Risk of Rain Returns – All new characters and how to unlock them

Risk of Rain Returns is now out and about, and it comes with a suite of all-new characters for players to unlock. While their respective archetypes may well be familiar to ROR fans from Risk of Rain 2, each has a unique niche and unlocking mechanic in this game.

In broader terms, Risk of Rain Returns features a hefty roster of 15 characters in total, twelve of whom veteran ROR fans will remember from the 2013 original. We’ll touch upon those later on, but the stars of this particular show are the three newcomers:

• Pilot
• Artificer
• Drifter

Worth highlighting here is that Returns‘ Artificer is not the same Artificer that’s present in Risk of Rain 2, and that this game’s Pilot is also not Risk of Rain 2‘s Captain character. The Drifter is a total wildcard in and of themselves, having not appeared in any other ROR media so far.

Unlocking the new characters in Risk of Rain Returns

In classic Risk of Rain fashion, the game begins with a fairly minimal selection of usable characters. Whereas only the Commando was playable at the start of the first Risk of Rain, Returns opens up with both the Commando and the Huntress unlocked, adding to the early game variety by an additional 50%.

Getting any other characters unlocked will be a bit of an ordeal, however, as you’ll need to do a variety of different tasks, depending on who you might be gunning for. Getting the sword-wielding Mercenary, for example, means beating the game five times! As for the newcomers Pilot, the Artificer, and the Drifter, they’re a tad easier to get, we believe.

Unlocking the Pilot in Risk of Rain Returns

The Pilot is unlocked by collecting 15 unique Monster Log items that occasionally drop from the enemies you kill. This means getting this survivor will take a while, though it shouldn’t be all that difficult in the grand scheme of things.

For your efforts, you receive a very potent fighter specializing in vertical combat. The Pilot can jump up and down across levels thanks to his Rapid Deployment ability, and he can also call in airstrikes and other air support abilities due to his specialization.

Unlocking the Artificer in Risk of Rain Returns

The Artificer will be unlocked after you’ve visited a grand total of 10 unique levels. This is neither simple nor straightforward, mind, as the levels and their specific order are mostly randomized. So, you may well end up getting the Artificer relatively early, or the whole shindig might stretch out over hours on end.

Much like her Risk of Rain 2 counterpart, the Risk of Rain Returns Artificer is an elemental powerhouse, armed with cryo-grenades and pyro-chakrams to dish out status effects with each new strike. Unlike her predecessor, however, this Artificer isn’t all that focused on hovering and aerial combat, as that niche has been left up to the Pilot to dominate.

Unlocking the Drifter in Risk of Rain Returns

Finally, the Drifter is a dedicated support character who you unlock after recycling six hover-drones in a single playthrough. This is luck-based, as you’d expect, as you can’t know how many drones you may come across in a given match. Moreover, finding the drone recycling machine is a feat in and of itself, so do strap in.

Funnily enough, the Drifter uses her huge and heavy duffel bag to dish out punishment. Her skills focus mainly on collecting a unique resource, Scrap, and then balancing it to damage and control the enemies. It’s a different sort of kit that might not fare all too well when playing solo, though we’ll need to see how that argument pans out in practice.

What are the returning characters in Risk of Rain Returns?

One last topic that’s interesting to cover in the context of ROR Returns‘ character roster are all the returning characters that veterans may or may not recall from the 2013 game:

• Commando
• Enforcer
• Bandit
• Huntress
• HAN-D
• Engineer
• Miner
• Sniper
• Acrid
• Mercenary
• Loader
• CHEF

If you spent dozens of hours grinding the game as the Engineer, the idea of doing so again might not be enticing at a glance. Yet, Hopoo Games has added alternative skills to each and every one of the game’s 15 characters, so you could revamp their respective kits in their entirety. Add optional alternative character skins to the mix, and you’ve got a wealth of variety at your disposal, even if we disregard the three entirely new survivors.