Our Risk of Rain 2 How-to Unlock Characters Guide walks you through the process of unlocking every single class in Risk of Rain 2! We »ve got a look at all of the available classes, and include information on unlocking them and what abilities each of them has.
As you play more Risk of Rain 2 you will likely want to change things up from time to time. You can do this by playing all of the various unlockable classes that are available. There’s some very unique characters in this bunch, they’ll have you either throwing spells around, planting turrets, or slice and dicing enemies with a sword! Whatever play-style you are looking to find, there should be a class available to satisfy it!
Check out our fully searchable & sortable item list right here!
Risk of Rain 2 Unlockable Characters List
There are currently seven available classes that can be unlocked in various different ways. Each class has their own unique skills and abilities, and can completely change up your play-style!
Commando
Commando is unlocked by default and is the first character class you can play!
Commando Overview
The Commando is a jack-of-all-trades character that is reliable in all situations of the game.
- Double Tap is powerful at both short and long range, firing quickly and activating many item effects.
- Effective use of his Tactical Dive is key to dodging heavily telegraphed attacks.
- Suppressive Fire can be used to repeatedly stun a single enemy, or stun a group.
- Phase Rounds can pass through walls – use that to your advantage!
Commando Abilities
Double Tap
Shoot twice for 2×90 percent damage.
Phase Round
Fire a piercing bullet that hits all enemies in a line for 230 percent damage.
Phast Blast
Fire two close-range blasts that deal 8×200 percent damage total. (This is an Alt. skill.)
Tactical Dive
Roll a short distance
Tactical Slide
Slide on the ground for a short distance. You can fire while sliding. (This is Alt. skill.)
Suppressive Fire
Fire rapidly, stunning enemies for 6×100 percent damage.
Frag Grenade
Throw a grenade that explodes for 175 percent damage. Deals 4x damage in the center of the explosion. Can hold up to two. (This is Alt. skill.)
Huntress
Huntress is a pretty easy one to unlock! All you need to do is complete the « Warrior » challenge that requires you to « Reach and complete the 3rd Teleporter event without dying. »
Huntress Overview
The Huntress is an extremely mobile but fragile survivor with a high damage output.
- Remember that Strafe can be uniquely be used while sprinting, allowing you to move at high speeds while still taking out potential threats.
- Blink and Arrow Rain can be used to reposition closer or used as a dodge in a tight spot.
- Laser Glaive will take out pairs of tough targets quickly as it bounces between the two.
- Arrow Rain has extremely high damage output and also slows enemies inside, making it great for tough, fast enemies.
Huntress Abilities
Strafe
Fire a seeking arrow for 150 percent damage. Can be used while sprinting.
Laser Glaive
Throw a seeking glaive that bounces up to six times for 250 percent damage. Damage increases by 10 percent per bounce.
Blink
Disappear and teleport forward.
Phase Blink
Replaces Blink. Disappear and teleport a short distance. Can store up to three charges.
Arrow Rain
Teleport into the sky. Target an area to rain arrows, slowing all enemies and dealing 225 percent damage per second.
Ballista
Replaces Arrow Rain. Teleport backwards into the sky. Fire up to three energy bolts, dealing 3×900 percent damage.
Bandit
Bandit can be unlocked by completing the Challenge Warrior. To do this you must complete the third Teleporter Event without dying.
Bandit Abilities
Backstab
All attacks from behind are Critical Strikes.
Burst
Fire a shotgun burst for 5×100 percent damage. Can hold up to four shells.
Serrated Dagger
Lunge and slash for 360 percent damage. Critical Strikes also cause hemorrhaging.
Blast
Fire a rifle blast for 330 percent damage. Can hold up to four bullets. Unlocked via the Bandit: Classic Man Challenge.
Serrated Shiv
Throw a hidden blade for 240 percent damage. Critical Strikes also cause hemorrhaging. Unlocked via the Bandit: Sadist Challenge.
Smoke Bomb
Deal 200 percent damage, become invisible, then deal 200 percent damage again.
Lights Out
Fire a revolver shot for 600 percent damage. Kills reset all your cooldowns.
Desperado
Fire a revolver shot for 600 percent damage. Kills grant stacking tokens for 10 percent more Desparado damage. Unlocked via the Bandit: B&E Challenge.
