The brand-new Hallowed Concepts DLC in Risk of Rain 2 brings new operators like the Enforcer and the Acolyte, and with it a new set of abilities to the game for players. These abilities are different from each other and help shake up gameplay by bringing new things to the table, while also making exploration and combat much more fun.
I found that there are six alternate abilities for the original Survivors in Risk of Rain 2 Hallowed Concepts. In this guide, I will explain how you can unlock them all.
Unlocking New Alternate Skills for the Original Survivors in RoR 2
There are a total of six new alternate abilities for the original Survivors, and to unlock each of them, you have to go through different tasks. Here’s how you can get them in Risk of Rain 2:
| Survivor | New Ability Action | Slot | How to Unlock |
| Commando | Sabotage | Special | Complete the Commando-specific challenge. |
| Huntress | Laser Cyclone | Secondary | Complete the Huntress-specific challenge. |
| Engineer | Cloying Breath | Special | Complete the Engineer-specific challenge. |
| Artificer | Tectonic Blast | Utility | Complete the Artificer-specific challenge. |
| REX | Laser Cutter | Primary | Complete the REX-specific challenge. |
| Acrid | Proliferation | Utility | Complete the Acrid-specific challenge. |
Let’s look at each of these in detail.
Commando (Retribution)
A new Special ability is introduced for Commando that can be unlocked after defeating Mithrix, after you earn eight Karma. To start this unlock process, turn your Karma on first in the character select screen. Now remember, Karma can be collected by performing certain tasks during your run.
The easiest way to obtain eight Karma for me was to go to the Bazaar Between Time hidden realm environment and get three Lunar items, and then get kicked out of the Bazaar by doing enough damage to Nute.
Every time you get kicked out, the game will give you one Karma, and for every three Lunar items you collect, you get three Karma. Meaning, you can get four Karma in total in one run to the Bazaar Between Time. Repeat this till you get your required Karma.
After that, you have to defeat Mithrix, who will be a difficult boss to take down at Karma 8. Once he is beaten, the new ability can be unlocked.
Huntress (Tomb Raider)
Huntress has a new Secondary ability that can be unlocked through acquiring an artifact in the Bulwark’s Ambry hidden realm. You have to do this run in under 25 minutes and get to stage 5.
You have to then look for a computer, which I found in Sky Meadow and Helminth Hatchery. Inside them, type in any artifact codes using the light nodes. Then go back to the computer to submit it through the portal once it shows up. Inside the portal, feed the Artifact Reliquary one of the keys to begin the trial.
Keep killing the enemies till another artifact key drops and give it to the Reliquary in the middle of the map. Keep repeating this until the enemies die off. Finally, grab the artifact from the middle. Remember, you are on a timer with this one. Once this is done, the ability is yours.
Engineer (Mad Scientist)
A new Primary ability for Engineer is here. This can be acquired by putting a fuel array inside an equipment drum. These can be found at the back of any drop pod when you spawn inside the map.
Bring it with you till you find yourself an equipment drone. I recommend waiting till Stage 1 before bringing it, as it has a high chance of killing you before you reach that stage.
I found it easy to find them in Scorched Acres. Once you find one lying on the ground, just put the fuel array inside the drum, and the ability is now available to be unlocked.
Artificer (One Giant Leap)
Artificer has a new utility under their belt. This can be acquired by getting to Mithrix without charging any pillars. This is by far the easiest ability to get on the list because the character can do just that without using any items at all.
I used her Ion Surge Special ability to get myself to the Mithrix fight, which is essentially just flying up to the boss room.
REX (Invasive Growth)
Rex also brings a new Utility with the Hallowed Concepts update. This can be unlocked by beating the game with at least 5 different Lunar items.
Once again, this unlock method will take you to the Bazaar Between Time hidden realm, where you have to collect 5 or more Lunar items and win. Once you do that, you can unlock the new Utility ability from the skills section.
Acrid (Miracle)
Finally, Acrid has a new Special ability that can be unlocked by beating the entire game after Sequencing at least once. This method requires you to find the Shrine of Order. The easiest location to find one for me is Rallypoint Delta.
This Shrine will help you turn every item of each rarity into the same item of that same rarity. Meaning, it helps randomize and rebalance your entire inventory by rarity.
That concludes the list of all the new abilities in Risk of Rain 2 Hallowed Concepts and how to unlock them easily. Some of these can take you multiple runs to complete, especially for the Commando: Retribution Special ability, as Karma 8 Mithrix can be quite a tough boss to fight, even on your God Runs.
That said, once you have unlocked them all, each Survivor brings new abilities to the table, which makes new runs incredibly fun when playing with friends or even going for solo runs. The update also brought two new Survivors to the game: the Enforcer and Acolyte, who bring their own arsenal to the play.
