Driver FixRecommendedSound, Wi-Fi or graphics acting up? Check drivers firstFind missing or outdated drivers fast.Check DriversOctober DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsSlow PC?RecommendedPC slow today? Run a repair scan before it gets worseResolve common Windows issues and optimize system performance.Scan Now×
Skip to content
VGSources
Blog

Do You Need Risk of Rain 2 to Play Hallowed Concepts? DLC Requirements

Hallowed Concepts requires Risk of Rain 2, but only one co-op player needs the DLC for its monsters, stages and items to appear. Nonowners cannot select its new survivors or permanently unlock its content.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Yes. Hallowed Concepts is downloadable content for Risk of Rain 2, and the Steam listing says you need the base game to play it. In co-op, just one player needs to own the expansion for its monsters, levels and items to appear for the whole lobby. That shared access does not give nonowners the expansion’s new survivors or permanent unlocks.

What you need to play Hallowed Concepts

On Steam, you need both Risk of Rain 2 and the Hallowed Concepts DLC. Steam identifies the expansion as downloadable content and says the base game is required. The Xbox Store likewise says a game is sold separately. Steam’s Hallowed Concepts listing and the Xbox Store listing provide the platform-specific requirements.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

2K announced Hallowed Concepts for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with a release date of October 8, 2026. Its launch notes distinguish the purchasable expansion from separate changes to the base game and earlier DLC. 2K’s patch notes

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

How ownership works in co-op

Not every player in a lobby needs to buy Hallowed Concepts. Steam and Xbox state that one owner can enable the expansion’s monsters, levels and items for the whole lobby. This is shared in-session access, not a transfer of ownership: players without the DLC cannot select its new survivors or permanently unlock its content.

#1 Best Overall
Risk of Rain 2 - Nintendo Switch
  • Co-op Roguelike action
  • Constant battles and incredible bosses
  • Old favorites return and undiscovered challenges await
Situation What applies
You play solo You need Risk of Rain 2 and Hallowed Concepts.
You join a lobby where at least one player owns Hallowed Concepts The owner can enable the expansion’s monsters, levels and items for the lobby. Nonowners do not gain survivor selection or permanent unlock rights.
No one in the lobby owns Hallowed Concepts The official listings do not establish access to its content in that session.

What nonowners can and cannot access

A nonowner can encounter the expansion’s enabled monsters, stages and items in a lobby with an owner. They cannot select the new survivors or permanently unlock expansion content, including items and logbooks. The distinction is between experiencing shared lobby content and receiving personal DLC entitlements.

Enforcer and Acolyte

2K’s launch notes identify Enforcer as unlocked by default and Acolyte as unlockable within the expansion. Because the store listing says nonowners cannot select the expansion’s new survivors, neither survivor is selectable by a player who does not own Hallowed Concepts.

Rank #2
Risk of Rain 2 - PlayStation 4
  • Co-op Roguelike action
  • Constant battles and incredible bosses
  • Old favorites return and undiscovered challenges await

What the expansion adds

2K’s October 8, 2026 launch notes list two survivors, three enemies, three bosses, three standard stages, trials and interactables. They also list 14 Hexes, 11 Hallowed Items, three standard items, new survivor skins and music. The notes separately describe base-game or previous-DLC updates, including new skills for six original survivors and an optional Karma system; those updates should not be confused with the contents requiring Hallowed Concepts.

What’s actually slowing this PC down?

Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Platform and multiplayer qualifications

Steam

Steam’s listing establishes that the base game is required and describes the one-owner lobby rule and limits on nonowners’ permanent unlocks.

Rank #3
Risk Of Rain 2 (Nintendo Switch)
  • Procedurally-generated planets with terrain that can be reshaped under your feet as though it were made of clay. Survive on and explore carefully crafted planets that can be entirely deformed and traversed.
  • Extract resources, trade or craft new tools, vehicles, and modules. Snap together components and objects to build bases, rovers, and spaceships to travel to new planets and moons.
  • Play with friends in 4 player online drop-in/drop-out co-op
  • Discover and uncover the mysteries of the solar system.

Xbox Series X|S

The Xbox Store gives the same one-owner lobby rule and says the game is sold separately. It also notes that online console multiplayer requires an eligible Game Pass subscription.

PlayStation 5 and Epic Games Store

2K lists PlayStation 5 among the launch platforms, but the official sources cited here do not establish PlayStation-specific wording for DLC entitlements. They also do not establish an Epic Games Store-specific ownership rule. If buying on either storefront, check that platform’s current product listing rather than assuming its wording is identical to Steam’s or Xbox’s.

Rank #4
Risk of Rain 2 - Xbox One
  • Co-op Roguelike action
  • Constant battles and incredible bosses
  • Old favorites return and undiscovered challenges await

Mods and ownership rules

The official store and launch pages do not specify how DLC ownership or compatibility works in modded sessions. For a modded lobby, consult the mod’s current documentation; the official listings do not establish whether the standard one-owner rule applies.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Frequently Asked Questions

Does everyone in co-op need to buy Hallowed Concepts?

No. One player’s ownership is enough for the expansion’s monsters, levels and items to appear for the lobby. Nonowners still cannot select its survivors or permanently unlock its content.

Best Value
Risk of Rain 2 (inkl. Risk of Rain 1)
  • Explore. Prey. Die! Risk of rain 2 is the first co-op game!

Can I play with a friend who owns Hallowed Concepts if I do not own it?

Yes, for the expansion content enabled in that lobby. You will not receive personal ownership, survivor selection or permanent unlock rights.

Do I need Risk of Rain 2 if I buy Hallowed Concepts?

Yes. Steam says the base game is required; Xbox describes the game as sold separately.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
Risk of Rain 2 - Nintendo Switch
Risk of Rain 2 - Nintendo Switch
Co-op Roguelike action; Constant battles and incredible bosses; Old favorites return and undiscovered challenges await
$19.99
Bestseller No. 2
Risk of Rain 2 - PlayStation 4
Risk of Rain 2 - PlayStation 4
Co-op Roguelike action; Constant battles and incredible bosses; Old favorites return and undiscovered challenges await
$19.47
Bestseller No. 3
Risk Of Rain 2 (Nintendo Switch)
Risk Of Rain 2 (Nintendo Switch)
Play with friends in 4 player online drop-in/drop-out co-op; Discover and uncover the mysteries of the solar system.
$21.95
Bestseller No. 4
Risk of Rain 2 - Xbox One
Risk of Rain 2 - Xbox One
Co-op Roguelike action; Constant battles and incredible bosses; Old favorites return and undiscovered challenges await
$17.94
Bestseller No. 5
Risk of Rain 2 (inkl. Risk of Rain 1)
Risk of Rain 2 (inkl. Risk of Rain 1)
Explore. Prey. Die! Risk of rain 2 is the first co-op game!
$9.98

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More quests from Patch Notes

  1. How to Set Up a RedM (RDR2) Server in 2026: License Key, txAdmin and server.cfg, Step by StepBlog11min
  2. Best RedM (RDR2) Server Hosting in 2026: Comparing Four Hosts on Slots, Memory and PriceBlog10min
  3. How to Host a Mindustry Server in 2026: server-release.jar, Port 6567 and the Commands That MatterBlog7min
Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You DownFree scan - exact matches
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They SpreadFree repair scan

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.