MUL-T
MUL-T is relatively easy to unlock, and just requires you to complete the « Verified » challenge. The requirements for that are to Complete the first Teleporter event 5 times. That just means you need to get through the first boss and use the teleporter to get to the second level five times.
MUL-T Overview
MUL-T is an aggressive survivors who has the tools necessary for any job!
- Auto-Nailgun has an extremely high damage output, but has a short range, making it risky but strong.
- Transport Mode can be both a great tool to run down small groups of monsters, or pack a big punch against larger ones.
- Blast Canister can lock down a large cluster of enemies for a long time, helping line up that perfect shot for both you and your allies.
- Constantly Retooling can help eliminate fragile and weak enemies with Rebar Puncher while still keeping damage output high with the Auto-Nailgun.
MUL-T Abilities
Multifunctional
MUL-T can hold two equipment at once. The active equipment is swapped by using Retool.
Auto-Nailgun
Rapidly fire nails for 60 percent damage. Fires six nails when initially pressed.
Scrap Launcher
Fire an arching hunk that explodes for 360 percent damage. Hold up to four.
Rebar Puncher
Long range precision attack for 600 percent damage.
Blast Canister
Launch a stun canister for 220 percent damage. Drops stun bomblets for 5×44 percent damage.
Transport Mode
Zoom forward, gaining armor and speed. Deals 250 percent damage to enemies in the way. Deals more damage at higher speeds.
Retool
Switches his primary fire between the rapid Auto-Nailgun and a piercing heavy-damage Rebar Puncher.
Engineer
To unlock the engineer you will need to complete the « Engineering Perfection » challenge that requires you to Complete 30 stages. You don’t have to do 30 stages in a row, but 30 stages over all of your runs. This won’t take you too long if you are playing the game a lot!
Engineer Overview
The Engineer is a unique class that requires planning and positioning to be successful.
- Placing mines ahead of time can help cover flanks and tight corridors.
- The Engineer relies heavily on his Gauss Turrets – remember to place them in a location that is both safe and advantageous.
- His Bubble Shield can be a powerful tool against heavily telegraphed boss attacks – and it can protect your allies as well!
- Bouncing Grenades, while powerful, has a hard time hitting mobile targets. Try to keep your Turrets alive to deal with fast or flying monsters.
Engineer Abilities
Bouncing Grenades
Charge up to eight grenades that deal 100 percent damage each.
Pressure Mines
Place a mine that deals 300 percent damage when an enemy walks nearby. Can place up to 10.
Spider Mines
Replaces Pressure Mines. Place a robot mine that deals 600 percent damage when an enemy walks nearby. Can place up to four.
Bubble Shield
Place an impenetrable shield that blocks all incoming damage.
TR12 Guass Auto-Turret
Place a turret that inherits all your items. Fires a cannon for 100 percent damage. Can place up to two.
TR58 Carbonizer Turret
Replaces TR12 Gauss Auto-Turret. Place a mobile turret that inherits all your items. Fires a laser for 200 percent damage per second that slows enemies. Can place up to two.
More Great Risk of Rain Content
Artificer
The Artificer is the Mage style class in Risk of Rain 2. You can unlock her by completing the « Pause » challenge, which requires you to « Free the survivors suspended in time. » You will need to collect 10 Lunar coins, this is a currency that drops from enemies and is kept even after you end a run. You will then need to head to the Bazaar Between Time, which can be found by randomly having it spawn after completing a teleporter and boss or by spending a Lunar Coin at a Newt Altar.
A blue portal will appear next to the teleporter after you’ve charged it and defeated the boss. Once you go into the portal, head down the path and you’ll see a large Newt and next to it will be the Artificer locked in what appears to be some kind of stasis. Spend your 10 Lunar Coins and you will unlock the Artificer!
Artificer Overview
The Artificer is a high burst damage survivor who excels in fighting large groups and bosses alike.
- Flame Bolt expends stocks quickly but recharges slowly – try to weave in basic attacks between skill casts.
- Direct hits of Charged Nano-Bomb can turn the tide of an otherwise losing battle.
- Frozen enemies are executed at low health, making it great to eliminate tanky enemies.
