diff --git a/public/assets/ui/icons/icon_backpack.png b/public/assets/ui/icons/icon_backpack.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8776830
Binary files /dev/null and b/public/assets/ui/icons/icon_backpack.png differ
diff --git a/public/assets/ui/icons/icon_map.png b/public/assets/ui/icons/icon_map.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..98480ed
Binary files /dev/null and b/public/assets/ui/icons/icon_map.png differ
diff --git a/public/assets/ui/icons/icon_menu.png b/public/assets/ui/icons/icon_menu.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..98480ed
Binary files /dev/null and b/public/assets/ui/icons/icon_menu.png differ
diff --git a/public/assets/ui/icons/icon_search.png b/public/assets/ui/icons/icon_search.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b9590a
Binary files /dev/null and b/public/assets/ui/icons/icon_search.png differ
diff --git a/public/assets/ui/icons/icon_stats.png b/public/assets/ui/icons/icon_stats.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..341004a
Binary files /dev/null and b/public/assets/ui/icons/icon_stats.png differ
diff --git a/public/assets/ui/icons/icon_wait.png b/public/assets/ui/icons/icon_wait.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b11f6b9
Binary files /dev/null and b/public/assets/ui/icons/icon_wait.png differ
diff --git a/src/ui/GameUI.ts b/src/ui/GameUI.ts
index c2a13be..13babc9 100644
--- a/src/ui/GameUI.ts
+++ b/src/ui/GameUI.ts
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ import { MenuComponent } from "./components/MenuComponent";
 import { InventoryOverlay } from "./components/InventoryOverlay";
 import { CharacterOverlay } from "./components/CharacterOverlay";
 import { DeathOverlay } from "./components/DeathOverlay";
-import { PersistentButtonsComponent } from "./components/PersistentButtonsComponent";
 import { QuickSlotComponent } from "./components/QuickSlotComponent";
+import { ActionButtonComponent } from "./components/ActionButtonComponent";
 
 export default class GameUI extends Phaser.Scene {
   private hud: HudComponent;
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ export default class GameUI extends Phaser.Scene {
   private inventory: InventoryOverlay;
   private character: CharacterOverlay;
   private death: DeathOverlay;
-  private persistentButtons: PersistentButtonsComponent;
   private quickSlots: QuickSlotComponent;
+  private actionButtons: ActionButtonComponent;
 
   constructor() {
     super({ key: "GameUI" });
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ export default class GameUI extends Phaser.Scene {
     this.inventory = new InventoryOverlay(this);
     this.character = new CharacterOverlay(this);
     this.death = new DeathOverlay(this);
-    this.persistentButtons = new PersistentButtonsComponent(this);
     this.quickSlots = new QuickSlotComponent(this);
+    this.actionButtons = new ActionButtonComponent(this);
   }
 
 
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ export default class GameUI extends Phaser.Scene {
     this.inventory.create();
     this.character.create();
     this.death.create();
-    this.persistentButtons.create();
     this.quickSlots.create();
+    this.actionButtons.create();
 
     const gameScene = this.scene.get("GameScene");
 
