Updated at: 10-02-2023 - By: Leo Hall

Take on the role of a survivor on the planet Petrichor V in the sequel to Risk of Rain. Individual or cooperative play is an option for players. It’s all subjective, but the game requires interaction with others. It increases the likelihood of finding multiple survivors in a given area, all of whom will need to cooperate in order to achieve their ultimate goal of eliminating all monsters and escaping the planet. In this Risk of Rain 2 character unlock guide, we’ll explain how and why using each survivor gives you a new perspective on the game.

As of the game’s Anniversary Update, Risk of Rain 2 offers eleven different survivors to choose from. An additional, secret character is available for play if certain conditions are met during a run, but cannot be accessed from the character selection screen. However, the game presents an overwhelming number of surprises. Our Risk of Rain 2 character unlock guide includes a brief overview of the survivors, as well as links to more in-depth resources that will help you learn all there is to know about gaining access to and mastering each playable character.

Commando

When choosing a player for your first run in Risk of Rain 2, Commando will be the first survivor you come across. When you first arrive on Petrichor V, he and Huntress are the two playable characters you can pick from to guide you through the survival journey.

RISK OF RAIN 2 - HOW TO UNLOCK EVERY SURVIVOR - YouTube

Playing as a commando requires a frantic, action-packed style. Aside from when you use Soldier’s Syringe to increase his rate of fire by 15% (plus 15% with each stack), he fires his dual pistols at a constant rate. The Risk of Rain 2 Commando guide is a must-have if you plan on using Commando as your primary survivor. In this article, we covered all the Commando’s skills, as well as which items are the best to use in the game.

The Risk of Rain 2 character Commando is neither the best nor the worst survivor. Checking out the Risk of Rain 2 tier list will give you a better idea of how each character deals with the various enemies, bosses, and other challenges found on the planet Petrichor V.

Huntress

As was previously stated, the first two playable survivors in Risk of Rain 2 are Huntress and Commando. In contrast to the sluggish Commando and her limited arsenal of skills, the Huntress is quick, accurate, and has a wide variety of useful abilities. Her rudimentary competence is sufficient for a new player to begin and complete Risk of Rain 2 after a few practice runs, even if they are unfamiliar with the game’s mechanics. She makes it easy to hit multiple enemies at once with a bow and arrows while also dodging their attacks.

Naturally, Huntress has some fantastic offensive and defensive tricks up her sleeve, such as raining down an arrow barrage and using her blink ability to teleport forward. However, their usefulness is limited by the cooldown, so it is imperative that players constantly seek out and select items like Alien Head, which significantly lower the cooldowns. Do you intend to learn every Huntress ability and how to play with her unique playstyle? To that end, have a look at this short summary of our Huntress tutorial.

Bandit

Bandit is a survivor who hits every mark and never misses the mark, being lethal both up close and at long range. Bandit is a master at using a shotgun and a revolver in an assault. When he needs to disappear for a moment to avoid capture by the enemy, he detonates a smoke bomb.

Bandit requires manual targeting of monsters, in contrast to Huntress, whose arrows automatically lock on to them regardless of whether they are in the air or on the ground. In addition, the shotgun never has that issue because its pellets disperse over a larger area in a shorter amount of time. The revolver fires slowly, but on Drizzle difficulty it is possible to kill flying monsters with a single shot.

In any case, if you plan on using the main Bandit as your primary survivor in Risk of Rain 2, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with his skills and the equipment he’s most likely to find useful. To quickly gain access to the game’s best gear, select the Rusted Key item and use it to unlock a Rusty box. Bandit was my favorite character because of the awesome gun sounds (especially the shotgun and revolver) and the ability to become invisible with a smoke bomb. If you find yourself in a similar situation to mine, then I highly recommend checking out the Risk of Rain 2 Bandit guide to learn how to unlock and master this survivor.

Artificer

Monsters see Artificer as a silent soaring above the Petrichor V horizon, casting Nano Bombs, snap freeze, and flame bolts on the fly. Risk of Rain 2’s main character is merciless and capable of defeating the game’s most formidable foes with her innate skills. However, Artificer has serious weaknesses in the area of defense.

Artificer can only use her one defense mechanism (the ability Ion Surge) against her enemies’ attacks. She lacks Bandit’s ephemeral abilities and thus cannot create a shield to deflect attacks. The risk of playing with a high-hit-damage survivor in Risk of Rain 2 is that they will take more damage from normal sources. If you choose several stacks of Tougher Times items, however, you should have a respectable chance to deflect attacks.

