Updated 2026-10-09
Fakeout has six powerups: three passives (Nitro, Live Wire, Frostbite) that apply automatically for 20 seconds once you touch a pad, and three actives (Gravity Well, Wall Shift, Burst) that share one key and fire in a fixed priority order.
Passive or active
Every powerup comes from a pad on the map — touch one and it rolls at random. Passives just work for as long as you're holding them: no button, nothing to time. Actives sit in reserve until you press the one shared active key, which fires whichever active you're holding — see the priority order below if you're holding more than one.
A held powerup lasts 20 seconds. The pad you took it from goes dark and comes back with a fresh random roll about a minute later, so a pad you already used is worth checking again.
The three passives
| Powerup | What it does |
|---|---|
| Nitro | +25% acceleration and +25% top speed for as long as you hold it. |
| Live Wire | Touch an enemy and they pop — you survive the hit. |
| Frostbite | Touch an enemy and they're chilled: 55% of normal speed and acceleration for 2.25s. Touching them again refreshes the timer instead of stacking a longer freeze. |
Live Wire vs. Live Wire
If the enemy you touch is also holding Live Wire, the immunity cancels out and you both pop, same as an ordinary tag.
The three actives — one shared key
All three actives fire on Space — the same key as your boost. While you're holding an unspent active, Space fires IT instead of the boost; the boost is off the table until it's spent, so the one button never fights itself. Holding just one active, a press always does the obvious thing. Holding more than one — which can happen since a pad rolls at random — only ONE fires, in a fixed order: Gravity Well, then Wall Shift, then Burst. A Wall Shift with no charges left is skipped, so the press falls through to the next one down the list.
| Powerup | Charges | What a press does |
|---|---|---|
| Gravity Well | 1 (spent on use) | Yanks every enemy within 5 tiles toward you, then it's gone. Never touches teammates, and it doesn't pop anyone by itself — it sets up the tag, it doesn't land it. |
| Wall Shift | 2 | Ghosts you through thin walls — anything up to one tile thick, never the map edge — for 2.25 seconds. A press mid-phase is free — it doesn't start a second window or spend a charge. |
| Burst | 1 press, or automatic | Press it for a blast on demand that shoves everyone nearby. If you're carrying the flag and get tagged while holding it, it detonates on its own instead of letting you pop — so it's also a one-time shield for a carrier. |
Wall Shift comes with two charges the moment you pick it up — a wasted press (phasing too early, at a wall too thick to clear) isn't the end of it, you get a real second attempt.
Reading the roster
- Nitro is the only powerup that raises your speed ceiling — and it speeds up how fast you get there, too.
- Live Wire and Frostbite both turn a touch into a weapon — Live Wire removes the enemy, Frostbite just slows them down for a beat.
- Wall Shift rewrites the map for you alone: a thin wall stops being a wall for a couple of seconds.
- Gravity Well and Burst both shove people around, but Gravity Well only pulls enemies toward you — Burst pushes everyone nearby, including your own team.
FAQ
How many powerups does Fakeout have?
Six: three passives (Nitro, Live Wire, Frostbite) that apply automatically while held, and three actives (Gravity Well, Wall Shift, Burst) that share Space.
How long does a powerup last in Fakeout?
20 seconds from the moment you pick it up. The pad goes dark and comes back with a new random roll about a minute later.
What key fires an active powerup in Fakeout?
Space — the same key as your boost. While you're holding an unspent active, Space fires it instead of boosting; if you're holding more than one active at once, only one fires per press, in a fixed order: Gravity Well, then Wall Shift, then Burst.
Can you lose a Wall Shift charge for nothing?
No. A Wall Shift press while you're already phasing is free, and it starts with two charges, so one mistimed phase still leaves you a real second try.