Exploring the Survivors of Risk of Rain 2

Key Highlights of Risk of Rain 2 Survivors

Diverse Roster: Risk of Rain 2 features a wide array of playable characters, each offering distinct playstyles and abilities.
Unlockable Characters: Most characters require specific challenges to be completed, adding depth and replayability to the game.
Tier Lists: The community frequently ranks characters based on their performance and consistency, aiding players in choosing the best survivor for their playstyle.

The Playable Survivors of Risk of Rain 2

Risk of Rain 2 boasts a diverse cast of playable characters, known as Survivors, each with unique abilities and playstyles. Understanding these characters is crucial for mastering the game and enhancing your chances of survival. Here's an in-depth look at each character, including their abilities, unlock requirements, and general strategies.

The Core Survivors

These characters are the foundation of Risk of Rain 2, offering a range of playstyles suitable for both new and experienced players.

The Huntress, known for her mobility and ranged attacks.

Commando

The Commando is the first character players have access to, making them a versatile and reliable choice for beginners. The Commando is a jack-of-all-trades character, is unlocked by default, and is reliable in all situations. His abilities include:

Primary Fire (Double Tap): Fires two shots in quick succession.
Secondary Fire (Phase Blast): Fires a piercing shot that damages enemies in a line.
Utility (Tactical Dive): A short dash that provides temporary invulnerability.
Special (Suppressive Fire): Rapidly fires at nearby enemies, stunning them.

Huntress

The Huntress is an extremely mobile and fragile survivor with a high damage output. To unlock the Huntress, you need to reach your 3rd Teleporter in Risk of Rain 2 without dying. The key here is to find the Teleporter in each stage as fast as possible while still in easier difficulty. Her abilities include:

Primary Fire (Strafe): Fires while moving at full speed.
Secondary Fire (Laser Glaive): Throws a glaive that bounces between enemies.
Utility (Blink): Teleports a short distance.
Special (Arrow Rain): Calls down a rain of arrows on a targeted area.

Bandit

The Bandit is a high-skill combo character that can dish out devastating backstabs while weaving in and out of stealth. His abilities include:

Primary Fire (Burst): Fires a quick burst of shots.
Secondary Fire (Smokescreen): Throws a smoke bomb, creating a cloud that stuns enemies and grants stealth.
Utility (Lights Out): Resets all cooldowns on kill.
Special (Desperado): A powerful shot that deals increased damage based on the number of stacks.

MUL-T

MUL-T is a character / class that works well in both single & coop. His abilities include:

Primary Fire (Auto-Nailgun): Rapidly fires nails at enemies.
Secondary Fire (Rebar Launcher): Fires a single, powerful rebar that pierces enemies.
Utility (Transport Mode): Transforms into a mobile transport unit, increasing speed and armor.
Special (Blast Canister): Deploys a canister that explodes after a short delay.

Engineer

Engineer is a character / class that requires strategic placement and timing of use of his tools. He is able to place mines to damage incoming enemies & implement a bubble shield to protect from enemy fire. His Gauss Turret provides good cover fire but must be placed in an advantageous spot. Check Out Engineer Survivor Class Guide! To unlock Engineer, you must complete total of 30 stages in Risk of Rain 2. His abilities include:

Primary Fire (Bouncing Grenades): Launches grenades that bounce before exploding.
Secondary Fire (TR12 Gauss Turret): Deploys a turret that automatically attacks enemies.
Utility (Bubble Shield): Creates a temporary shield that blocks enemy projectiles.
Special (Pressure Mines): Lays down proximity mines that detonate when enemies approach.

Artificer

Artificer is a high burst damage survivor who excels in fighting large groups and bosses alike. Her abilities include:

Primary Fire (Charged Nano-Bomb): Charges and releases a nano-bomb that explodes on impact.
Secondary Fire (Flamethrower): Emits a stream of fire, damaging enemies in a cone.
Utility (Ice Wall): Creates a wall of ice that blocks enemies and projectiles.
Special (Lightning Storm): Calls down lightning strikes on nearby enemies.

