Here's your quick TL;DR: In SS5, Artillerist and Wildwalker are getting new specs & Insane weapons, more build options, plus the brand-new Awakened Skills. All farmable in-game with no pulls, no top-ups in your way. And those features are eventually coming to all classes.

SS5: Awakening season arrives on Nov 27! Now, let's dive in. 👇

New Specializations & Insane Weapons: Bigger Booms, Wilder Builds

Artillerist and Wildwalker get full specialization reworks plus shiny new Insane weapons—aka a whole new playground for build crafting.

🔥 Artillerist

🌿 Wildwalker

Going forward, every class will have 3 Insane weapons that correspond to three different playstyles, each with its own core damage skill. Even classes that already have exclusive Insane weapons will receive a fresh set of three, updated to better support multiple build options.

Builds Recomm.: From Fresh Start to Endgame

As before, both Artillerist and Wildwalker come with 3 recommended builds tailored for your early, mid, and late game journey. All 3 builds of each class are endgame-viable, and players will absolutely invent new broken combos we never saw coming. Freedom stays high. 😎

• Beginner builds focus on recommended skills + specializations.
• Advanced builds add Fatebounds and Sacred Soul* (replacing the chipset) choices on top of that.
• Endgame builds include everything above plus Eidolons and full gear setups (including those 3 Insane weapons).

*More about Sacred Souls will be revealed in the next preview post!

🔥 Artillerist Builds Recomm.

For example, the recommended "Bomb Voyage!" build centers on the skill Bomb Voyage! as its main damage source, with the skill Adhesive Gunpowder serving as a supporting damage amplifier.

The "Bomb Voyage!" build

Embers are consumed automatically, while manual heatwave casts provide powerful bursts. It asks for a bit more player input, and although it's listed as an advanced build, it can perform well even in the early game.

🌿 Wildwalker Builds Recomm.

One of Wildwalker's recommended endgame builds centers on the revamped skill Breath of the Wild as its core damage skill, paired with the Insane weapon Anemoian Cortain.

Breath of the Wild is a channeled skill that explodes on release, gaining Fortitude (and thus more explosion damage) whenever you're hit during the channel. With its Insane weapon, you can skip channeling altogether and turn each explosion into rapid mini-bursts. Sacred Souls also make Fortitude easier to build and can trigger automatic airbursts, and airbursts themselves generate even more Fortitude.

Once everything clicks, you'll be chaining nonstop explosions just by keeping your Fortitude rolling—a late-game build that rewards skillful play and strong gear.

Awakened Skills: Go Beyond Your Class

What Are Awakened Skills?

A brand-new skill layer outside the regular system—flashier, stronger, and way more explosive. In SS5, you'll go and awaken the Einherji of your class to draw upon their power, hence your Awakened Skill. For now, we're introducing four of them. But step by step, each class will eventually get its own exclusive Awakened Skill.

Awakening progress is character-specific: Skill level, points, and quest progress do not transfer between characters.

How to Unlock?

After reaching level 45 and having unlocked Prestige Class, you'll receive a special letter.

Open it in the Skills screen → follow the guide → clear a gauntlet of Awakening quests → unlock the system.

How to Cast Awakened Skills?

Slay enemies to build Soulforce. It regenerates slowly on its own, but killing monsters (especially vanguard monsters), or interacting with some random events in the dungeon, can massively speed it up.

Accumulate Soulforce to unleash Awakened Skill

In the multiplayer mode, you wouldn't have to wrestle with your teammates for Soulforce, for any monster slayed will grant the entire team Soulforce.

How to Level Up?

Complete Awakening quests to earn Awakening Points and upgrade your skill (maxed out at 5).

Higher levels = improved values + enhanced effects.

To upgrade: Skills screen → Awakening tab → Quests panel

Skills Scalable?

Awakened Skills scale only with part of the character attributes + a set of brand-new stats visible in your character panel:

Awakened Stats on your character's Stats panel

That's the full overview! SS5: Awakening launches on November 27. Sharpen your arrows, polish your bombs, and get ready to awaken your true build.