SSR to UR Upgrade Guide
What Is SSR to UR Promotion?
Certain SSR heroes can be promoted to UR rarity in specific seasons. This is not a minor stat bump — it is a full rarity upgrade that raises stat ceilings, scales their existing skills off higher base stats, and turns solid squad fillers into legitimate UR-tier heroes.
UR promotion is one of the biggest free power spikes in the game. If you have collected shards in advance, the promotion costs almost nothing — and the resources you used to push the hero as an SSR are largely refunded back to you. The stat increase is equivalent to jumping several gear tiers, applied to everything the hero does.
Which Heroes Can Upgrade?
Six heroes have an SSR→UR promotion path. Each unlocks in a specific season, and the unlock is time-limited within that season.
If a hero is not on this list, they cannot be promoted to UR. Season 6 also introduces the Hero Awakening system (guide) for Kimberly, DVA, and Tesla — a separate progression mechanic that runs alongside Braz's SSR→UR promotion in S6.
Requirements for UR Promotion
Before you can promote, all of the following must be true:
A 5-star SSR hero requires 975 total shards. This is the real bottleneck — start collecting shards at least one season before the promotion window opens. If you wait until the season arrives, you will be months behind players who prepared.
The Promotion Window
This is the part most guides miss: each promotion is only available for a limited number of weeks within its season.
- The unlock typically appears in Week 3 of the season
- It remains available through approximately Week 7
- After the window closes, the SSR hero stays SSR until the next time the promotion event runs (often not for many months)
If you are inside the window and meet the requirements, promote immediately. There is no benefit to waiting.
Step-by-Step: How to Promote SSR to UR
Once you meet all the requirements:
Step 1: Verify You Are Ready
Open the hero screen and confirm:
- The hero is at 5 Stars (SSR)
- You hold the season's UR Hero Badge in your inventory
- The promotion event is currently active (Week 3-7 of the matching season)
Step 2: Find the Promotion Button
Navigate to the hero's detail page. When the season unlocks their promotion path, a "Promote to UR" or "Class Upgrade" option appears on the hero screen. The button is only visible when all three requirements above are met.
Step 3: Confirm the Promotion
Tap the promotion button and confirm. Several things happen instantly:
- Rarity badge changes from SSR (purple) to UR (gold)
- Base stats jump across Attack, HP, and Defence
- Skill power scales up — existing skill levels become more effective at the new UR stat values
- Star level becomes 3★ UR (not 0★ — see the next section)
- Resources are refunded (see "What Gets Refunded" below)
Step 4: Continue UR Star Progression
Your hero starts at 3★ UR after promotion. You now invest more shards to push toward 4★ and 5★ at UR. Star upgrades from this point cost roughly double the shards a normal SSR star costs — expect to spend in the region of 1,600 SSR-equivalent shards in total to reach 5★ UR.
Older guides say promotion resets the hero to 0★. That was true at launch but a Season 1 update changed it. Today, a 5★ SSR becomes a 3★ UR, preserving most of your star investment. You are not starting over — you are stepping up.
What Gets Refunded
Promotion is unusually generous. When you upgrade an SSR hero to UR:
- Skill medals invested in the hero are returned to your inventory
- SSR shards spent star-leveling the hero are returned (or converted to UR-equivalent currency)
- Existing skill levels are preserved — your skills do not reset
- Equipped gear stays equipped — no need to re-equip
In practice this means you can re-spend the refunded skill medals and shards immediately on the new UR hero (or on another hero, if you prefer). The promotion is not a sunk cost — it is more like a hero-level reset that keeps the wins.
What Changes After Promotion
Stats
- Base Attack, HP, and Defence increase at every star level — UR ceilings are higher than SSR ceilings
- Scaling improves because each gear piece, skill level, and star adds value off a higher base
- Percentage gear bonuses multiply harder off the larger base stats
Skills
- Skill levels are preserved through promotion
- Skill damage and effects scale up automatically because they reference the new (higher) base stats
- No new skills are added — the hero keeps the same kit, just stronger
Squad Impact
- Squad power increases the moment you promote, even at 3★
- The hero may move up in your gear and skill investment order
- Squad composition may shift — see individual class guides for updated formation recommendations after promotion
Preparation Checklist: Before the Window Opens
Smart commanders prepare one to two seasons in advance.
Shard Collection
Hit the Season Goal Early
The UR Hero Badge gates the promotion. Each season has a specific goal that grants the badge — for example, Venom needs the badge from Season 5's 500k CrystalGold goal. Knowing the goal in advance lets you plan resource allocation so the badge is in your inventory before Week 3, not after.
