Combat

Vaultbreakers uses top-down action combat. Preparation, positioning, and timing are central to fighting enemies, alongside recognizing vulnerable moments. Players can also use the environment during combat.

Positioning and hazards

Exploding cacti can be used for ambushes, and enemies can be drawn into traps. Other environmental hazards can be used to turn a fight or support an escape.

Build and defense

Gear, perks, and permanent Haven boons shape combat builds. The October 8 update corrected shield resistance handling: one point of shield is now worth the same as one point of health.

Playable heroes

The current Demo offers Nymera, an Elf ranger focused on ranged combat, and Bjornir, a warrior focused on frozen attacks and durability. Potions share a 90-second cooldown in the October update.

October encounter changes

The joint October update reduces the difficulty of several early enemies and encounters and lowers several bosses' health. Enemy populations are adjusted to give players more choice about when to engage or avoid a fight. Crowd-control behavior against Elite and Nightmare enemies is improved.

The same update reduces Vault 2's difficulty by including fewer Elite enemies in its waves, revises Refinery and Scraplands encounters, and adjusts enemy-specific loot across Journeys. These changes cover progression beyond the demo's first Vaultbreak.

Environmental interactions

Wards have updated interactions with Darkness progression. Movement and speed shrines are added in some areas, and AI enemies now take full damage from Poison Barrels.

Earlier patrol behavior

The December 4, 2025 test allowed some patrolling enemies to open barriers.