- Remember that the Artificer has NO defensive skills – position and defensive items are key!
Artificer Abilities
ENV Suit
Holding the space key causes the Artificer to hover in the air.
Flame Bolt
Fire a bolt for 220 percent damage that ignites enemies. Hold up to four.
Ignite does 140 percent damage in one second over six ticks, stacking.
Charged Nano-Bomb
Charge up a nano-bomb that deals 400 to 2000 percent damage and stuns all enemies.
Additionally, the orb fires arcs of lightning at nearby enemies, once per enemy, dealing 100 to 700 percent damage.
Snapfreeze
Create a barrier that freezes enemies for 40 percent damage. Enemies at low health (around 33 percent) are instantly killed if frozen.
Note that if an enemy is frozen, the instant kill shatter occurs on damage that brings them below 20% health.
Flamethrower
Burn all enemies in front of you for 100 percent damage over three seconds, and applying ignite on each tick, over 21 ticks in total.
Has a 12 second delay after using before it starts dealing damage.
Mercenary
The Mercenary is Risk of Rain 2’s melee class. To unlock the Mercenary, you will need to complete the « True Respite » challenge. This challenge requires you to « Obliterate yourself at the Obelisk. » To do that, you will need to open the Celestial Portal. You will need to watch your chat window, if you see the words « A celestial orb has appeared… » that means it will be active for that level. This seems to happen more often when you’ve looped through the levels (gone all the way through the stages and back to the early ones).
There’s currently no specific way to make the portal spawn other than getting far in a run and hoping that you see the chat message. Complete the teleporter and boss which will spawn the portal. Head into the portal and make your way all the way down the level by jumping down and onto the platforms (if you fall, you will respawn at the beginning). You will eventually reach an Obelisk, which once you activate will end your run. Once you’ve completed that, you will have unlocked the Mercenary!
Mercenary Overview
The Mercenary is a high skill melee survivor that uses his many dodges to wave in and out of combat.
- Whirlwind’s air variation can be used like an extra jump in a pinch.
- Getting repeated resets on Blinding Assault is key to increasing both survivability and dmaage output. However, you do not always need to try for resets. It may result in your death.
- Remember that Eviscerate is an extremely powerful defensive tool to dodge telegraphed attacks.
- Laser Sword deals a ton of damage in a wide area, which is unique for a basic attack.
Mercenary Abilities
Cybernetic Enhancements
The Mercenary can jump twice.
Laser Sword
Slice in front for 130 percent damage. Every third hit strikes in a greater area for 130 percent damage. Third hit applies the ‘Exposed’ debuff.
Whirlwind
Quickly slice horizontally twice, dealing 2×200 percent damage. If airborne, slice vertically instead.
Rising Thunder
Unleash a slicing uppercut, dealing 450 percent damage and sending you airborne.
(Unlocked by Mercenary: Demon of the Skies.)
Blinding Assault
Dash forward, stunning enemies for 200 percent damage. If you hit an enemy, you can dash again, up to three total.
Eviscerate
Target the nearest enemy, attacking them for 110 percent damage repeatedly. You cannot be hit for the duration.
Slicing Winds
Fire a wind of blades that attack up to three enemies for 8×100 percent damage. Last hit applies the ‘Exposed’ debuff. (Unlocked by Mercenary: Ethereal)
Rex
Rex can be unlocked by a small little quest. When you launch into a game, go behind your escape pod and you will find a panel. Open up the panel and grab the Fuel Array item. It will occupy your equipment slot. You now need to get to stage 4, up high in the level, there’s a some small land masses and one of them will contain Rex. Use the Fuel Array item next to his body and he will be unlocked!
Rex Abilities
Natural Toxins
Certain attacks Weaken, reducing movement speed, armor, and damage.
DIRECTIVE: Inject
Fires three syringes for 3×80 percent damage. The last syringe Weakens and heals for 60 percent of damage dealt.
Seed Barrage
Costs 15 percent of your current health. Launch a mortar into the sky for 450 percent damage.
DIRECTIVE Drill
Launch a series of seed bullets into the sky, raining down for 450 percent damage per second. (Unlocked by REX: Bushwhacked.)
DIRECTIVE: Disperse
Fire a sonic boom that pushes and Weakens all enemies hit. Pushes you backwards if you are airborne.
