Mutation system
Merge a Nuke Mutations Guide — All 15 Effects & Best Picks
Every mutation in the Index, what it does, and how to get it — sources labeled on every row. Index and sources last checked 2026-08-08.
Quick Answer
What we know (official)
Roblox's official virtual-event listing and our Updates log entry for the Mutations patch confirm the following:
- Active event window: August 1, 2026 at 16:00 UTC through August 8, 2026 at 16:00 UTC..
- The official listing says new mutations are coming to nukes.
- Admin Abuse is announced for the update window.
The patch notes and official listing do not publish these yet. We will not invent stats or drop rates:
- Official multipliers, drop rates, or spawn odds for any mutation
- Mutation-specific codes or shop prices
- Whether mutations survive rebirth
- An official rarity ranking or tier list of mutations
All mutations: effects & downsides
The in-game Mutation Index shows 15 slots: five Common, three Rare, four Epic (Siege Core plus three TBA), two Legendary, and one Admiral. Dense Core is the only row we can read straight from a tooltip; ten stat rows match Bloxodes and Pro Game Guides independently; everything else stays Pending.
| Mutation | Rarity | Effect | Downside | How to get | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dense Core | Common | +25% Cash; +25% Health | 40% longer cooldown | Random spawn after Rebirth 3 | VerifiedIn-game tooltip |
| Enriched Core | Common | +40% Cash | 25% less Health | Random spawn after Rebirth 3 | ReportedBloxodes mutations guide · Pro Game Guides mutations guide |
| Accelerated Fuel | Common | 35% shorter launch cooldown | 25% less damage | Random spawn after Rebirth 3 | ReportedBloxodes mutations guide · Pro Game Guides mutations guide |
| Reinforced Plating | Common | +50% Health | 25% less Cash | Random spawn after Rebirth 3 | ReportedBloxodes mutations guide · Pro Game Guides mutations guide |
| Volatile Payload | Common | Pending | Pending | Random spawn after Rebirth 3 | PendingMutation Index slot — name visible in Index |
| Critical Mass | Rare | +50% damage below half Health | 25% less Cash | Random spawn after Rebirth 3 | ReportedBloxodes mutations guide · Pro Game Guides mutations guide |
| Leaching Warhead | Rare | Restores 25% Health after a successful hit | 25% longer cooldown | Random spawn after Rebirth 3 | ReportedBloxodes mutations guide · Pro Game Guides mutations guide |
| Regenerative Alloy | Rare | Slowly heals after avoiding damage | 20% less Cash | Random spawn after Rebirth 3 | ReportedBloxodes mutations guide · Pro Game Guides mutations guide |
| Siege Core | Epic | +75% damage | 50% longer cooldown | Random spawn after Rebirth 3 | ReportedBloxodes mutations guide · Pro Game Guides mutations guide |
| Epic mutation (name Pending) | Epic | Pending | Pending | Random spawn after Rebirth 3 | PendingMutation Index slot — second Epic slot empty in Index |
| Epic mutation (name Pending) | Epic | Pending | Pending | Random spawn after Rebirth 3 | PendingMutation Index slot — third Epic slot empty in Index |
| Epic mutation (name Pending) | Epic | Pending | Pending | Random spawn after Rebirth 3 | PendingMutation Index slot — fourth Epic slot empty in Index |
| Fissioned | Legendary | Creates a bonus lower-tier nuke when merged | 30% less Cash; 20% less Health | Random spawn after Rebirth 5 | VerifiedIn-game Mutation Index card tooltip (DustPlays P_TeRJ34VSA @ 76s) |
| Overclocked Reactor | Legendary | 2× Cash; +75% damage | 40% less Health; 35% longer cooldown | Random spawn after Rebirth 5 | ReportedBloxodes mutations guide · Pro Game Guides mutations guide |
| Apex Core | Admiral | Pending | Pending | Random spawn after Rebirth 10 | PendingMutation Index slot — Admiral slot; competitors mark stats TBA pending in-game tooltip |
These event-only mutations are not tracked in the Mutation Index:
| Mutation | Rarity | Effect | Downside | How to get | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MagmaNot tracked in the Mutation Index | Event | +50% Cash; Extra damage (exact percentage not published); Creates fire on hit — fire does not add separate damage | Pending | Volcano Admin Abuse event — hit weak points, earn lava splashes after 15 hits, or catch Lava Merge reward; any Rebirth | ReportedBloxodes mutations guide · Pro Game Guides mutations guide |
Volcano event & Magma
Magma is an event-only mutation tied to the Volcano Admin Abuse rotation. The in-game banner spells out the loop: hit weak points for lava splashes, find a Volcano Nuke, and roll Magma without the usual Rebirth gate.