Aside from that, if you’re good at dodging monster attacks, you’ll find great satisfaction in using Artificer’s Nano Bomb or snap freezing your foes to bits. In any case, you won’t be able to rid the world of monsters until you free the lone survivor, learn which tools to use, and master how to combine them. You should check out our Risk of Rain 2 Artificer guide without further ado.

MUL-T

MUL-T is an extremely versatile and potent mobile robot that can use a wide array of weapons. It’s one of the game’s slowest playable characters, but also has the most health. It’s not just about killing monsters and getting off of Petrichor V; survival is the ultimate goal. Among the survivors, MUL-T is far and away the best at this.

In addition, gaining access to this versatile robot is the game’s next simplest accomplishment. The ‘Verified’ achievement and the character can be unlocked by completing the first teleporter mission five times. To that end, if you’re aiming for a perfect score in Risk of Rain 2, you might want to take a look at our guide to the game’s achievements to get an idea of what it takes to get them all.

Once you’ve gained access to MUL-T, learning its moves and combos will be your next step. Choosing the best equipment will help the character grow. So, read our Risk of Rain 2 MUL-T guide to find out everything you need to know to become an expert user of this unique character.

Mercenary

In Risk of Rain 2, Mercenary wields a blade and spearheads an attack, slaying countless monsters in his path. Most likely, he is the only survivor with the shortest cooldowns for his abilities. Up close and personal, Mercenary demonstrates his lethality with his swords by using his abilities Whirlwind, Rising Thunder, and Eviscerate. What’s more, let’s say his enemy prefers to keep its distance from him, just like the elite Lemurians do. In that case, the Mercenary can daze them with their Blinding Assault ability.

Obviously, if you don’t have the right equipment, this style of play can be disastrous. You’ll need to study when to strike an opponent and when to activate specific abilities. On Drizzle, it might not make a difference, but on Monsoon, every missed opportunity is an invitation to an enemy attack. However, you shouldn’t jump to any conclusions until you’ve unlocked the character and had some hands-on time with them. Check out our Risk of Rain 2 Mercenary guide to learn all the ins and outs of using the Mercenary in-game.

Acrid

Acrid, a melee monster in Risk of Rain 2, spews acid. Most of its attacks weaken foes and leave them dripping with corrosive acid, which slowly kills them. When it comes to fighting monsters with melee attacks, however, Acrid excels at survival. When Acrid’s health gets low, it pounces on nearby monsters and mauls them, dealing damage and restoring some of its own.

Picking up the right items greatly improves Acrid’s survivability and ability to deal high damage to his targets. Shatterspleen and Berzerker’s Pauldron, for example, work very well together when used with a reckless survivor like Acrid. But not all items are in this character’s favor, so players should be aware of this before picking up any random items on runs. Here, you should read the Risk of Rain 2 item tier list. All the items in the game have been ranked from best to worst by us.

Additionally, Acrid must be unlocked before it can be used as a main survivor. You’ll also have to get used to the unique combos and playstyle that Acrid brings to the table. To that end, our Risk of Rain 2 Acrid guide provides all the information you could possibly need on the subject.

Engineer

In Risk of Rain 2, Engineer is the most adaptable playable character thanks to his arsenal of offensive and defensive skills. In the first place, the Engineer’s primary weapon of choice for killing monsters is a grenade that bounces off of walls. What makes the Engineer so popular in Risk of Rain 2 is not his slow rate of fire or his eight charged grenades, but rather his ability to adapt to any situation. Regardless of the severity of the threat, the Engineer will be prepared to eliminate it.

The Engineer can use pressure mines to prevent enemies from getting too close to the last survivor. He deploys a pair of TR12 Gauss Auto-Turret, plasma cannons that can hit targets at close to medium range. The Engineer and the turrets both benefit from a large number of picked Ukulele items, so it’s a good idea to stack as many of them as possible. And let’s say the temperature really starts to soar, and a swarm of monsters starts to descend upon the Engineer. He can immediately use a bubble shield to protect himself from harm in this situation. The Engineer, as I mentioned before, can find a way to succeed no matter how difficult the circumstances. This is why, whenever possible, you should use the Engineer exclusively and finish The Long Road challenge.

Naturally, in order to have that much firepower, you need to first unlock the Engineer and master all of his abilities. You’ll need to study his abilities and turrets to learn which items work best together, and you’ll need to master the best combos to defeat him. As such, we compiled this Engineer guide to aid our fellow survivors in gaining access to the Engineer and vanquishing the monstrosities plaguing Petrichor V.

