Similar to any other action role-playing game, Remnant 2 features various perks that grant bonuses to make your character more powerful.
You will not unlock all of them from the get-go. The best perks in the game are naturally going to become available late in your progression.
Depending on your build, you will have to choose which perks need to be paired with your other abilities, and which ones to ignore.
It is important to point out that the perks system of Remnant 2 is not as straightforward as you would normally prefer. There are multiple archetypes with unique passive effects, each tailored for a different playstyle.
How to unlock and upgrade perks in Remnant 2
Remnant 2 forces you to choose a starting archetype and a prime perk belonging to that archetype at the start of the game. It is important to think very carefully about which archetype build you are going for because improving your starting archetype is what you will be investing all of your time in.
Secondly, you will not have access to all of the perks at the start. You are going to unlock a new perk from your starting archetype every time your character levels up in Remnant 2. This system, though, is on a loop, meaning that you are going to unlock perks in a specific order.
- Level 1: Damage Perk
- Level 2: Team Perk
- Level 3: Utility Perk
- Level 4: Relic Perk
Reaching level 5 will unlock no new perk. You will instead start to upgrade the ones you already have in the same order.
If you have played Remnant: From the Ashes, the previous installment in the franchise, you will be fairly familiar with Traits. Remnant 2, while using a similar leveling system, deviates to make upgrading perks easier.
Remnant 2 perk types
Before listing down all of the various archetypes in Remnant 2, you need to first know about the five different perk types.
Prime Perk
Prime Perks, if the name was not already obvious enough, serve as a foundation of your build in Remnant 2. What that means is your Prime Perks are going to define your character.
Damage Perk
Yet another obvious type, Damage Perks determine the amount of total damage output your character can dish out in Remnant 2. The passive buffs you receive from these perks are going to improve the damage of one of your skills. You decide which skills you want to improve.
Team Perk
Going solo is an option, not a necessity. Hence, do not forget about your allies. Remnant 2 has a list of Team Perks that can buff your entire team in terms of both offense and defense. Do note that Team Perks will always buff you even if you are playing alone, but they are normally kept for co-op play.
Utility Perk
Compared to the rest of the perk types in Remnant 2, Utility Perks offer small but useful buffs. They are mostly used to improve your stamina, movement, mobility, and evasion.
Relic Perk
Relic Perks are the strongest perk types in Remnant 2. Their buffs are powerful but last for a short duration. Otherwise, they would be too overpowered in the game. Not all Relic Perks focus on damage though, there are some that improve support and utility as well.
Remnant 2 archetype perks and effects
With 10 archetypes to build around, you can expect to have a lot of freedom when it comes to tailoring your play style and the manner in which you will be dismantling enemies in Remnant 2.
Below is a list of all archetypes and what they do. Make sure to go through all of them before deciding on your starting prime archetype.
Alchemist Archetype
| Perk | Type | Unlock | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirited | Prime | Automatically | Gain bonus active concoction buff |
| Liquid Courage | Damage | 1 | Gain increase to all damage |
| Panacea | Team | 2 | Gain bonus resistance and apple curative to allies |
| Gold to Lead | Utility | 3 | Gain ammo when collecting scrap |
| Experimentalist | Relic | 4 | Gain random buff after using a relic. |
Challenger Archetype
| Perk | Type | Unlocks | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Die Hard | Prime | Automatically | Make Challenger invulnerable after taking fatal damage |
| Close Quarters | Damage | 1 | Increase damage to all closeby enemies |
| Intimidating Presence | Team | 2 | Enemies deal less damage when Challenger is active |
| Powerlifter | Utility | 3 | Reduce the stamina cost per weight bracket |
| Face of Dange | Relic | 4 | Using a Relic, receive a set of Bulwark. |
Engineering Archetype
| Perk | Type | Unlocks | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Tech | Prime | Automatically | Overclock a weapon that deals increased damage, Fire Rate, and provides unlimited ammo. |
| Metalworker | Damage | 1 | Gain bonus Skill damage |
| Magnetic Field | Team | 2 | Gain bonus damage reduction with heavy weapons |
| Heavy Mobility | Utility | 3 | Increase movement speed after with an equipped heavy weapon |
| Surplus | Relic | 4 | Gain bonus Heavy weapon ammo. |
Explorer Archetype
| Perk | Type | Unlocks | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucky | Prime | Automatically | Gain bonus ammo, currencies, and metal drops. |
| Scavenger | Damage | 1 | Gain bonus to all damage dealt per stack (using Pikcups) |
| Metal Detector: | Team | 2 | Gain bonus ammo, currencies and metal drops. |
| Prospector | Utility | 3 | Gain bonus relic fragment drops |
| Self Discovery | Relic | 4 | Increase Scavenger Stacks and prevent Stack from decaying |
Gunslinger Archetype
| Perk | Type | Unlocks | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loaded | Prime | Automatically | Gain bonus ammo and reloads per weapon using Gunslinger. |
| Shift Shot | Damage | 1 | Increase Fire Rate and Ranged Damage. |
| Pose Up | Team | 2 | Gain bonus ammo per player with ammo pickups. |
| Quick Hands | Utility | 3 | Increase reload speed of a Firearm. |
| Sleight of Hands | Relic | 4 | Gain bonus firearm reload |
Handler Archetype
| Perk | Type | Unlocks | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonded | Prime | Automatically | Gain max health when a Handler is down. |
| Pack Hunter | Damage | 1 | Gain bonus ranged and skill damage |
| Spirit of the Wolf | Team | 2 | Gain increased movement speed |
| Team Work | Utility | 3 | Gain increased revive damage |
| Best Friend | Relic | 4 | Gain bonus companion health |
Hunter Archetype
| Perk | Type | Unlocks | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dead to Rights | Prime | Automatically | Deals ranged weakspot damage while extending the duration of your active Hunter skills. |
| Deadeye | Damage | 1 | Gain bonus ranged and weakspot damage. |
| Return to Sender | Team | 2 | Killing enemies with weakspots and critical hits drops more ammo. |
| Urgency | Utility | 3 | Every kill increases the reload speed of your firearms. |
| Intuition | Relic | 4 | Increases the duration of your active Hunter skills by using a Relic. |
Invader Archetype
| Perk | Type | Unlocks | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow | Prime | Automatically | Increase damage to enemies that are not targeting invaders. |
| Shark | Damage | 1 | Increase Ranged and Melee damage when spiriting or evading. |
| Loophole | Team | 2 | Increase team’s Listeal against enemies. |
| Circumvent | Utility | 3 | Reduce Combat slide and Evade cost. |
| Override | Relic | 4 | Reduce threat generation |
Medic Archetype
| Perk | Type | Unlocks | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regenerator | Prime | Automatically | Recover a spent Relic charge |
| Invigorated | Damage | 1 | Gain an increase to all damage. |
| Benevolence | Team | 2 | Gain increased relic efficacy and companion health |
| Backbone | Utility | 3 | Gain bonus hits taken by medic prior to losing Grey Health |
| Benefactor | Relic | 4 | Gain bonus relic use speed |
Summoner Archetype
| Perk | Type | Unlocks | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruthless | Prime | Automatically | Increase damage dealt and Max HP of the Minions. |
| Dominator | Damage | 1 | Gain bonus Mod and Skill damage with an active Minion |
| Residue | Team | 2 | Generate an Aura near a dead Minion which heals you each second |
| Outrage | Utility | 3 | Gain bonus Lifesteal for each Minion Sacrificed. |
| Incite | Relic | 4 | Increase damage dealt and Max HP of the Minions. |
