Remnant 2 Archetypes define the core of your gameplay. If you choose Challenger, get ready for action-intensive close-quarters combat with little time to think. If you choose Hunter, your aim must be really sharp. If you choose Handler, as I did, you just let your dog do the work while you pretend you know what you’re doing.
If you’re a new player, it will look like all you have are up to five Archetypes to choose from. While this is true for new characters, you can actually unlock another five with items you find while you play. On top of that, there’s an unconfirmed Archetype that hardcore players are still struggling to discover.
All Remnant 2 Archetypes and unlock methods
Here’s the full list of Archetypes in Remnant 2 and how to unlock them. I added a brief description of each one after the table.
| Archetype | Unlock method |
| Medic | Starting Archetype or buy Medic Pin from Dr. Norah in Ward 13. |
| Challenger | Starting Archetype or buy Old Metal Tool from Reggie in Ward 13. |
| Hunter | Starting Archetype or buy Rusty Medal from Brabus in Ward 13. |
| Handler | Starting Archetype or buy Old Whistle from Mudtooth in Ward 13. |
| Gunslinger | Starting Archetype as pre-order bonus or exhaust Mudtooth dialogue after beating two worlds (Labyrinth not included) and crafting their boss items. |
| Alchemist | Get close to the big sewer grates at Losomn and let yourself be dragged by the beast. Kill the beast, grab the Mysterious Stone, and take it to Wallace at Ward 13. |
| Engineer | Grab the Alien Device near the engineer corpse in the fog of the N’Erud map and take it to Wallace at Ward 13. |
| Explorer | Finish the game, which will reward you with the Broken Compass. Take it to Wallace at Ward 13. |
| Invader | Use the Dreamcatcher to fight and take out the Bane boss on Root Earth. Grab the Wooden Shiv and take it to Wallace at Ward 13. |
| Summoner | Buy Faded Grimoire from the Bloodmoon Altar at Yaesna for 15 Blood Moon Essence, 5 Lumenite Crystal, and 1,500 Scrap. |
| Archon | You need to collect two other class, 12 items/weapons/skills, and then head for the Labyrinth. Follow our full Archon quest guide to get it all done. |
Starting Archetypes
Medic
The Medic Archetype is focused on healing support for yourself and your allies. It lets your character create healing areas on the ground and shield friends around you, making it great to play with friends and even solo, if you want to face tank some mobs. It’s a worthwhile Archetype for new players.
Challenger
Do you want to be a tank in Remnant 2? Are you sure? Well, good luck. You have the Challenger Archetype to help you on your way, disrupting enemies and getting some decent damage bonuses while attacking enemies from up close. If you’re an action RPG noob like me, who struggles with combat timings, steer away from this one.
Hunter
The Hunter is a great Archetype for shooter experts who love to destroy hordes of enemies from a distance. It excels at long-range combat, which is great if you’re playing with a friend who can tank enemies for you. If you’re playing solo, you will probably be quickly surrounded by mobs and struggle to handle them. That’s the only reason I personally don’t like the Hunter.
Handler
If you don’t have a friend to play Remnant 2 with, get a dog with the Handler Archetype. It does a bit of everything: Your dog can tank and deal damage, you can shoot from safety, and your furry friend can even resurrect you once you’re downed. The Handler can really do it all and is a great starting solo Archetype.
Unlockable Archetypes
Gunslinger
The Gunslinger is a starting Archetype for those who pre-ordered Remnant 2, but it must be unlocked if you didn’t. This Archetype’s focus is on great firepower and ammo economy, giving your character faster reload times and even infinite ammunition for a short time under the right conditions. If you want to shoot first and ask questions later, pick the Gunslinger.
Explorer
The Explorer is an endgame Archetype for those who really like the exploration side of Remnant 2. You can only unlock it after beating the game and asking Wallace to craft the Golden Compass, which will let you equip this Archetype. Its perks are all about finding and dropping rarer loot, which is essential if you want to collect all the gear in the game.
Engineer
Like most engineers in RPGs and action games, the Engineer Archetype in Remnant 2 can deploy turrets to attack enemies. You have a Vulcan Cannon, a Flamethrower, and an Impact Cannon, which is a pretty good arsenal to help you clear mobs fast in any area.
Invader
The Invader Archetype is fast. It’s all about making your character evade faster, better, and moving around more efficiently. You can place Decoys to distract enemies while you attack them from a better angle, automatically perform perfect dodges, and even get damage buffs for doing that. It’s a great Archetype if you like dynamic gameplay.
Summoner
If you like the Handler because of the dog, you will have a blast with even more companions to help you fight. The Summoner Archetype can control Hollow, Flyer, and Reaver minions that will attack enemies and that can be sacrificed for extra damage and a literal explosive finisher.
Alchemist
The Alchemist Archetype lets you gain bonuses from using consumables, starting with its Prime Perk, which lets you have three additional Concoction buffs active. It can apply buffs to allies by using some of these consumables, making the Alchemist a great team player.
Archon
The Archon Archetype was an incredible mystery for the community that the developers worked on. Knowing that dataminers would be all over the, the developers left clues and instructions in the files on how to unlock this class. That’s right; the datamining was part of the process that had to be done to get the class to unlock in the game.
How to dual Archetype
You can equip two Archetypes at the same time in Remnant 2 after you collect 10 Trait Points on your character. You then need to obtain an Engram for the Archetype you want to equip as your secondary. The only difference between the Prime and Secondary Archetypes is that you can only use the Prime Perk of your Prime Archetype.
For example, I’m running the Handler as my Prime Archetype with Challenger as my Secondary. That means my access to the Challenger Prime Perk, Die Hard, is locked. If I want to use it, I’ll have to move Challenger to the Prime Archetype slot. Moving Engrams around and changing your Archetype is free and can be done at any time once you unlock the ability to dual Archetype.
