You’re standing in Ward 13, looking at Wallace, and realizing your starting class just isn't cutting it anymore. Maybe you picked Handler for the dog, but now you’re getting pulverized by a giant stone sentinel in Labyrinth. It happens to everyone. The genius of this game isn't just the shooting; it's the fact that Remnant 2 archetypes unlock mechanics are basically a massive, world-spanning scavenger hunt that Gunfire Games hid behind some of the most cryptic puzzles in modern gaming. You don't just "get" these classes. You earn them by being observant, or more likely, by losing your mind trying to figure out why a specific door won't open.
The Secretive Logic of Archetype Items
Most players think they can just power through the campaign and stumble upon everything. Honestly? You won't. If you want to expand your build, you need to find specific "Engrams." But Wallace doesn't just hand those over for scrap. You have to bring him a raw crafting material first. These materials are tucked away in the most obnoxious corners of Losomn, Yaesha, and N’Erud.
Take the Alchemist, for example. You’re wandering through the Morrow Sanatorium or the Ironborough drays in Losomn. Suddenly, a giant rat-man drags you into a sewer grate. Most people think they just died. They put the controller down. But if you let the animation play out, you wake up in a bone pile. Kill the manticore, grab the Mysterious Stone, and boom—you’ve got the Alchemist. It’s that kind of counter-intuitive design that makes the Remnant 2 archetypes unlock process so rewarding. It rewards curiosity, even when that curiosity looks like a death screen.
Hunting the Explorer and the Summoner
If you’ve beaten the final boss, Annihilation, you already have the Broken Compass. That’s your ticket to the Explorer class. It’s the "speedrun" archetype, great for looting, but it’s basically a reward for finishing the game once. But what about the Summoner?
Go to Yaesha. Look for the Blood Moon Altars. You’ll see them on your map as blue icons. To unlock this, you need Blood Moon Essence. You get those by shooting purple wisps that fly around the woods when the sky turns deep red. It’s a grind. You need 15 essences and some scrap to buy the Faded Grimoire. If the sky isn't red, you have to keep warping in and out of the zone until the RNG gods smile on you. It’s tedious, but having a bunch of root minions take the aggro for you is worth the headache.
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Why the Archon Unlock Was a Community Legend
We have to talk about the Archon. This was peak gaming history. The developers basically dared the community to find it, hiding the requirements in the game's actual code. To get the Hexahedron, you have to become "Glitchy." This isn't just a metaphor. You literally have to equip a very specific set of gear that makes your character look like a walking bug.
You need:
- The Explorer archetype (Level 10)
- The Invader archetype (Level 10)
- Realmwalker Armor set
- Void Heart Relic
- Leto’s Necklace
- Amber Moonstone
- Black Cat Band
- Ford’s Scattergun
- Cube Gun
- Labyrinth Staff
Once you have this hyper-specific loadout, you go to the Labyrinth, find the red glitching door near the portal that cycles locations, and it will finally let you through. It’s absurd. It’s overkill. And it’s exactly why people are still obsessed with how Remnant 2 archetypes unlock secrets work. You’re entering the "Backrooms" of the game to find a class that specializes in weapon mods and lightning damage.
Finding the Niche Classes: Engineer and Invader
The Engineer is a nightmare to find if you’re afraid of the map edge. In N’Erud, specifically the Titan’s Reach or the Eon Vault, you have to run into the thick, toxic fog that usually kills you. You’re looking for a specific corpse tucked behind a rock formation. You will puke. Your screen will blur. You will probably die right after picking up the Alien Device. But as long as you grab it, Wallace can turn it into the Drzyr Caliper. Now you can carry a heavy Vulcan cannon.
Then there's the Invader. This one is for the elusive, "blink-and-you-miss-it" playstyle. You need the Dreamcatcher melee weapon, which is a whole questline in itself involving the Nightweaver’s Web in Losomn. Once you have that, go to the Corrupted Harbor in Root Earth. There’s a massive, sleeping pod-like creature in a hidden engine room area. Hit it with the Dreamcatcher. You get a "Walker’s Dream" consumable. Use it. You’ll be transported to a boss fight with Bane. Kill him, and the Wooden Sharpening Stone is yours.
The Medic and the Challenger
Don't overcomplicate the basics. If you didn't start as a Medic or a Challenger, you can just buy their items from the vendors in Ward 13. Norah sells the Medic pin. Reggie sells the Old Metal Tool for the Challenger. It’s cheap. It’s easy. But honestly, most people ignore these until they realize they need the Challenger’s "Die Hard" perk to survive high-difficulty Apocalypse runs.
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New Frontiers: Ritualist and Warden
With the DLCs (The Awakened King, The Forgotten Kingdom, and The Dark Horizon), the Remnant 2 archetypes unlock list grew. The Ritualist is found in the Forlorn Coast. You have to navigate the canal boats and find a hidden cave where a ritual is being performed. It’s dark, moody, and fits the Losomn aesthetic perfectly.
The Warden, added in the final DLC, requires you to explore the sprawling greenery of the N’Erud botanical biomes. You’re looking for the Weathered Mechanism. It’s usually found near the Withered Necropolis. This archetype uses a drone that can shield you or heal you, making it a solo player's best friend.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Run
Stop wandering aimlessly and start targeting your build. If you're serious about mastering these unlocks, follow this sequence:
- Check your vendors first. Buy the easy ones (Medic, Challenger, Hunter, Gunslinger) from Norah, Reggie, Brabus, and Mudtooth. This gives you a solid foundation of "Dual Archetypes" early on.
- Get the Dreamcatcher. This weapon is the key to multiple secrets, including the Invader and several hidden items. You get it by trading the Stone Doll to the Nightweaver's Web in the Tormented Asylum.
- Level the Explorer. You need the "Fortune Hunter" skill to find the hidden materials for the harder classes. It highlights special items through walls.
- Keep an eye on the sky in Yaesha. Whenever you see a Blood Moon, drop everything and farm those wisps. You’ll regret not having the Essence later when you want the Summoner or the unique armor sets.
- Don't fear the "Out of Bounds." Classes like the Engineer are specifically placed in areas that look like "instant death" zones. If a corner of the map looks suspicious, it probably is.
The beauty of Remnant 2 is that your character is never "finished." You can swap these archetypes at will once they’re unlocked, mixing a high-DPS Hunter with a tanky Engineer or a healing Medic with a chaotic Ritualist. The real game starts once you have the full roster at your disposal.