Use the tracker above to choose your next survivor, filter by expansion and mark the challenges you have completed. It covers all 20 selectable survivors in the October 8, 2026 update. Your checklist is personal progress, not an import from the game save. Heretic is a mid-run transformation and does not belong in the permanent selectable-survivor count.
Plan unlocks around the account and the run
Check expansion ownership before planning a challenge. A host can enable expansion content for a lobby, but that does not grant another account the right to select an expansion survivor. Railgunner, Seeker, Operator and Enforcer are immediately available with their respective expansions; Void Fiend, CHEF, False Son, Drifter and Acolyte also have challenges. The complete survivor guide explains each route.
Commando and Huntress are the starting options. Bandit needs three stages completed without dying. MUL-T and Engineer have cumulative objectives that progress across runs: completing the first Teleporter event five times, and completing 30 stages, respectively. These objectives fit ordinary learning runs and do not need a perfect inventory. Check the survivor database for DLC, playstyle and skill changes before deciding what to pursue next.
Group the route by its actual cost
| Route type | Survivors | Preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Stage progression | Bandit, MUL-T, Engineer | Record whether the challenge needs one surviving run or cumulative completions |
| Purchase or delivery | Artificer, REX, CHEF | Reserve the required currency or item before taking optional trades |
| Hidden encounter or ending | Mercenary, Loader, Acrid, Captain, Void Fiend, False Son | Choose the destination before selecting the final route |
| New expansion route | Drifter, Acolyte | Check the relevant expansion and the route-specific item requirements |
Artificer needs ten Lunar Coins for her rescue, with any entrance expense budgeted separately. REX needs a Fuel Array carried from an Escape Pod to Abyssal Depths; the delivery can fail if the Array detonates along the way. CHEF needs the recipe ingredients delivered in Reformed Altar. These are different tasks: reaching the destination alone does not satisfy the purchase or delivery requirement.
Finish the survivor challenge before the skill challenge
A portrait unlock and an alternate skill are separate rewards. After you unlock Engineer, for example, check his available turret choices and the Laser Cutter introduced in the free October update. The Engineer build guide compares stationary and mobile turret plans. Similarly, unlocking Acolyte does not automatically complete every skin or alternate-skill challenge.
The current free update added skills for Commando, Huntress, Acrid, Artificer, Engineer and REX. The official patch notes establish which skills were added; individual in-game challenges establish how to unlock them. Do not use an older community Enforcer mod guide as the conditions for the official Hallowed Concepts survivor.
Keep ending choices compatible
Mercenary uses obliteration at the Obelisk. Captain uses the main escape ending. Void Fiend can use the Planetarium escape or Simulacrum wave 50. Choosing one ending can close another objective in the same run, so plan the ending before committing to its portal. False Son’s survivor challenge specifically needs the boss defeated while holding Halcyon Seed, not a generic boss victory.
For Acolyte, use the Hallowed route planner. It separates page collection, Shrine of Descent generation, the arena and the final healing gift. Completing the Harvester fight without reviving Acolyte does not finish A Broken Ritual.
Checklist questions
Does this tracker change my save?
No. Mark the boxes yourself after checking the game’s unlock notification. Progress is saved in this browser when storage is available. Resetting this checklist does not remove an in-game unlock.
Why is Heretic absent from the permanent checklist?
Heretic replaces the current survivor after collecting all four Heresy Lunar items during a run. That transformation does not permanently add a selectable portrait for future runs. She remains a separate entry in the survivor database.
Should I unlock every survivor before learning a build?
No. Pick a kit you can practice, then use the build library to identify useful skills, common-item priorities and substitutes. A reliable route with one familiar survivor can contribute to multiple cumulative unlocks.
Sources and scope
Reviewed October 13, 2026 against the survivor reference, the official October 8 patch and the linked individual route guides. Conditions apply to the stated update; this website has not imported or verified your game save.