Bramble Volley
Costs 20 percent of your current health. Fire thorns that pushes and damages all enemies hit for 550 percent damage. Pushes you backwards if you are airborne. Heals for every target hit.
Tangle Growth
Costs 25 percent of your current health. Fires a flower that roots for 200 percent damage. Heals for every target hit.
Loader
Loader can be unlocked by completing the Challenge Guidance Offline. In this challenge, you need to defeat the Alloy Worship Unit boss at Siren’s Call.
In Siren’s Call they are nests scattered around the area, with eggs in them You must destroy enough of the eggs until a messages start appearing mentioning Whirring. Keep destroying the eggs until the last message appears, « The whirring grows loud. »
A few seconds later the Alloy Worship Unit will spawn, and defeating this boss will complete the challenge and thusly unlocking Loader.
Rex Abilities
Scrap Barrier
The Loader is immune to fall damage. Striking enemies with the Loader’s gauntlets grants a temporary barrier.
Knuckleboom
Swing at nearby enemies for 320 percent damage.
Grapple Fist
Fire your gauntlet forward, pulling you to the target.
Spiked Fist
Fire your gauntlet forward, dealing 320 percent damage and stunning.
Pulls you to heavy targets. Light targets are pulled to you instead.
Charged Gauntlet
Charge up a massive punch for 600 to 2700 percent damage that sends you flying forward. Deals significantly more damage the faster you are moving.
Thunder Gauntlet
Charge up a single punch for 2100 percent damage that also shocks all enemies in a cone for 1000 percent damage. Deals significantly more damage the faster you are moving.
M551 Pylon
Throw a floating pylon that zaps up to six nearby enemies for 100 percent damage. Can be grappled.
Thunderslam
Slam your fists down, dealing 2000 percent damage on impact.
Acrid
Acrid can be unlocked by completing the Challenge …To Be Left Alone. In this challenge, you need to defeat the Alloy Worship Unit boss at Siren’s Call.
The Void Fields are accessed through the Bazaar Between time. Beneath the walkway that gets you to the shop are large beams that you can land on. Once you descend far enough, there will be a tunnel with yellow light and fog that will take you to a black void portal outlined in purple.
The portal will take you to the Void Fields. In the Void Fields, you will need to activate 9 Void Cells. The first time the challenge is completed you will unlock Acrid.
Acrid Abilities
Poison
Certain attacks Poison enemies, dealing damage equal to 10 percent of their maximum health over time. Poison cannot kill enemies.
Vicious Wounds
Maul an enemy for 200 percent damage.Every third hit deals 400 percent damage.
Neurotoxin
Spit toxic bile for 240 percent damage that poisons enemies hit.
Caustic Leap
Leap into the air, dealing 320 percent damage, stunning, and poisoning enemies on impact. Leaves a pool of acid that deals 25 percent damage. This ability has two charges.
Epidemic
Release a deadly poison that deals 100 percent damage and poisons enemies. The disease continually spreads to up to 20 targets.
Captain
Captain can be unlocked by completing the Challenge Washed Away. To complete this challenge you must beat the game.
Captain Abilities
Defensive Microbots
Passively gain Microbots that shoot down nearby enemy projectiles. Drones are also given Microbots.
Vulcan Shotgun
Fire a blast of pellets that deal 8×120 percent damage. Charging the attack narrows the spread.
Power Tazer
Fire a fast tazer that deals 100 percent damage. Travels farther if bounced.
Orbital Probe
Request up to three Orbital Probes from the UES Safe Travels. Each probe deals 1000 percent damage.
OGM-72 ‘DIABLO’ Strike
Request a kinetic strike from the UES Safe Travels. After 20 seconds, it deals 40,000 percent damage to ALL characters. Unlocked via the Captain: Smushed Challenge.
Orbital Supply Beacon
Request a permanent Supply Beacon. Can only be requested twice per stage.
- Beacon
- Healing
- Heal all nearby allies for 10 percent of their maximum health every second.
- Shocking
- Periodically Shock all nearby enemies, immobilizing them.
- Resupply
- Recharge Equipment on use.
- Hacking
- Hack all nearby purchasables to a cost of $0 over time.
