Risk of Rain 2 Hallowed Concepts dropped a significant amount of new content alongside its two new survivors, Acolyte and Enforcer. Six existing survivors also picked up brand-new abilities through a free update, and 18 character-specific skins are waiting to be earned through in-run challenges. None of this unlocks automatically. Here is exactly what you need to do for every ability and every skin group.
What new abilities did Hallowed Concepts add?
The DLC splits new abilities into two categories. Acolyte and Enforcer have their own skill sets tied to their survivor kits. Separately, a free update added one new ability each to Commando, Huntress, Engineer, Artificer, REX, and Acrid. You do not need to own Hallowed Concepts to access the six free-update skills, but you do need to complete specific challenges to unlock them.
Acolyte
How to unlock all 6 free-update abilities
Each of the six abilities has its own unlock condition. Some are straightforward; a couple require specific routing decisions.
Commando: Sabotage
Karma is the currency here. Enable Karma before starting a run, then earn it by completing tasks, collecting 50 items, and defeating specific enemies. Speed items help you rack up Karma faster. Once you hit 8 Karma, fight and defeat Mithrix. That fight is not trivial, so build accordingly before committing.
Huntress: Laser Cyclone
This one has a hard time limit. You need to obtain an Artifact from Bulwark's Ambry within 25 minutes.
- Reach Stage 5 and locate the computer terminal in Sky Meadow.
- Enter any Artifact Code and submit it, then step through the portal.
- Submit an Artifact Key to begin the trial, kill enemies to earn additional keys, and feed each one to the Reliquary until it dies.
- Pick up the Artifact from the center of the room.
The 25-minute clock is the only real pressure here. If you are running a fast survivor, this is manageable from the first attempt.
Engineer: Laser Cutter
Repair an Equipment Drone using your Escape Pod's Fuel Array. Grab the foil section of your dropship at the start of the run. The array is volatile and will explode if your health drops below 50%, so avoid taking damage while carrying it. Equipment Drones spawn randomly across biomes, so explore each stage before moving on.
Artificer: Tectonic Blast
Reach the final boss on the moon without activating any pillar. That is the entire condition. Use Ion Surge to navigate around the pillars and reach Mithrix directly. This is one of the more forgiving unlocks once you know the route.
REX: Proliferation
Beat the game while holding at least 5 unique Lunar items. Head to the Bazaar Between Time and purchase five different Lunar items. Duplicates do not count toward the five, so check what you already have before spending Lunar Coins.
Acrid: Cloying Breath
Beat the game after creating at least one sequence with your items using a Shrine of Order. The Shrine of Order appears after defeating the final boss on the Moon, near the exit. Use it before leaving to satisfy the condition.
Shrine of Order near Moon exit
Free-update ability unlock summary
| Survivor | New Ability | Unlock Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Commando | Sabotage | Reach 8 Karma, then defeat Mithrix |
| Huntress | Laser Cyclone | Get an Artifact from Bulwark's Ambry within 25 minutes |
| Engineer | Laser Cutter | Repair an Equipment Drone with the Escape Pod's Fuel Array |
| Artificer | Tectonic Blast | Reach final boss without activating any pillar |
| REX | Proliferation | Beat the game with 5 unique Lunar items |
| Acrid | Cloying Breath | Beat the game after using a Shrine of Order |
How do the 18 Hallowed Concepts skins work?
Every survivor except Operator and Drifter has a new Hallowed Concepts skin to earn. The 18 skins are split into three groups of six survivors, each with its own challenge condition. You must complete the challenge as the specific survivor whose skin you want. Clearing the encounter as Huntress does nothing for Commando's skin.
Enforcer and Acolyte also have separate Monsoon Mastery skins on top of their Hallowed Concepts challenges. Those require beating the game or obliterating on Monsoon difficulty.
Group 1 (Dying to Meet You): Beat Soulbound Threshold before the 4th Teleporter
Survivors: Commando, Huntress, Acrid, Seeker, Chef, Enforcer
The deadline is the hard part. You need to complete the Soulbound Threshold encounter before the fourth Teleporter event fires. To get there:
- Obtain the N'Tormat and at least one Page (from a Wake event, Trial, or Shrine of Compulsion).
- Once you have the N'Tormat, a Shrine of Descent will appear at each stage.
- Activate the Shrine before starting that stage's Teleporter. This adds a Soulbinding encounter to the event.
- After the modified Teleporter, enter the portal and reach Soulbound Threshold.
- Use the ramps to reach the central console, defeat the combat waves, and finish the final boss.
Stage 2 or Stage 3 is the practical window. Stage 2 gives more buffer time but fewer items. Stage 3 allows another stage of gear collection, provided you can still hit the deadline.
Risk of Rain 2 Shrine of Descent
Group 2 (Memento Mori): Defeat the hidden boss behind the Reincarnation door
Survivors: Artificer, Engineer, Bandit, Captain, Acolyte, REX
This group has no fourth-Teleporter deadline, so you can build up before committing. The extra requirement is the Reincarnation N'Tormat Page.
- Complete Soulbound Threshold normally, defeating the final boss in the boss rush.
- After the fight, approach the central console. Watch for the message: "N'tormat shudders in anticipation."
- Activate the Reincarnation Page at that location.
- A large door behind the ordinary exit portal will open.
- Pass through and defeat the secret boss inside.
Reincarnation must be obtained from Page rewards through Trials or Shrines of Compulsion before you enter Soulbound Threshold. Check your Pages before committing to the encounter. If you do not have it yet, run more Trials.
The normal boss rush and the hidden encounter are two separate fights. Clearing the first does not complete Memento Mori.
Group 3 (Against All Odds): Finish a run holding 10+ Hexes
Survivors: False Son, Loader, Mercenary, MUL-T, Railgunner, Void Fiend
Hexes come from Hallowed Shrines (choose Embrace Death to collect 3 Hexes) and Concept Reliquaries during normal stage exploration. Count your actual Hex total after each pickup rather than estimating from interactions completed.
The key rule: you must still be holding at least 10 Hexes when the run ends. Cleansing below 10 before finishing disqualifies you. You can complete this through a Mithrix victory or obliteration, but the Hexes must be in your inventory at the moment of completion.
All 18 skins grouped by challenge
| Skin Challenge | Condition | Survivors |
|---|---|---|
| Dying to Meet You | Clear Soulbound Threshold before 4th Teleporter | Commando, Huntress, Acrid, Seeker, Chef, Enforcer |
| Memento Mori | Defeat secret boss via Reincarnation door | Artificer, Engineer, Bandit, Captain, Acolyte, REX |
| Against All Odds | Finish a run holding 10+ Hexes | False Son, Loader, Mercenary, MUL-T, Railgunner, Void Fiend |
Common mistakes to avoid
The mistake most players make with Group 1 skins is entering Soulbound Threshold on Stage 4 or later. By that point the fourth Teleporter has already fired and the window is gone. Activate the Shrine of Descent on Stage 2 or 3.
For Group 2, players often activate the Reincarnation Page in the wrong location, outside of Soulbound Threshold after the boss rush. The Page only opens the hidden door when used at the correct spot after the N'Tormat reacts near the central console.
For Group 3, cleansing Hexes at a Hallowed Shrine late in the run is the most common failure point. Once you hit 10, track that count carefully before using Embrace Life at any shrine.
For the full walkthrough on unlocking Acolyte herself, check out the step-by-step Acolyte unlock guide. If you want to track down every cosmetic in the DLC, the complete Hallowed Concepts skins guide covers every route in detail. For everything else the expansion added, browse the full Risk of Rain 2 strategy guides collection.
