Image via Risk of Rain Returns Trailer

How to Unlock All Characters In Risk of Rain Returns

Let's see how to unlock all characters in Risk of Rain Returns.

Risk of Rain Returns has 15 playable characters in total with 13 of them having to be unlocked through various means. Let’s show you how to unlock all characters in Risk of Rain Returns.

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Some of them are unlocked passively by beating certain stages and bosses or collecting enough items. On the other hand, you’ll have to jump through some hoops for the other survivors. I’ll show you how to unlock them all with some tips for the more complex ones.

Risk of Rain Returns: How to Unlock All Characters

You’ll start the game with the Commando and the Huntress for some early game variety. With this dastardly duo, here’s how to unlock other survivors:

  • How to unlock Robomando:
  • How to unlock Acrid:
    • You have to find Acrid’s prison container in the “Sunken Tombs” level and defeat him. I’ve always found the container in the top-right corner of the map.
  • How to unlock Artificer:
    • Visit 10 unique levels.
  • How to unlock Bandit:
    • Beat the third stage.
  • How to unlock CHEF:
    • Have the Meat Nugget, Bustling Fungus, Sprouting Egg, and Bitter Root items along with the Foreign Fruit equipment item at the same time. I used the Artifact of Command which allows you to pick which items you get from chests.
  • How to unlock Drifter:
    • Recycle 6 drones in one playthrough.
  • How to unlock Enforcer:
    • Defeat the Magma Worm, Wandering Vagrant, and Colossus bosses (Doesn’t have to be on the same run).
  • How to unlock Engineer:
    • Purchase 40 drones in total.
  • How to unlock HAN-D:
    • Find HAN-D in the final level (Contact Light) in the “Cargo 2” area with multicolored boxes. HAN-D is located behind the grey door which you have to interact with.
  • How to unlock Loader:
    • Get 30 unique items in one playthrough.
  • How to unlock Mercenary:
    • Beat the game five times.
  • How to unlock Miner:
    • Defeat the Direseeker mini-boss in “The Magma Barracks”. The boss is located in the bottom-right of the level. You’ll have to go through a small stretch of lava to reach the boss platform so I recommend making sure you have full or near-full HP.
  • How to unlock Pilot:
    • Collect 15 Monster Logs.
  • How to unlock Sniper:
    • Beat the game once.
Image via IGDB

The Pilot and the Drifter are completely new characters to the franchise with Artificer returning from Risk of Rain 2. We hope you’ve enjoyed this guide on how to unlock all characters in Risk of Rain Returns. You can find more useful guides like beginner tips or how to beat the final boss on our RoR Returns guide hub.


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Author
Gordan Perisic
From playing RPGs and dungeon mastering for his D&D group to reading novels and scribbling about his fantasy setting, Gordan is a full-time nerd and devoted writer for GameSkinny. He loves to overshare and discuss literature, music, animation, and trees with fellow geeks. Also, he may or may not cook too much food for his friends. Cholesterol is one hell of a drug.