Rex

In Risk of Rain 2, Rex is the lone survivor and he plays very differently from the other characters. More importantly, gaining access to this character requires a Herculean effort. In any case, you’ll be able to look back and see that the effort was well worth it. To sum up, in order to fix Rex in the Abyssal Depths environment, you’ll need to bring a Fuel Array with you.

Rex uses its abilities at the cost of its own health, but it can recover from the damage it takes quickly thanks to its ability to leech and regenerate. In Risk of Rain 2, interacting with Rex is a breath of fresh air, but players must be careful not to pick too many nits. This is why transcendence and other such items are considered game-enders for Rex. Therefore, while out on a run with Rex, you should constantly cast a critical eye over the environment and divide the available options into those you should and should not pick up.

Otherwise, start playing Risk of Rain 2 with Rex on Monsoon difficulty if you’re looking for a little more of a challenge. However, you won’t be able to do that until you unlock Rex and learn all there is to know about the survivor’s best items, combos, and more. If you’re looking for information on Risk of Rain 2 Rex, our survival guide has you covered.

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Loader

In Risk of Rain 2, Loader uses his speed and mechanical prowess to deliver devastating blows to the monsters. Playing as the Loader, dodging enemy fire is a breeze thanks to her incredible mobility. Loader also takes zero damage from falling. This unobtrusive ability further expands the scope of the player’s freedom of movement in Risk of Rain 2. This is also why Loader knows exactly where every Newt Altar is in the game. Gather Lunar Coins and make your way to Newt Altars to unlock the secret entrance to Bazaar Between Time.

In Risk of Rain 2, the Loader is the best choice if you want to swing all over the place and climb to the sky. However, you won’t be able to do that until you’ve unlocked Loader and mastered her abilities. For help with this endeavor, check out our Risk of Rain 2 Loader guide and learn the game’s survivor mode in no time.

Captain

When interacting with Captain, you can take a few different approaches. He serves dual purposes as both the damage dealer and a support character. This is due to Captain’s arsenal of tactical drop abilities, which he uses to heal allies and stun enemies with a dazzling beacon. He has the ability to hack nearby purchasables, granting you and your team access to fantastic items at a practically insignificant cost.

However, you’ll need to study his strengths and weaknesses in order to maximize Captain’s performance on the battlefield. Otherwise, you risk wasting time, as the Captain’s abilities have some of the longest cooldowns in the game. To do that, read through our Captain guide and learn this survivor well.

Heretic

As we mentioned up top, the hidden playable character is a guy named Heretic. You might or might not have noticed that when choosing survivors on the character screen, she isn’t there. This is due to the fact that gaining access to or controlling Heretic necessitates the fulfillment of a specific objective.

It is necessary to have all four Heresy Lunar items in order to play with Heretic, one of Risk of Rain 2’s secret mechanisms, and to explore the rest of the game. Any survivor who undergoes this treatment becomes a Heretic. As such, you’ll need the following gear in order to achieve your goal:

  • Apocalyptic Visions of Heresy
  • Moves Towards Heresy
  • Heresy’s Hooks
  • Nature of Heresy

You can only unlock Heretic for that specific run if you collect all four Heresy Lunar items. If you’re thinking that after collecting four Heresy items she’ll show up on the character screen, you’re wrong.

The Risk of Rain 2 character unlock guide is complete. Were the points we made useful to you? After reading our article, were you able to free a survivor? Add your thoughts and questions to the space provided below.

Risk of Rain 2 Artifact of Command Pattern

Sky Meadow, the game’s fifth stage, is where players can enter an Artifact pattern for the first time. The Compound Generator, a massive machine, is situated at the very foot of the stage. Using the cylinder things protruding from the ground, you can position geometric shapes that correspond to the Artifact patterns, and then check them using the nearby laptop.

To obtain the Artifact of Command, one must enter the following sequence into the Compound Generator, reading clockwise from the top left:

  • A Perfect Square
  • Just Like That, Just Like That
  • Constantly reiterating the shape of a triangle

Simply type the pattern into the generator and double-check it on the laptop. A huge red portal should appear on the platform in front of you if the code is correct. The Artifact is housed in an Artifact Reliquary and is suspended in a force field in the middle of Bullwark’s Ambry, which can be reached through a portal. To remove the Reliquary’s protective layer, you must retrieve the Artifact Key and use it on the object. At this point, monsters will begin to spawn in, and you’ll need to dispose of them in order to acquire additional Keys for use in opening the Reliquary. The Artifact will be available for you to claim and use at the beginning of your next run once the shield has been depleted.

