The third Dev Diary for Risk of Rain 2 details the Trials of N'kuhana, challenges planned for the upcoming Hallowed Concepts DLC. The Trials send Survivors into pocket realms with their own objectives and rewards, while remaining woven directly into a run.
Published on September 8, 2026, the post clarifies how these challenges fit into the broader run structure rather than detailing every Trial in full.
3 types of Trial
The Dev Diary announces 3 categories: Winnowings of Survival, Predation and Mortality. The examples feature distinct objectives. In Trial of Broken Glass, which falls under Winnowing of Predation, you must break enough lanterns to satisfy N'kuhana. Trial of Infernal Greed, also listed in this category, asks you to grow a fortune before time runs out.
These examples show that the Trials can involve objectives beyond a straightforward combat encounter. The announcement does not present them as an exhaustive list and does not detail every rule.
Hidden gongs and a shared timer
Access comes through gongs hidden in different stages. Ringing one starts its associated Trial. A gong in the reward area lets you chain the Trials together, and the timer is shared across all of them.
Efforts completed in the Trials give you a page of the N'tormat. The post frames their design around one idea: great power comes with a great cost. It does not specify the full reward conditions or how that cost works.
Soulbound Threshold is a 3-minute challenge
The Dev Diary presents Soulbound Threshold as the DLC's boss rush-style Trial. You must eliminate waves of enemies and bosses within 3 minutes to return to the run with the power collected up to that point.
Hallowed Concepts remains an upcoming DLC, and this announcement does not provide a release date. The next Dev Diary will cover the 2 new Survivors, but its publication date has not been specified.
The Trials of N'kuhana therefore combine exploration, varied objectives and a shared time constraint within a run. Their complete range, the cost attached to their power and the DLC's release timing remain to be revealed.
For the complete announcement,Read the official Hallowed Concepts Dev Diary.