Mercenary

The Mercenary is one of the few melee oriented character in Risk of Rain 2. Laser Sword and Whirlwind specialize in high-damage sword attacks. Eviscerate will target the closest enemy, striking them. The Mercenary is a close quarters melee survivor who focuses on dealing massive damage to a single target. This is one of the harder classes to use in Risk of Rain 2 and can only be unlocked by completing the "True Respite" achievement. His abilities include:

Primary Fire (Laser Sword): A series of sword slashes.
Secondary Fire (Eviscerate): Dashes to a target enemy and performs a powerful attack.
Utility (Whirlwind): Spins, damaging nearby enemies and deflecting projectiles.
Special (Rising Thunder): Launches enemies into the air with an uppercut.

REX

REX’s inclusion this low on our Risk of Rain 2 characters tier list should surprise nobody. They have a horrible early game to balance out their incredible sustain abilities. REX builds in Risk of Rain 2 require several items to function properly in a run. Attack Speed, Movement Speed, and Healing Items are necessary to get REX the ability to survive beyond the first few stages, making them inconsistent. His abilities include:

Primary Fire (Seed Barrage): Fires a volley of seeds that explode on impact.
Secondary Fire (Directive: Inject): Heals REX while damaging a targeted enemy.
Utility (Tangling Growth): Roots enemies in place.
Special (Directive: Disperse): Launches REX backward while firing a spread of seeds.

Survivors of the Void DLC

The Survivors of the Void DLC introduces new characters and abilities, expanding the strategic possibilities within Risk of Rain 2. The Railgunner and Void Fiend are available in the DLC Survivors of the Void.

Void Fiend

Void Fiend is an incredibly reliable Risk of Rain 2 character that is also insanely fun to play. Still, the only real downside to playing them is that you might want to avoid picking up a 50th Void Item, lest you be trapped in Corrupted Form for the rest of eternity. A powerful and versatile Survivor, Void Fiend may be the very best, though is quite technical and requires careful play. His abilities include:

Primary Fire (Void Corruption): Fires a beam that corrupts enemies.
Secondary Fire (Drown): Unleashes a flood of beams and missiles.
Utility ( очищение ): Cleanses debuffs and grants temporary invulnerability.
Special (The Maw): Creates a black hole that pulls in enemies.

Railgunner

Railgunner is also included in the Survivors of the Void DLC, and has a very aim-focused kit. You can unlock the Railgunner in Risk of Rain 2 by purchasing the Survivors of the Void DLC. Her abilities include:

Primary Fire (Railgun): Fires a powerful, long-range shot.
Secondary Fire (Supercharge): Charges the railgun for increased damage.
Utility (Concussion Device): Launches the Railgunner backward, creating distance from enemies.
Special (XQR Smart Round): Fires a homing missile that targets the weakest enemy.

Captain

Captain is just below Railgunner, Void Fiend, and Loader. His abilities include:

Primary Fire (Vulcan Shotgun): Fires a spread of pellets.
Secondary Fire (Orbital Probe): Calls down an orbital probe that damages enemies.
Utility (Beacon): Places a beacon that provides healing or damage buffs.
Special (Hacking Beacon): Hacks nearby enemy equipment.

Other Unlockable and Secret Characters

These characters require more specific actions or conditions to unlock, adding an extra layer of challenge and discovery to the game.

Loader

Loader is one of the strongest Survivors in the game. Her damage and mobility are unmatched. She gains a passive shield on hit, which enables close-range aggression with much less risk than other melee survivors. On death, the Alloy Worship Unit will spawn a Rare item and, when defeated for the first time, you'll unlock Loader as a playable character. Her abilities include:

Primary Fire (Knuckleboom): A series of powerful punches.
Secondary Fire (Grappling Hook): Launches a grappling hook that pulls the Loader to a target location.
Utility (Charged Gauntlet): Charges the Loader's gauntlet for a devastating punch.
Special (Thunderfist): A powerful charged punch that deals massive damage.

Acrid

Acrid is the only character that we unlock through that void. You see a bunch of void jailers around the portal leading to the portal at the bazaar, when you beat the game the last enemies that show up are void jailers because you have beaten mithrix, and thus have gotten too powerful. His unique hit-and-run playstyle of poisoning groups of enemies before jumping in for the kill is interesting. However, in the late game, Acrid struggles to burst down high-priority targets quickly enough. Since he has low mobility, he struggles with prolonged engagements and can easily die after jumping into a fight. Acrid is a melee character, too, so the late game is risky (generally forcing a switch to an ill-suited ranged playstyle). His abilities include:

Primary Fire (Neurotoxin): Fires a projectile that poisons enemies.
Secondary Fire (Vicious Wounds): Inflicts bleeding on a targeted enemy.
Utility (Caustic Leap): Leaps, leaving a trail of poison.
Special (Epidemic): Releases a wave of poison that spreads to nearby enemies.

