You're a few hours into Remnant 2, your Medic or Challenger is finally holding their own, and suddenly you realize the UI has a giant, gaping hole right next to your primary class slot. It’s mocking you. You know there’s a way to double up on powers, but the game isn't exactly holding your hand. Honestly, it’s one of the best parts of Gunfire Games' design—the refusal to treat you like you’ve never picked up a controller before—but it can be annoying when you just want that second set of skills.
Getting your secondary archetype in Remnant 2 isn't just about power; it’s about survival. Once you unlock it, you aren't just a Gunslinger; you’re a Gunslinger-Hunter hybrid with a ridiculous crit rate. Or maybe you're a Summoner-Handler, letting your minions do all the dirty work while you sit back and sip a concoction.
But first, you need 10 Trait Points.
The 10 Trait Point Wall
Before you can even think about slotting in a second class, you have to prove you’ve actually played the game. You need to collect 10 Trait Points. This doesn't include the points you started with based on your initial archetype. You need to find those glowing blue books (Tome of Knowledge) scattered around the worlds or defeat world bosses to hit that magic number.
Once you hit 10, the "Dual Archetype" slot opens up in your menu. But the slot is empty. To fill it, you need a specific item, and this is where most players get stuck wandering around Ward 13 like lost puppies.
Where the Hell are the Engrams?
To unlock a secondary archetype, you need an Engram. But you don't just find Engrams lying in the dirt. You find "Materials" that Wallace, the guy hanging out in the crane shack at Ward 13, turns into Engrams.
If you want the "standard" classes you didn't pick at the start, you have to buy specific items from the vendors in Ward 13. They aren't cheap when you’re early in the game—usually around 1,500 Scrap each.
- Hunter: Go see Brabus at the firing range. Buy the Rusty Medal.
- Challenger: Talk to Reggie (the guy playing chess). Buy the Old Metal Tool.
- Medic: Find Dr. Norah in the medical bay. Buy the Medic Badge.
- Handler: Talk to Mudtooth. Buy the Old Whistle.
Once you have the item, run back to Wallace. Give him the item, some Lumenite Crystals, and some Scrap. He’ll craft the Engram. Equip it. Boom. You're now multi-classing.
Mudtooth and the Infamous Lore Dump
If you want the Gunslinger as a secondary archetype and you didn't pre-order the game, you're in for a long chat. Mudtooth, the old guy telling tall tales, holds the key. You have to keep asking him for stories. And I mean keep asking.
He will eventually run out of things to say after you’ve progressed through a significant portion of the main campaign (usually after finishing the second world). If you keep pestering him, he’ll eventually hand over the Worn Cylinder. Take that to Wallace. If Mudtooth says he "needs to remember more," it means you haven't pushed the main quest far enough yet. Go kill another god and come back.
The Secret Archetypes: Where things get weird
The "starting" classes are easy. The secret ones? Those are the reason Remnant 2 has such a massive community on Discord and Reddit. People spent weeks hunting for these.
The Alchemist (Losomn)
Ever noticed those giant sewer grates in Losomn? If you stand too close to one, a Manticora (basically a big hairy monster) might snatch you. Most players panic. Don't. Let it grab you. You’ll wake up in a bone pile. Kill the beast, grab the Mysterious Stone, and Wallace can turn you into an Alchemist. It’s one of the best support classes in the game because of the "Vial" skills.
The Summoner (Yaesha)
This one requires farming. In the Blood Moon version of Yaesha, you’ll see purple wisps floating around. Shoot them. They drop Blood Moon Essence. You need 15 of these to buy the Faded Grimoire from the Blood Moon Altar (a specific stone pedestal that spawns randomly in the woods). It’s tedious, but having minions to draw aggro is a godsend for solo players.
