Updated for 1.0 Patch (August 2020)

Once you get comfortable with Commando, you’ll undoubtedly get curious on how to unlock new characters! In Risk of Rain 2 there are 7 more unlockable survivors, and at least 2 more in development. Survivors are unlocked with challenges (which are Risk of Rain 2’s achievement system), so there are many different ways to unlock survivors. To save you the trouble, here is your guide to get them all unlocked!

How to Unlock The Captain

Challenge to unlock: Reach the Moon, defeat Mithrix, and then escape!
The Captain is the final Survivor to unlock and can be earned after you finish a run in Risk of Rain 2. Mithrix is a multi-stage boss encounter with a huge hammer and multiple attacks.

Tips:

• Playing on Drizzle difficulty will make this easier if you are struggling to get defeat the boss.

About: The Captain has a shotgun that stuns and has an adjustable spread.

How to Unlock Huntress

Challenge to unlock: Warrior: Reach and complete the 3rd Teleporter event without dying.
The Huntress is the easiest Survivor to unlock and can be earned in your first run in Risk of Rain 2. Simply by completing the Teleporter event on the 3rd Stage (Rallypoint Delta or Scorched Acres), the challenge will be completed.

Tips:

• Playing on Drizzle difficulty will make this easier if you are struggling to get to the end of the 3rd stage.

About: Huntress has the unique passive to attack while sprinting and has a very powerful blink ability, making her a great choice for players that like a highly mobile playstyle.

Check out the Huntress Builds tier list to learn more about what items are best when going on a Huntress run.

How to Unlock MUL-T

Challenge to unlock: Verified: Complete the first Teleporter event 5 times.
After you finish clearing the first stage 5 times in 5 separate runs, you will complete the challenge. Unlocking this character is very easy.

About: MUL-T is a multi-functional survivor who can be built in a few different ways depending on which equipment and skills you have selected. His unique passive let’s him carry 2 equipment at once, depending on which primary skill is active. Be sure to pair your equipment with the best primary attack for it!

Check out the MUL-T Builds tier list to learn more about what items are best when going on a MUL-T run.

How to Unlock Engineer

Challenge to unlock: Engineering Perfection: Complete 30 stages. They may be completed over any number of runs.
Simple enough, right? This challenge is worth knowing about but will most likely be completed passively while attempting the rest.

About: The Engineer's playstyle is centered around placing his powerful turrets, which inherit all his item buffs, to do damage for him.
Check out the Engineer Builds tier list to learn more about what items are best when going on a Engineer run.

How to Unlock Loader

Challenge to unlock: Guidance Offline: Defeat the Alloy Worship Unit Boss at Siren's Call.
In order to attempt this challenge, you first need to play a run and get to Siren’s call, one of the stage 4 options. Once you get to this stage, if you look around you’ll see bird’s nests with eggs in them. Destroy 5 of these nests around the map to summon the Alloy Worship Unit Boss.
The boss is relatively easy, and should be much harder than the teleporter bosses. Killing it for the first time will complete the challenge. Every time (including your first) you defeat the boss by this method, he will drop a legendary item for every player.

Tips:

• You aren’t guaranteed by default to get Siren’s Call on the 4th stage, but if you keep playing you will eventually get it.
• You can (almost) guaratee to get Siren's Call if you activate a Newt Altar on stage 3 and Dream for Siren's Call in the Bazaar for 4 Lunar Coins

About: The Loader is an extremely high mobility character (way more than Huntress), who excels in the early game due to her strong abilities and low reliance on items for mobility and damage.

Check out the Loader Builds tier list to learn more about what items are best when going on a Loader run.

How to Unlock REX

Challenge to unlock: Power Plant: Obtain the Fuel Array from the back of the Escape pod. Take it to Rex in the Abyssal Depths.
Be careful when holding the Fuel Array because falling below 50% health will cause you to die. Since the Fuel Array goes in your equipment slot it means you can’t pick up any other equipment while doing this challenge.
Abyssal Depths is one of two stage 4 options and is easily identified by is dark red theme. It is possible to get Siren’s Call as your Fourth Stage, which means you need to either try again in a fresh run or play another 4 stages (8th) to try and get Abyssal Depths.
You can find REX on one of the upper platforms in the center of the map and can be easily reached on any survivor by taking the air jet (jump pads) in the stage.