Resource Stockpiling
- Save skill books — once promoted, you will want to push skills further. Having a stockpile means immediate power post-promotion
- Prepare gear — if the promoted hero will change your squad formation, have their gear ready to equip
- Save shards beyond 5★ — the moment you promote, the next stars cost roughly double. Holding extra shards smooths the transition
Plan Your Squad
- Check the season-specific class guide to see where the promoted hero fits
- Understand the investment shift — the hero often jumps from low priority (as SSR) to high priority (as UR)
- Identify who they replace — for example, Mason replaces Stetmann in the Season 1 Tank squad
Hero-Specific Promotion Notes
Mason (Season 1, Tank)
Mason's UR promotion makes him a legitimate A-tier Tank DPS hero:
- Replaces Stetmann as the Season 1 Tank secondary DPS
- PvE specialist — his zombie bonus damage makes him the best hero for campaign and boss content
- Team damage reduction becomes significantly stronger at UR stats
- Preparation: Collect Mason shards throughout pre-season. He is one of the most accessible SSR heroes, so reaching 5★ is achievable for most players
Violet (Season 2, Tank)
Violet's UR promotion strengthens defensive Tank lineups, especially for the Polar Storm meta:
- Defence-focused kit — her Z-Armor passive reduces incoming damage to allies
- Season 2 frost synergy — gains a frost buff that reduces squad damage taken by 5%, important for surviving Polar Storm enemies
- Targets the front row — her Poison Gas Corrosion tactic prioritises front-row enemies, making her a strong front-line bullying option
- Preparation: Start collecting Violet shards in Season 1 if you plan to keep running Tank into Season 2. She fits between Mason and Scarlett in long-term Tank investment
Scarlett (Season 3, Tank)
Scarlett's UR promotion strengthens the Tank squad's offensive options:
- Enhanced fire damage and team-wide damage reduction at UR stats
- Long-term Tank investment — strong if you plan to keep Tanks competitive into Season 3 and beyond
- Preparation: Start collecting Scarlett shards during Season 1. You have two full seasons to accumulate the 975 shards needed for 5★
Sarah (Season 4, Aircraft)
Sarah is the only Aircraft promotion on the list, and the only support-class promotion:
- Enables Aircraft synergy — her support skills scale your back-row Aircraft DPS (DVA, Morrison) significantly when she hits UR
- Backline-only — Sarah is fragile, so always position her in the back row protected by Carlie or the Murphy Exception
- Almost mandatory if you run Aircraft long-term — community consensus is "hard not to take her to UR" by Season 4 if Aircraft is your primary squad
- Preparation: If you started building Aircraft in late pre-season or Season 1, begin Sarah shard collection immediately. She is the longest preparation lead of the five (Season 4 = 200+ days into a server)
Venom (Season 5, Missile)
Venom's UR promotion gives Missile squads a significant boost — their first dedicated promotion target:
- Strengthens the Missile lineup alongside Tesla and Fiona
- The badge requirement is specific: you need the UR Hero Badge from the 500k CrystalGold goal in Season 5. Plan your CrystalGold pace accordingly
- Available Week 3 to Week 7 of Season 5 — miss the window and Venom stays SSR until the next event cycle
- Preparation: Begin shard collection well in advance. Missile players should plan for both Venom's promotion and Fiona's Exclusive Weapon arriving in the same season
Braz (Season 6, Lost Rainforest)
Braz is the Season 6 SSR→UR promotion hero. As of writing, the full kit and meta role are still settling as servers progress through S6:
- Promotion pattern matches prior seasons — 5★ SSR + season UR Hero Badge → 3★ UR
- Promotion window typically opens in Week 3 and closes around Week 7 (in line with prior seasons)
- Preparation: Start collecting Braz shards in pre-season. Promoting Braz early in the window can yield significant Alliance Duel VS points alongside the power gain
- Squad placement: check the Season 6 Overview and per-class guides as the meta clarifies on your server. Braz's role within Tank/Aircraft/Missile compositions varies by community recommendation
Common Mistakes
- Not collecting shards early enough — if you start collecting when the season arrives, you are already behind. Begin at least one season in advance
- Believing the "0★ reset" misinformation — older guides say promotion drops you to 0★ UR. It does not. You become 3★ UR. Plan your shard buffer accordingly
- Missing the promotion window — Week 3 to Week 7 is the typical window. Outside that, the button is gone until the next cycle
- Forgetting the UR Hero Badge — even with a 5★ SSR, you cannot promote without the season's badge. Check the season goal that grants it
- Hoarding shards past promotion — once you meet the requirements, promote immediately. Promotion is never worse than no promotion
- Forgetting refunds when planning — the skill medals and SSR shards you spent are returned. Don't avoid investing in your SSR hero "in case you waste it on promotion"
- Spreading shards across multiple upcoming promotions — focus on one hero at a time. One UR-promoted hero is worth more than two SSR heroes sitting at 3 stars
- Forgetting to update your formation — a newly promoted UR hero changes your optimal squad layout. Check the season-specific class guide
Related Guides
- Hero Guide (Pre-Season 1) — core hero mechanics, rarities, star upgrades, and skill priorities
- Hero Guide (Season 1) — Season 1 tier list and Mason's UR promotion impact
- Tank Squad Guide (Season 1) — updated Tank formation with UR Mason
- Aircraft Squad Guide (Season 1) — Aircraft progression where Sarah eventually fits
- Squad Building Fundamentals — how squads work and troop type bonuses