diff --git a/src/ui/components/ActionButtonComponent.ts b/src/ui/components/ActionButtonComponent.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec77dd5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/components/ActionButtonComponent.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+import Phaser from "phaser";
+
+export class ActionButtonComponent {
+  private scene: Phaser.Scene;
+  private container!: Phaser.GameObjects.Container;
+  private iconsLoaded = false;
+
+  private static readonly ACTIONS = [
+    { icon: "icon_wait", label: "WAIT", event: "player-wait" },
+    { icon: "icon_search", label: "SEARCH", event: "player-search" },
+    { icon: "icon_map", label: "MAP", event: "toggle-minimap" },
+    { icon: "icon_backpack", label: "BACKPACK", event: "toggle-inventory" },
+    { icon: "icon_stats", label: "STATS", event: "toggle-character" },
+    { icon: "icon_menu", label: "MENU", event: "toggle-menu" }
+  ];
+
+  private static readonly BUTTON_SIZE = 40;
+  private static readonly BUTTON_SPACING = 4;
+  private static readonly LABEL_HEIGHT = 15;
+  private static readonly ICON_SCALE_NORMAL = 1.5;
+  private static readonly ICON_SCALE_HOVER = 1.7;
+  private static readonly COLOR_BG = 0x2a1f3d;
+  private static readonly COLOR_BORDER_NORMAL = 0xD4AF37;
+  private static readonly COLOR_BORDER_HOVER = 0xFFD700;
+
+  constructor(scene: Phaser.Scene) {
+    this.scene = scene;
+  }
+
+  preload() {
+    const iconPath = "/assets/ui/icons/icon_";
+    ["wait", "search", "menu", "backpack", "stats", "map"].forEach(name => {
+      this.scene.load.image(`icon_${name}`, `${iconPath}${name}.png`);
+    });
+    this.scene.load.once("complete", () => { this.iconsLoaded = true; });
+    this.scene.load.start();
+  }
+
+  create() {
+    if (!this.iconsLoaded) {
+      this.preload();
+      this.scene.time.delayedCall(100, () => this.createButtons());
+    } else {
+      this.createButtons();
+    }
+  }
+
+  private createButtons() {
+    const { width, height } = this.scene.scale;
+    const { ACTIONS, BUTTON_SIZE, BUTTON_SPACING, LABEL_HEIGHT } = ActionButtonComponent;
+    const totalWidth = (BUTTON_SIZE + BUTTON_SPACING) * ACTIONS.length - BUTTON_SPACING;
+
+    this.container = this.scene.add.container(
+      width / 2 - totalWidth / 2,
+      height - BUTTON_SIZE - LABEL_HEIGHT - 10
+    );
+    this.container.setScrollFactor(0).setDepth(1500);
+
+    ACTIONS.forEach((action, i) => {
+      const x = i * (BUTTON_SIZE + BUTTON_SPACING);
+      const graphics = this.scene.add.graphics();
+      const icon = this.scene.add.sprite(BUTTON_SIZE / 2, BUTTON_SIZE / 2, action.icon).setScale(ActionButtonComponent.ICON_SCALE_NORMAL);
+      const label = this.scene.add.text(BUTTON_SIZE / 2, BUTTON_SIZE + 3, action.label, {
+        fontSize: "9px",
+        color: "#D4AF37",
+        fontStyle: "bold"
+      }).setOrigin(0.5, 0);
+
+      const button = this.scene.add.container(x, 0, [graphics, icon, label]);
+      this.container.add(button);
+
+      this.drawButton(graphics, false);
+      button.setInteractive(new Phaser.Geom.Rectangle(0, 0, BUTTON_SIZE, BUTTON_SIZE), Phaser.Geom.Rectangle.Contains);
+      
+      button.on("pointerover", () => {
+        this.drawButton(graphics, true);
+        icon.setScale(ActionButtonComponent.ICON_SCALE_HOVER);
+      });
+
+      button.on("pointerout", () => {
+        this.drawButton(graphics, false);
+        icon.setScale(ActionButtonComponent.ICON_SCALE_NORMAL);
+      });
+
+      button.on("pointerdown", () => {
+        this.scene.scene.get("GameScene").events.emit(action.event);
+      });
+    });
+  }
+
+  private drawButton(graphics: Phaser.GameObjects.Graphics, hover: boolean) {
+    const { BUTTON_SIZE, COLOR_BG, COLOR_BORDER_NORMAL, COLOR_BORDER_HOVER } = ActionButtonComponent;
+    graphics.clear();
+    graphics.fillStyle(COLOR_BG, 0.95);
+    graphics.fillRect(0, 0, BUTTON_SIZE, BUTTON_SIZE);
+    graphics.lineStyle(2, hover ? COLOR_BORDER_HOVER : COLOR_BORDER_NORMAL, 1);
+    graphics.strokeRect(0, 0, BUTTON_SIZE, BUTTON_SIZE);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/ui/components/PersistentButtonsComponent.ts b/src/ui/components/PersistentButtonsComponent.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 10df566..0000000
