Upon starting Darkest Dungeon 2, players will have access to just four heroes: Grave Robber, Highwayman, Man-at-Arms, and Plague Doctor. These are certainly not the only characters in the game, though, and some fans will undoubtedly be interested in unlocking their favorites from the first entry in the series. Fortunately, it is not very difficult to unlock characters in Darkest Dungeon 2, and this guide is here to walk players through the process.
Darkest Dungeon 2: How to Unlock Heroes
To unlock heroes, players must visit Darkest Dungeon 2's Altar of Hope, a location that is automatically accessed at the beginning of every run so long as the player has some number of Candles in their possession. While fans will only be able to use the Altar's Working Fields initially, it will become possible to enter all its sub-locations after only a couple runs. One of those sub-locations is known as The Living City, and players will see a list of all the game's characters upon entering it.
After accessing the list of Darkest Dungeons 2 heroes from within the Living City, players can start unlocking characters by putting Candles toward them. More specifically, players need to reach the first node in a hero's track in order to unlock them, and that requires eight Candles.
With respect to how Darkest Dungeon 2 players can obtain the Candles that they need to perform character unlocks, there are several sources to pursue. Here are details on four of those sources, and it should not take players that focus on them long to amass quite a lot of the currency:
- Expedition Locations: Candles will occasionally be awarded upon visiting certain locations during an expedition. Locations that grant Candles are marked with Candle icons on the in-game map.
- Region Goals: Players can earn rewards, including Candles, by completing Region Goals. Fans can view these goals, and their associated rewards, when selecting a route at an Inn or by clicking on "Goals & Conditions" during an expedition.
- Hero Goals: Each Hero has their own goal, and fans that fulfill them during a run will receive a designated number of Candles. Players can find details on their current Hero Goals in the Conditions section of each character sheet or by clicking on "Goals & Conditions" during a Darkest Dungeon 2 expedition.
- Inns: Players will receive bonus Candles every time that they reach an Inn, and the amount of the currency that is awarded is contingent upon how far the Inn is into a run.
Once a player has used their Candles to unlock a hero through the Altar of Hope, it will become possible to add the character to a party at the Crossroads. There is one exception to this, though, and it is the Bounty Hunter. Indeed, roguelite fans will need to hire this speical hero from an Inn once he has been unlocked, and that hiring costs Candles.
Darkest Dungeon 2 is available now for PC.