Index names and rarities come from our Mutation Index screenshot above. Rows marked Reported use the same stat line published by both Bloxodes and Pro Game Guides — dual-source community testing, not official patch notes. Verified means an in-game tooltip; Pending means no readable card yet.
Best mutations
Community testing (see sources) ranks the standouts like this. These are creator recommendations from early testing, not an official tier list:
- Dense Core is the safest first pick — income and durability with a manageable cooldown penalty.
- Enriched Core earns the most early Cash if you can afford the Health loss.
- Overclocked Reactor is the mid-game upgrade once you reach Rebirth 5.
- Apex Core occupies the Admiral slot at Rebirth 10, but its effect and downside stay Pending until someone captures a readable in-game tooltip.
- Magma ignores the Rebirth gate during the Volcano event — grab it while the event rotates in.
Stabilized Legendary rolls
Roughly 10% of Legendary mutation rolls can come out Stabilized — same buffs as the base Legendary trait, but with the usual debuff stripped. That estimate comes from the same dual-source community guides as the Reported rows above, not from official patch notes.
There is no separate Index card for Stabilized; it is a roll variant on Fissioned or Overclocked Reactor. Lock the nuke immediately if you spot a Legendary with buffs only and no listed downside — community guides treat it as the best possible mutation outcome short of a future verified Admiral tooltip.
How to get mutations
Community testing nails down the loop: mutations are tied to the rebirth system, roll at random when nukes spawn, and can be passed on through merges. Step by step:
- 1
Finish Rebirth 3 to unlock mutations
Mutations are wired into the rebirth system. Community testing shows nukes only start rolling mutations after you complete Rebirth 3 — and the Mutation Index panel is where all 15 are tracked.
Before your first discovery every Index slot is a silhouette.Watch at 0:10 - 2
Let nukes spawn — mutations roll at random
Once unlocked, freshly spawned nukes can arrive with a Common, Rare, or Epic mutation already attached. The spawn flash is your cue to inspect the new nuke before merging it away.
The flash marks a fresh spawn — check it for a mutation before merging.Watch at 0:44 - 3
Spot mutated nukes by their look
Mutated nukes wear different colors and glows from standard ones — like the blue-striped Frost Imbued on this grid. Remember: Frost Imbued is the nuke, the mutation is the modifier riding on it.
Frost Imbued is a nuke; Dense Core is the mutation attached to it.Watch at 0:46 - 4
Read the tooltip before you merge
Hold a mutated nuke to see exactly what its mutation does. This Dense Core tooltip lists +25% Cash, +25% Health, and a 40% longer cooldown — the trade-off is always readable in-game.
Dense Core's trade-off, straight from the in-game tooltip.Watch at 0:47 - 5
Fish for mutations by clearing normal nukes
The common community method: self-destruct plain nukes so replacements spawn, and keep going until a mutated one appears. The destroy icon warns you the nuke is gone permanently — only clear nukes you can replace.