Tips:

• Because of the dangerous nature of holding the Fuel Array, I’d recommend getting this done on Drizzle difficulty unless you want a real challenge.
• If you find an equipment on a stage before Abyssal Depths, you can swap out to it which you clear the stage, so you don't risk dying when going below 50%. Just remember to pick the Fuel Array back up before continuing.
• You can (almost) guaratee to get Abyssal Depths if you activate a Newt Altar on stage 3 and Dream for Abyssal Depths in the Bazaar for 4 Lunar Coins
• If you get Siren’s Call for your fourth stage, consider dropping the Fuel array since holding it for another for stages will be challenging to do without dying.

About: REX is all about managing damage output against his self-damaging abilities. Gathering on-hit healing is a great way to make him unstoppable.

Check out the REX Builds tier list to learn more about what items are best when going on a REX run.

How to Unlock Mercenary

Challenge to unlock: True Respite: Obliterate yourself at the Obelisk insde the Celetial Portal. Found after completing the teleporter on the 7th stage.
The Celestial Portal will always spawn beside the teleporter, after killing the teleporter boss on the 7th stage (and again every 4 stages after that, 11th, 15th, and so on). You will also see a message in the system chat saying that “A Celestial Portal has appeared”. Instead of collecting the teleporter to go to the next stage, you can interact with the Celestial Portal to go the special stage “A Moment, Fractured”.
The stage it takes you to is a mini level with no enemies where the timer is paused. The goal of this level is to platform your way down to the Obelisk at the bottom. While the major platforms are far apart, smaller floating rocks will appear that make traversing easier. If you fall you will respawn at the top with reduce health, let your health regen and try again, you can take as many attempts as you need.
When you reach the Obelisk you can interact with it to obliterate yourself and end your run. This is will also earn you 5 Lunar Coins which are key for unlocking the Artificer.

Tips:

• Characters with strong movement abilities, like the Huntress, can complete this easier.
• Having more movement items like: Hopoo Feathers, Energy Drinks, Goat’s Hooves, Wax Quails and H3AD 5T v2 can help immensely at clearing the platforming challenge with ease, but it can be completed without any.
• If you are struggling to get to the seventh stage, try playing on Drizzle.

About: The Mercenary is all about an up close playstyle. By chaining dashes and slashes, you can do tons of melee damage and get out before you get hit.

Check out the Mercenary Builds tier list to learn more about what items are best when going on a Mercenary run.

How to Unlock Artificer

Challenge to unlock: Pause: Pay 10 Lunar Coins to "Free the Survivor" in the Bazaar Between Time.
The simplest and most consistent way to complete this challenge is to first save up 11 Lunar Coins.
You can get single Lunar Coins randomly from enemies (small % chance to drop on any kill). You can also get 5 Lunar Coins by ending a run by obliteration at the Obelisk (see Mercenary Unlock for more info).
With 11 Lunar Coins, you can activate a Newt Altar for 1 Lunar Coin on any stage to guarantee a Blue Portal spawn after completing the teleporter event. Keep in mind the Newt Altar must be activated before the Teleporter event is started.
By taking the Blue Portal you will arrive in the special stage “Bazaar Between Time”. Here you print Uncommon and Legendary items as well as spend Lunar Coins on Lunar Items, Stage Selection and to unlock the Artificer.
Beside the Giant newt in the Bazaar, there is a block of ice with the Artificer frozen inside. For 10 Lunar coins you can interact with the ice block to complete the challenge and unlock the Artificer for all future runs.
Unlike the mercenary, you can continue your run after unlocking the Artificer by taking the exit portal where you spawned into the Bazaar.

Tips:

• I’d recommend not spending any Lunar Coins until you complete this challenge.
• There is a random chance to spawn the Blue Portal without activating a Newt Altar which can save you one Lunar Coin here.
• If playing multiplayer you will spawn more Lunar Coins (because of more kills happening) and can have one player pick them all up.
• You can also have another player buy the Newt Altar to save yourself one coin.

About: The Artificer has a weak primary attack and poor defense, but insane burst and area of effect damage potential. She brings the most “glass cannon” play style to the game.

Check out the Artificer Builds tier list to learn more about what items are best when going on a Artificer run.

How to Unlock Acrid

Challenge to unlock: …To Be Left Alone: Stabilize the Cell in the Void Fields
See guide to unlock Acrid here