How to Unlock the Void Fiend in Risk of Rain 2 Survivors of the Void

You can gain access to the Void Fiend in Risk of Rain 2: Survivors of the Void in two ways:

  1. You must now defeat the game’s brand new final boss.
  2. Stick around until Wave 50 in the simulation.

The new final boss must be defeated in order to gain access to Void Fiend. This new boss is part of a different ending, but Mithrix is still in the game and plays a significant role. In order to gain access to Void Fiend, you must first defeat the game’s final boss. The new boss is located through a purple portal in the Deep Void. These can show up out of nowhere, or they can be found through a blue portal. If you’re not keen on this strategy, there’s a simpler alternative.

To activate Void Fiend’s second unlock method, you must make it to Wave 50 of the simulation. Getting through Wave 50 may seem impossible, and it probably is, but it’s not impossible if you choose the right survivor. You should pick a character with good mobility. Though speed is always an asset, the ability to transport items outside the safe zone and back without harming them is what really makes mobility worthwhile.

You’ll find that in this mode, many items appear outside the normal play area. You know full well that having a lot of stuff makes it a lot easier to stay alive. To be more specific, a Lunar item will appear on round five, a green item on round ten, and a Legendary item on round twenty. Between rounds, you get to choose one of three white items. Choose a versatile character like Huntress or Loader for this new game mode.

Risk of Rain 2 Survivors of the Void Update Notes

New Items

  • Expansion of the Void 13 New Items
  • There Are Now Three New Lunar Items
  • That’s 18 New Stuff That’s Regular
  • Five Brand-New Pieces of Gear

Change the properties of common objects through corruption. When you get one of the 14 Void Items, it changes how the regular version of that item works forever. Corruption is a path to power, but it also leads to other shifts. Many products now have the opposite function from what they originally did. One enemy at a time is the focus of the electrifying music played on the Void ukulele. Certain items have an entirely unexpected function.

Collect all 19 available items in Survivors of the Void: 5 pieces of equipment, 4 lunar items, and 9 common items.

New Stage

  • One fresh level

New and interesting locations on Petrichor V have been found. Learn the ins and outs of the new areas you’re exploring and make your way deeper into The Void. Go ice skating on the haphazardly frozen ponds of Siphoned Forest, smell the sulfur in the Sulfur Pools, and marvel at the gushing waterfalls of Aphelian Sanctuary.

New Enemies

  • 9 Creatures
  • 3 Bosses
  • Numbering Two High-Class Individuals

There are now more creatures from Providence running amok, and they are not happy about the increased danger to their world. We welcome back the gelatinous Gup and his new pals from distant Petrichor V. Keep your distance from this cute but dangerous orange monster, as it could easily launch you over the edge if you get too close.

The strongest beings are native to the void. If you can travel to The Void, you pose a threat to them. There will be retaliation for such an incursion. Monsters of brute strength and twisted intellect have been dispatched to kidnap you. Find out where they get their power, and if you can, use that to your advantage.

New Survivors

  • A railgunner is a character who uses a first-person scope to fire mighty shots from a distance. Use the bosses’ own vulnerabilities against them.
  • Void Fiend: As corruption consumes you, your CAbilities will morph into increasingly devastating attacks. Once the Void Fiend is activated, you can unleash a barrage of beams and missiles on your foes and learn to exploit new avenues of movement.

Risk of Rain 2 Patch Notes – August 17

The full patch notes for the Risk of Rain update on PS4 and Xbox One, released on August 17, are as follows:

  • Issue fixed where the Captain’s secondary attack wasn’t stunning foes.
  • Issue fixed where Malachite Urchins could be seen after they had been vanquished.
  • We’ve blown up the hitbox for the Brass Contraption.
  • Issue fixed where game would freeze up in Heretic’s final Mithrix phase.
  • We fixed an issue where the Ravenous Bite passive heal was not being used.
  • Fixed an issue where the expose debuff was not being applied when using the Mercenary Focused alternative utility skill.
  • An issue with the ending cinematic not fading out correctly has been fixed.
  • An issue where the user interface was not showing up in the “Music & More” submenu has been fixed.
  • Fixed an issue wherein locking character selection would occur when pressing the Info Screen button in the main menu.
  • Fixed an issue where infinite missiles would spawn when rocks, pots, or vulture eggs were destroyed.
  • The issue where the Sticky Bomb’s damage was incorrectly capped at 180% has been fixed.
  • Huntress no longer perishes when she blinks out of area-of-effect damage.
  • Issue where the Sawmerang wouldn’t do any damage when hit has been fixed.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented the use of Captain’s Orbital Supply Beacons during the Opening Ceremony.
  • This issue has been fixed where localized text was not showing up in the Profile Statistics.

Is Risk of Rain 2 cross-platform compatible?