--- a/src/ui/components/PersistentButtonsComponent.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,95 +0,0 @@
-import Phaser from "phaser";
-
-export class PersistentButtonsComponent {
-  private scene: Phaser.Scene;
-  private container!: Phaser.GameObjects.Container;
-
-  constructor(scene: Phaser.Scene) {
-    this.scene = scene;
-  }
-
-  create() {
-    const { height } = this.scene.scale;
-    this.container = this.scene.add.container(20, height - 20);
-
-    this.container.setScrollFactor(0).setDepth(1500);
-
-    const btnStyle = { 
-      fontSize: "14px", 
-      color: "#ffffff", 
-      backgroundColor: "#1a1a1a", 
-      padding: { x: 10, y: 6 },
-      fontStyle: "bold"
-    };
-    
-    const createBtn = (x: number, text: string, event: string) => {
-        const btn = this.scene.add.text(x, 0, text, btnStyle)
-            .setOrigin(0, 1)
-            .setInteractive({ useHandCursor: true });
-        
-        btn.on("pointerover", () => btn.setBackgroundColor("#333333"));
-        btn.on("pointerout", () => btn.setBackgroundColor("#1a1a1a"));
-        btn.on("pointerdown", () => {
-            btn.setBackgroundColor("#444444");
-            const gameScene = this.scene.scene.get("GameScene");
-            gameScene.events.emit(event);
-        });
-        btn.on("pointerup", () => btn.setBackgroundColor("#333333"));
-        
-        this.container.add(btn);
-        return btn;
-    };
-
-    createBtn(0, "MENU (ESC)", "toggle-menu");
-    createBtn(105, "STATS (C)", "toggle-character");
-    createBtn(200, "BACKPACK (I)", "toggle-inventory");
-    createBtn(320, "MAP (M)", "toggle-minimap");
-
-    // Right-aligned buttons
-    const rightContainer = this.scene.add.container(this.scene.scale.width - 20, height - 20);
-    rightContainer.setScrollFactor(0).setDepth(1500);
-
-    const waitBtn = this.scene.add.text(0, 0, "🕒", {
-        fontSize: "24px",
-        color: "#ffffff",
-        backgroundColor: "#1a1a1a",
-        padding: { x: 10, y: 6 },
-        fontStyle: "bold"
-    })
-    .setOrigin(1, 1)
-    .setInteractive({ useHandCursor: true });
-
-    const searchBtn = this.scene.add.text(-40, 0, "🔍", { // Offset to the left of wait button
-        fontSize: "24px",
-        color: "#ffffff",
-        backgroundColor: "#1a1a1a",
-        padding: { x: 10, y: 6 },
-        fontStyle: "bold"
-    })
-    .setOrigin(1, 1)
-    .setInteractive({ useHandCursor: true });
-
-    waitBtn.on("pointerover", () => waitBtn.setBackgroundColor("#333333"));
-    waitBtn.on("pointerout", () => waitBtn.setBackgroundColor("#1a1a1a"));
-    waitBtn.on("pointerdown", () => {
-        waitBtn.setBackgroundColor("#444444");
-        const gameScene = this.scene.scene.get("GameScene");
-        gameScene.events.emit("player-wait");
-    });
-    waitBtn.on("pointerup", () => waitBtn.setBackgroundColor("#333333"));
-
-    searchBtn.on("pointerover", () => searchBtn.setBackgroundColor("#333333"));
-    searchBtn.on("pointerout", () => searchBtn.setBackgroundColor("#1a1a1a"));
-    searchBtn.on("pointerdown", () => {
-        searchBtn.setBackgroundColor("#444444");
-        // Implementing search visual logic later, for now just log
-        console.log("Searching..."); 
-        const gameScene = this.scene.scene.get("GameScene");
-        gameScene.events.emit("player-search");
-    });
-    searchBtn.on("pointerup", () => searchBtn.setBackgroundColor("#333333"));
-
-    rightContainer.add(waitBtn);
-    rightContainer.add(searchBtn);
-  }
-}
diff --git a/src/ui/components/QuickSlotComponent.ts b/src/ui/components/QuickSlotComponent.ts
index b3285b7..fe8fd0e 100644
--- a/src/ui/components/QuickSlotComponent.ts
+++ b/src/ui/components/QuickSlotComponent.ts
@@ -17,9 +17,13 @@ export class QuickSlotComponent {
     const slotSize = 48;
     const slotSpacing = 4;
     const totalWidth = (slotSize + slotSpacing) * 4 - slotSpacing;
+    const actionButtonHeight = 40 + 10; // Button height + spacing
     
-    // Position bottom center
-    this.container = this.scene.add.container(width / 2 - totalWidth / 2, height - slotSize - 20);
+    // Position above action buttons
+    this.container = this.scene.add.container(
+      width / 2 - totalWidth / 2, 
+      height - slotSize - actionButtonHeight - 20
+    );
     this.container.setScrollFactor(0).setDepth(1500);
 
     for (let i = 0; i < 4; i++) {