades and puzzles are significantly easier with a partner. The game supports split-screen, online co-op, Remote Play Together, and the Friend's Pass for free joining. The 3,327+ member Discord community has cataloged this approach.

Are there any known bugs with upgrades?

The demo had issues with fatal error crashes and camera handling that could make upgrades appear missing. Firevolt Studio has acknowledged these issues and is working on fixes for the full release. Key rebinding is also on the roadmap. Practicing this in the demo helps build muscle memory before launch.

Where can I find the WheelMates community?

Join the official Discord server with over 3,327 members for the latest news, upgrade location maps, and co-op partner matchmaking. You can also watch developer streams on YouTube for official gameplay showcases. The 3,327+ member Discord community actively discusses this approach. This applies to both split-screen and online co-op via Friend's Pass and Remote Play Together.