The Pilot is one of the three bonus survivors coming in Risk of Rain Returns and along with the Drifter, he’s a brand-new character in the franchise. Today, we’ll show you how to unlock Pilot in Risk of Rain Returns.
Now this survivor is interesting since he was technically present in the original as the pilot of the Contact Light ship, but he wasn’t playable. In Returns, he joins the roster with parachuting air-time abilities and air strikes. Unlocking him is a passive process that involves Monster Logs so he’ll become available eventually just by playing the game.
Risk of Rain Returns: How to Unlock Pilot
The Pilot is one of those survivors unlocked from collecting items. To be specific, to unlock the Pilot you’ll have to collect 15 unique Monster Logs in total. They don’t have to be in the same run. Furthermore, Monster Logs are random drops from enemies you defeat and appear as book-like items with a white outline. You’ll rack them up in no time.
There are boss Monster Logs as well, which look similar and count towards your overall progress. The neat part is that you can check your Monster Log progress from the Main Menu in the Logs section. I definitely recommend doing this since each one features the beautiful art of that specific monster.
Once you collect the 15th log, the Pilot will become unlocked and available on your next run.
Related: How to Wavedash with the Pilot in RoRR
What are the Pilot’s Abilities
The Pilot is all about air-time and death-from-above attacks. His abilities work slightly differently depending on whether he’s on the ground or in the air. Here’s his default kit:
- Clusterfire: A ranged line attack where the third hit pierces all enemies.
- Rapid Deployment: Deploy a parachute and launch into the air from the ground or forward if you’re in the air already.
- Target Acquired: A high-damage burst of diagonal shots that shoots upwards on the ground and downwards in the air.
- Airstrike: Place a mark on the ground next to you or below you if you’re in the air. Enemies that step on it will be bombarded with shots and launched upwards.
If you’re worried that your Target Acquired shots won’t see much use on the ground due to their diagonal nature, remember that Airstrike launches enemies into the air. I can’t stress enough that you should save Rapid Deployment for when you’re in a pinch or to stay in the air as this is both your only defensive and mobility skill. Of course, you can also unlock additional abilities for him in the Providence Trials.
Related: How to Unlock All Characters in Risk of Rain Returns
We hope you’ve found this guide on how to unlock Pilot in Risk of Rain Returns useful. Similarly to Artificer in RoR2, the Pilot is all about staying in the air for as long as you can and raining death from above on your enemies. You can find more helpful Risk of Rain Returns articles like beginner tips on our RoRR guides hub here.