The Engineer (N’Erud)
This is probably the most "Remnant" secret ever. You have to run into the thick, soul-crushing fog on the edges of the N’Erud map. You will vomit. You will die. But if you look for a specific corpse on the ledge in the Titan's Reach or Eon Vault area, you can grab the Alien Device. You have to be fast. If the bar fills up, you’re dead. Use the Explorer’s "Fortune Hunter" skill if you have it to highlight the item through the fog.
The Archon (The Labyrinth)
I’m not even going to list every step for this because it's insane. It was designed to be found by data miners. You need a specific armor set (Space Worker), specific rings, a specific amulet, and two specific archetypes (Explorer and Invader) at level 10. Only then can you pass through the corrupted door in the Labyrinth. It’s a lot. If you’re just starting out, don't worry about Archon yet. It’s an endgame goal.
Why Bother with a Secondary Archetype?
You might think, "I'm doing fine as a Medic, why mess with it?"
Synergy. That’s why.
Each archetype has a "Prime Perk." This is the big, game-changing passive. You only get the Prime Perk of the archetype in your first (left) slot. The secondary archetype gives you its skills, its regular perks, and its trait, but not the Prime Perk.
If you’re a Challenger-Medic, you get the Challenger’s "Die Hard" perk (which lets you revive once every 10 minutes). If you swap them and become a Medic-Challenger, you get the Medic’s "Regenerator" perk (which gives you free Relic charges for healing).
Switching your secondary archetype allows you to adapt to bosses without changing your entire build. Struggling with a fast boss? Slot in the Hunter for the mark. Getting one-shot? Put on the Challenger for the armor and damage reduction.
Leveling Your Second Class
Here is the catch: Your secondary archetype starts at Level 0.
All the Experience Points (XP) you earn will be split between your two archetypes. If your primary is already Level 10, then 100% of the XP goes to your secondary archetype. This makes leveling a new class much faster.
🔗 Read more: Mega Base Ideas Minecraft Players Actually Finish: Breaking the Scale Without Burning Out
I’ve found that the best way to level up a new secondary is to equip the Sagestone ring (which gives a 10% XP boost) and drink Mudtooth’s Elixir. Then, head to the Chimney in Yaesha or the Great Sewers in Losomn. High density, lots of kills, fast levels.
Important Things to Remember
- Lumenite is Precious: Don't waste your Lumenite Crystals upgrading every weapon you find if you’re trying to unlock archetypes. Each Engram costs 10 Lumenite. If you’re trying to unlock 4 or 5 classes, that adds up fast.
- The Trait Cap: You can’t max out everything. Remnant 2 has a trait cap (it was 65, then increased to 85). Your archetype traits (like the Medic’s "Triage") are free points while that archetype is equipped.
- Dual Skills: You can’t use both archetype skills simultaneously with one button. You’ll have two different keybinds. Managing the cooldowns of four total skills (two from each) is the difference between a "okay" player and a "nightmare difficulty" player.
What to do next
Right now, check your character menu. If you have 10 Trait Points and your secondary slot is empty, teleport to Ward 13 immediately.
- Buy the Old Whistle or Medic Badge (these are the most versatile secondaries).
- Talk to Wallace in the shack by the water.
- Craft the Engram.
- Equip it and start earning XP.
Don't overthink the "meta." Remnant 2 is generous with letting you swap things around. You aren't locked into your choices. If the Handler-Medic combo feels too slow, swap to Hunter-Gunslinger and see how it feels to be a glass cannon. The game is designed for experimentation. Go get killed by something new and try a different combination. That’s the real "Remnant" experience.
Once you’ve got two archetypes leveled up, start looking into the Invader or Ritualist (if you have the DLC). The Ritualist, in particular, completely changes how status effects work and makes a secondary archetype like the Fire-based Archon or the Bleed-heavy Challenger feel like a totally different game.
Check your scrap count. If you're broke, go sell some of those extra Lumenite or iron stacks you've been hoarding. You need that second slot filled before you hit the Labyrinth Sentinel boss, or you're going to have a very bad time.