Heretic

No, you didn't forget to unlock a character just because you don't see the Heretic on the character select menu. The Heretic is actually a 'secret' playable character in Risk of Rain 2, similar to Risk of Rain Return's Robomando, as she's only controllable once players fulfill very specific conditions, and she's only controllable for that run in particular. The Heretic, also known as Ku-skan, is a secret playable character. You can’t pick her from the character selection screen – instead, you need to transform into her by holding all four Heresy items simultaneously. Her abilities include:

Primary Fire (Rending Gaze): Fires a piercing beam of energy.
Secondary Fire (Essence of Heresy): Fires a burst of energy that heals the Heretic.
Utility (Hooks of Heresy): Teleports the Heretic to a targeted location.
Special (Vision of Heresy): Unleashes a barrage of energy projectiles.

New Survivors in Seekers of the Storm DLC

Seekers of the Storm is the newest DLC for Risk of Rain 2, and it was developed by Gearbox rather than Hopoo games. The DLC has had a very tough reception, mostly because of the large number of bugs present at launch. The developers have since patched many of the worst ones, but some bugs continue to persist. The DLC added three new survivors to the roster, bringing the total number of playable characters to 17, and those three survivors have been added to this list in its latest update.

Chef

As a culinary master, Chef uses a variety of practiced skills in tandem for additional benefits. His abilities include:

Primary Fire:
Secondary Fire:
Utility:
Special:

Seeker

How to play the Seeker - Complete Survivor Guide (Risk of Rain 2 Seekers DLC). His abilities include:

Primary Fire:
Secondary Fire:
Utility:
Special:

False Son

Use False Son's durability to stay in the fray and capitalize on his slow but deadly skills. How to play False Son - Complete Character Guide (Risk of Rain 2 Seekers DLC). His abilities include:

Primary Fire:
Secondary Fire:
Utility:
Special:

Character Tier Lists and Community Rankings

The Risk of Rain 2 community frequently creates tier lists to rank characters based on their effectiveness and viability. These lists can be helpful for players looking to optimize their gameplay or find characters that suit their preferred playstyles. However, it's important to remember that tier lists are subjective and can vary depending on the player's skill level and the specific items they acquire during a run.

Here is an example of a character tier list. Note that these are opinions and can change based on the player and the current state of the game:

Tier	Characters	Description
S-Tier	Void Fiend, Loader	Characters with high damage output, survivability, and versatility.
A-Tier	Railgunner, Captain	Strong characters with specific strengths and reliable performance.
B-Tier	Acrid, Artificer	Good characters suitable for beginners, with decent performance rates.
C-Tier	Commando, REX	Average characters that may require specific items or playstyles to shine.

Visual Customization: Character Skins

In addition to their unique abilities, characters in Risk of Rain 2 can be further customized with skins. These skins are cosmetic and do not affect gameplay but allow players to personalize their favorite survivors.

Monsoon skins analyzed by the Risk of Rain 2 community.

Skins can be unlocked through various achievements or challenges, adding another layer of progression to the game. Some mods even introduce custom skins, allowing for even greater personalization.

Gameplay and Strategies

Each character in Risk of Rain 2 requires a different approach to gameplay. Understanding their strengths and weaknesses is essential for success. For example, the Huntress excels at ranged combat and mobility, while the Mercenary thrives in close-quarters engagements. Experimenting with different characters and playstyles is key to finding what works best for you.

Consider this video that discusses tier lists in Risk of Rain 2.

FAQ

How many playable characters are there in Risk of Rain 2?

There are currently 17 playable characters in Risk of Rain 2, including those added with the Survivors of the Void and Seekers of the Storm DLCs.

Which characters are unlocked by default?

The Commando and Huntress are unlocked by default when you start the game.

How do I unlock new characters?

Most characters are unlocked by completing specific challenges, such as clearing certain stages or defeating bosses under particular conditions.

What is a character tier list?

A character tier list is a ranking of characters based on their performance, viability, and overall effectiveness in the game. These lists are often created by the community and can help players choose characters that suit their playstyle.