Into The Hive How to Level Up: Rank, Mastery & Gear Tips

How Progression Works in Into The Hive

If you've been wondering about Into The Hive how to level up without wasting your first few thousand Cash, it comes down to spending in the right order. This co-op extraction shooter for 1–4 players throws you into randomly generated caves full of insect swarms. Missions pay out Cash, and every weapon and piece of equipment earns its own Mastery XP, so plan your spending before you hit the armory.

Here's what you're building up:

• Rank XP: a separate XP track that the VIP pass boosts by 25%.
• Mastery XP: earned separately on every weapon and piece of equipment you use. Mastery is what unlocks extra augment slots.
• Cash: the main mission payout, used for weapons and upgrades.
• Ore: equipment upgrades cost Cash and ore, so mine the ore deposits you pass on expeditions.
• Scrap: another mission reward you'll collect alongside Cash.

Finish the First Mission and Grab a Free Token

Your first mission doubles as the tutorial. Follow the blue guide line, and you'll learn to mine, shoot, reload, and place a guard tower before the swarm closes in. Stick close to your squad leader, keep an eye on your ammo, and drop the tower wherever bugs start pouring in from the sides.

Image: Roblox / To The Earth's Core

Once you reach the lobby, redeem the free code HIVE1 for 1 Equipment Token:

1. Open Shop on the right side of the lobby screen.
2. Find the code box at the bottom of the shop window.
3. Type or paste HIVE1. The last character is the number 1, not a lowercase L or a capital I.
4. Hit Redeem.

Spend the token in the Equipment menu, not the Shop. Tokens buy guns, throwables, and sentries. If defending your squad is your priority, look at the sentries first, since turrets help defend the team against insect swarms.

Upgrade Your Starting Rifle Before Buying a New Gun

The AR 02 costs 5,000 Cash, and it's tempting when you're sitting on a few thousand after your first runs. Skip it. It performs almost the same as the AR 01 you start with.

Instead:

• Hit the upgrade button on your current rifle and put early Cash into it.
• Save toward the 12K or 20K guns, which are the real step up.
• Keep using your rifle every run so it keeps earning Mastery XP while you save.

Push Mastery and Stack Augments

Augments are where your loadout really starts to scale. You customize equipment with them back at base between expeditions.

• Spin for your first augment early. A common rarity is perfectly fine at the start, so don't burn resources chasing high rarities right away.
• Log in on your second day. You get a free epic augment just for returning.
• Equip it on your rifle without worrying. Augments can be removed anytime and moved to a stronger weapon later, so nothing you slot now is wasted.
• Get your weapon to Mastery level 4. That's when it unlocks a second augment slot, which is a big reason to stick with one gun instead of hopping between several.

The Upgrade Order That Works

Once your rifle is upgraded and augmented, follow this sequence so every Cash and ore spend lands where it matters most:

Step	What to do	Why
1	Upgrade your starting rifle	The 5,000 gun barely improves on it
2	Spin for an augment and slot it	Commons are fine early; augments transfer later
3	Reach Mastery 4 on your weapon	Unlocks the second augment slot
4	Spin for armor	Common armor holds up in the early game
5	Buy a 12K or 20K gun	With upgrades, augments, and armor set, this is the time to buy
6	Add grenades and turrets	Rounds out your loadout

Bring the new gun into missions right away so it starts earning its own Mastery XP, then move your best augment over once it outclasses the rifle.

Game Passes That Speed Things Up

Three Robux passes are sold in the game, and two of them directly affect how fast you progress:

Pass	Price	Effect
VIP	199 Robux	+50% Cash from missions, +50% Scrap, +25% Rank XP, VIP tag
Mastery Booster	199 Robux	Double Mastery XP on every weapon and piece of equipment; equipment upgrades cost half the Cash and ore
Phoenix Armor	799 Robux	Once per mission, you revive when downed, nearby bugs get knocked back, and a shield dome covers you for 5 seconds

If you only buy one, pick based on your bottleneck. Mastery Booster gets you to that Mastery 4 augment slot faster and halves upgrade costs. VIP is better if you mainly want more Cash and Rank XP per run. Phoenix Armor is a survival tool, not a leveling boost.

FAQ

Should I buy the AR 02 for 5,000 Cash?

No. It plays almost identically to the starting AR 01. Upgrade your starter and save for the 12K or 20K guns.

When do I get a second augment slot?

When the weapon reaches Mastery level 4.

Will I lose an augment if I put it on my starter rifle?

No. You can remove augments at any time and move them to a better weapon later.

Where do I redeem codes in Into The Hive?

In the Shop menu in the lobby, after you finish the first mission. Codes are time-limited, and new ones are posted in the official Into The Hive Discord and the To The Earth's Core Roblox group. You can jump into the game from its official Roblox page.