There is no cross-play or platform compatibility in Risk of Rain 2. Hopoo Games has not yet confirmed or denied whether they intend to implement this feature in the future. Due to the small size of the team and the complexity of enabling cross-platform play, it may not be worthwhile to do so.

Have a look at our Risk of Rain 2 character unlocking guide for more info. In addition, we’ve got a full inventory of every item and location in Risk of Rain 2. The PC version is available through Steam, and the digital version is available from the respective game store. Digital copies of the game cost $19.99, though it frequently goes on sale if you’re patient.

Risk of Rain 2 Artifacts List and Locations

Risk of Rain 2 Artifacts

One of the central features of Risk of Rain 2 is, once again, artifacts, which were also present in the original game. You can find artifacts throughout the various levels of the game. Large tablets jutting out of the ground will have a series of codes on them.

The two halves of an Artifact’s code can be found separately. The codes will be arranged in a 3×3 grid with various shapes, including squares, circles, triangles, and diamonds.

Using the correct Artifact Code in the Sky Meadows realm is required in order to activate Artifacts. The game has now reached its fifth level. In total, there are sixteen unique Artifacts to collect. You are permitted to redeem one (1) free Artifact code at this location.

Artifact of Chaos

When this artifact is used, both survivors and monsters will have Friendly Fire turned on. Splitting the Artifact of Chaos in half. Runald and Kjaro gate must be unlocked in order to access the Artifact’s second half.

  • Place: Derelict Aqueduct

Artifact of Command

Now that you have this Artifact, you can pick and choose the in-game items you want to acquire. This one is incredibly concealed by a frozen blue creature.

  • Destination: The Timeless Bazaar

Artifact of Death

When playing with others, the loss of any one player now ends the game for everyone. For this, you’ll need to leave the map’s surface and descend into the tunnel system below. It’s incredibly challenging for the naked eye.

  • N’kuhana’s Altar, Wetlands Promenade

Artifact of Dissonance

In the game, monsters are not limited to their normal zones but can appear anywhere. You’ll need to be mobile to reach this Artifact.

  • Place Name: The Bottom of the Ocean

Artifact of Enigma

Generate a random item that transforms into a different one when used. You’ll want all the mobility you can muster to reach this Artifact.

  • Artifact Portal in Bulwark’s Ambry

Artifact of Evolution

It’s now possible to see monsters develop and use items as you play. Beads of Fealty are needed for this Artifact.

  • Place Name: In the Heart of a Complete Instant – The Gate to Heaven

Artifact of Frailty

Falling now does twice as much damage to players.

  • Spacetime: The Null Portal in the Empty Fields

Artifact of Glass

A friend’s damage output has increased by 500%, but they only have 10% of their normal health.

  • Time and Place: A Split Second in Heaven’s Portal

Artifact of Honor

Any new enemies that appear will immediately become powerful foes. When you first visit the Sky Meadows location, you’ll be given this code to redeem a free gift.

  • The place is called Sky Meadows.

How to Unlock Characters in Risk of Rain 2

Artifact of Kin

There is only one foe in each level thanks to this Risk of Rain 2 Artifact.

  • Place Name: Far-Off Roost No Difference

Artifact of Metamorphasis

Your new character in the game will be a random survivor.

  • Site: Titanic Plains Variation

Artifact of Sacrifice

When an enemy dies, they will drop items, but chests will no longer be spawned naturally.

  • The Gold Portal on the Gilded Coast

Artifact of Soul

Once an enemy dies, a wisp will emerge from its corpse. To find this Artifact, you’ll need to be nimble on your feet.

  • Scorched Acres is the location.

Artifact of Spite

When defeated, enemies will drop multiple bombs. This option can be found on the right side of the screen in the settings menu. Modifying the LOD Bias from Ultra to Custom reveals all of the source code.

  • Specifically, the Preferences dialog box

Artifact of Swarms

The number of enemies that spawn has doubled, but they only have half as much health as before. You’ll need nimble fingers and a nimble body to find it. You can transport the crates to the island location marked on the map.

  • Assembly Point Delta

Artifact of Vengeance

Every ten minutes, a carbon copy of yourself will log in. If you plan on using this Artifact later in the game, you’d better start out strong.

  • Hidden Realm: A Snapshot of a Fragmented Instant

Conclusion

The Survivors of the Void add-on for Risk of Rain 2 introduces a new playable character called the Void Fiend.

This “eldritch, void-mutated monstrosity” uses the Void as a deadly weapon by amassing corrupted energy to a critical mass.

Players who have purchased the Survivors of the Void DLC will have the Void Fiend added to their account the next time they launch the game.