Risk of Rain 2 has built up a diverse lineup of characters, or classes, over the years. The Alloyed Collective expansion introduced new classes, including the Operative. This class plays quite differently from the others and can be challenging to master. If misused, the Operative can struggle early on, often leading to an unsuccessful run.
However, when used skillfully, the Operative can go very far. Success requires changing your playstyle to highlight the Operative’s strengths, which will differ significantly from most other classes.
Operator Class Skills
The Operative’s abilities focus mainly on movement and drones.
Drone Tech
The Operative begins each run with two drones, which you can choose in the Loadouts section. By default, they are:
- Gunner Drone Mk 2, which damages enemies.
- Healing Drone Mk 2, which restores your health.
H3-11 OCR Custom
This is your primary attack. It fires a shot that, if it kills an enemy, ricochets to other nearby enemies. This makes it great for clearing groups of minions with a single shot. The damage of this attack increases the longer it’s been since last fired, up to a maximum of three charge dots near your crosshair. Firing with a full charge deals much more damage than rapid shots, though rapid fire can sometimes be better against tougher foes like bosses.
ADMIN-OVERRIDE
This ability makes your drone use its special skill, which varies depending on the drone type. Each drone offers unique effects besides its default attack. Using this ability rotates a drone in your toolbar, showing which drone is ready to activate and which is up next. You can activate multiple drones in quick succession before the cooldown resets.
Every drone you deploy during a run is utilized by this skill.
Ascent Protocol
This skill launches you into the air, helping you cover vertical and horizontal distances that are normally impossible. It contributes to making the Operative extremely mobile and can be used strategically to avoid dangerous attacks. Furthermore, you can leap between drones while airborne, which helps maximize drone deployment throughout a run.
Ejection Core
This ability throws a drone ahead, which lifts enemies into the air and interrupts their attack. It also temporarily causes enemies to take more damage from skills. This is useful for controlling groups and disrupting boss patterns.
How to Play the Operator
Drones play a major role in the Operative’s gameplay. Managing their positioning and timing is key to success. Players should manipulate situations to maximize drone effectiveness, especially in tight spaces that limit movement. Since AoE attacks can damage both you and your drones, it’s better to avoid crowded areas where your movement and drone deployment are restricted.
Using the Ascend Protocol to leap into the air provides crucial mobility, allowing you to dodge attacks and attack enemies from above. Staying aware of your environment helps you maintain drone control and prevent getting cornered.
For higher-health enemies, targeting nearby low-health minions with a charged shot can be smarter. Eliminating these minions causes a ricochet into the stronger enemy while also clearing weaker foes around them, maintaining pressure on challenging bosses and groups.