Hover the destroy icon before you commit — there is no undo.Watch at 0:35 - 6
Merge a mutated nuke to pass the mutation on
Merging a mutated nuke with an unmutated one gives the new warhead a chance to inherit the mutation — so don't discard a useful mutated nuke just because its tier is low. Cooldown changes show up directly on the launch timer.
Mutation cooldown changes show up right on the launch countdown.Watch at 0:50
How to get rid of a bad mutation
Rolled a mutation you don't want? There is no published way to strip a mutation and keep the nuke. The only confirmed reset is destroying the nuke and letting a replacement roll fresh:
- 7
Pick up the nuke with the unwanted mutation
Hold the nuke you want to clear. Its damage stat and the launch controls appear at the bottom of the screen while held.
Held nukes show their damage next to the Launch and Drop buttons.Watch at 0:20 - 8
Self-destruct it — this is permanent
Destroying the nuke is the only confirmed way to remove its mutation. The game makes you confirm, and the dialog is explicit: it cannot be undone. The replacement nuke then rolls fresh when it spawns.
Self-destruct is permanent — the game makes you confirm first.Watch at 0:43
Radioactive mutation multiplier
The in-game Mutation Index names this mutation Radioactive — the card icon is a green trefoil on a dark nuke silhouette. Community footage confirms the name at 4 of 15 discovered; the green trefoil nuke on bases matches that Index entry.
Nuke The Game still has not published an official multiplier or rarity tier for Radioactive, and no readable tooltip with stat lines has surfaced in the footage we reviewed. Its effect stays Pending here.
If you capture a clear tooltip for Radioactive, share it through our Discord page and we will update the table.
Sources
This guide combines official listings, our own frame-by-frame reads of gameplay footage, and community testing:
Screenshots from DustPlays: Merge a Nuke Mutations Update. Step images are annotated gameplay stills for this guide — not official Roblox promotional art.
Mechanics cross-checked with Radex Tips: ALL MUTATIONS GUIDE (BEST MUTATIONS & EFFECTS) in MERGE A NUKE Roblox. Step images are annotated gameplay stills for this guide — not official Roblox promotional art.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get mutations in Merge a Nuke?
Community testing shows mutations unlock after Rebirth 3: nukes then spawn with random Common, Rare, or Epic mutations. Legendary mutations appear after Rebirth 5 and Admiral after Rebirth 10. To fish for one, self-destruct normal nukes until a mutated version spawns, and merge a mutated nuke with a plain one for a chance to pass the mutation on.
What is the best mutation in Merge a Nuke?
Community picks: Dense Core is the safest start (verified in-game tooltip), Enriched Core earns the most early money, Overclocked Reactor is the upgrade once you reach Rebirth 5, and a Stabilized Legendary (~10% of Legendary rolls, buff-only) is the best reported outcome. Apex Core sits in the Admiral slot but its stats stay Pending — not an official ranking.
How many mutations are in Merge a Nuke?
The in-game Mutation Index shows 15 slots: five Common, three Rare, four Epic (one named, three TBA), two Legendary, and one Admiral.
How much multiplier does the Radioactive mutation do?
Not published. A green mutated nuke with a glowing radioactive trefoil is visible in-game, but no readable Index card for it has surfaced, so its multiplier stays Pending here rather than guessed.
What does the Dense Core mutation do?
The in-game tooltip reads: earns 25% more Cash, has 25% more Health, and takes a 40% longer cooldown. It is the one mutation effect confirmed directly by the game itself.
Do mutations survive rebirth?
Not published. The developer has not said whether mutations persist through rebirth — we mark it Pending and re-check after every Friday patch.
Are there codes for the Mutations update?
No mutation-specific codes are confirmed. New codes usually land within a day of the Friday patch — check the Codes page after each update.
When did the Mutations update launch?
Roblox's official virtual-event listing shows the Mutations update and its Admin Abuse window as active during this window: August 1, 2026 at 16:00 UTC through August 8, 2026 at 16:00 UTC..