Understanding Outfits and Cosmetics

Apocalypse Rising 2 outfits matter because they let players customize their character without changing combat or survival statistics. Most wearable items are cosmetic, so choosing an outfit is mainly about creating a look that fits the player’s style. Camouflaged clothing, such as a Ghillie suit or Urban Camo, may also be viewed as offering a slight tactical advantage by making a player less noticeable.

The cosmetics information available for Apocalypse Rising 2 describes seven accessory slots. Backpacks are treated differently from other worn items: they can drop on death and are not saved to a player’s inventory. Other worn cosmetic items do not provide stat adjustments.

When first playing, clothing is locked except for the default outfit. Players unlock cosmetics by finding or otherwise obtaining them. Once unlocked, a cosmetic remains permanently available to that player.

Cosmetic featureWhat the source says
Accessory slotsPlayers can customize characters using seven different accessory slots.
Regular worn itemsThey are entirely cosmetic and have no stat adjustments.
BackpacksThey drop on death and are not saved to the player inventory.
Starting clothingAll clothing is locked except the default outfit.
UnlocksUnlocked cosmetics remain permanently available.

The source page covering cosmetics is marked as heavily outdated. That makes it useful as a guide to the listed cosmetic system and items, but players should be cautious about treating every spawn detail as current.

How Cosmetic Unlock Tabs Work

The cosmetic menu uses colored tabs to communicate an item’s status. These labels are especially helpful when comparing items that have already been collected with items that still need to be found.

A cosmetic that has not been unlocked is shown with a yellow tab labeled NEW. After a player unlocks it, that tab changes to a black UNLOCKED tab. A black WORN tab appears if someone picks up or unlocks the cosmetic before the player does.

Rare and event cosmetics have their own labels. Rare items are identified with a teal RARE tab, while event cosmetics use a purple EVENT tab.

Tab textTab colorMeaning
NEWYellowThe cosmetic has not been unlocked.
UNLOCKEDBlackThe player permanently has the cosmetic.
WORNBlackSomeone picked up or unlocked the cosmetic before the player did.
RARETealThe cosmetic is rare.
EVENTPurpleThe cosmetic is an event cosmetic.

These tabs give players a practical way to tell whether an item is a new collection opportunity, an already unlocked choice, or a rarer find. They also distinguish event cosmetics from standard items without requiring the player to know every item’s spawn location.

Finding Cosmetic Items

Nearly all accessories can drop from infected or spawn in and around furniture and on the floors of buildings around the map. Some cosmetics must be purchased with Robux to be used.

The available source lists rare cosmetics, event cosmetics, normal cosmetics, and outfits as separate content groupings. It also separates rare items into categories including hats, accessories, shirts, pants, vests, and belts.

Source groupingExamples or notes provided
Rare cosmeticsIncludes rare hats, accessories, shirts, pants, vests, and belts.
Event cosmeticsIdentified by the purple EVENT tab.
Normal cosmeticsListed as a separate cosmetic grouping.
OutfitsListed as a separate cosmetic grouping.
Purchased cosmeticsSome items must be purchased with Robux to be used.

For clothing more broadly, the source identifies four types: Military, Rambo, Padded, and Civilian. These categories describe the available clothing classification, but the supplied material does not explain their visual differences or provide a complete item list for each type.

Clothing typeListed in source
MilitaryYes
RamboYes
PaddedYes
CivilianYes

A player looking for cosmetic items can focus on infected encounters and building interiors. Furniture, building floors, and items positioned on top of furniture are all named as possible places where accessories may appear. Rare items can have much more specific listed locations or infected sources.

Examples of Rare Cosmetic Finds

Rare cosmetics include recognizable hats and helmets with specific descriptions and locations in the supplied material. These examples show that rare outfit pieces can be connected to a particular building, event, infected enemy, or crash site.

Rare cosmeticListed source or locationDescription from source
#1 Soda HatA sky blue bed in the second floor of University’s Dorms; Infected #1 Soda Fan; #1 Soda Fan Grave Event behind Ashland’s ChurchA cap with two soda cans attached by a drinking straw.
“Rogue” Helicopter Pilot Helmet“Rogue” Helicopter Pilot Infected at Rogue helicopter crashesA helicopter pilot helmet with a visor and communication equipment.
Admiral HatNAS ATC Tower fourth-floor desk; Admiral mini-boss; Infected Admiral during The Drying eventA white peaked cap worn by U.S. Navy officers.
Airline Captain’s HatTables in a Regional Airport second-floor office; a West End desk; Infected Airline CaptainA peaked cap issued to commercial airline pilots.
Banded Straw HatBeach chair at Destroyer Shipwreck; Infected Hobo KingA woven straw hat with a red band.
Bowler HatInfected Hearse Bodyguard at Funeral Convoy EventsA hard felt hat with a rounded crown.
Brodie HelmetHaybales in a barn near Destroyer ShipwreckA steel anti-shrapnel helmet issued to British Army troops during WWI and WWII.

The #1 Soda Hat is an example with several listed acquisition routes. It can be found in University’s Dorms, dropped by an Infected #1 Soda Fan, or found through the #1 Soda Fan Grave Event behind Ashland’s Church.

The Admiral Hat likewise has several listed possibilities. The source names a desk on the fourth floor of the NAS ATC Tower, an Admiral mini-boss at a house southwest of S-04, and an Infected Admiral that can spawn in the main control room of Military Encampment during The Drying event.

Airport-focused players may recognize the Airline Captain’s Hat. Its listed locations include tables in an office on the left side of the Regional Airport’s second floor and a desk at the airport’s West End. It can also drop from an Infected Airline Captain.

Other rare pieces are more directly tied to one type of encounter. The Bowler Hat is listed as a drop from an Infected Hearse Bodyguard during Funeral Convoy Events. The “Rogue” Helicopter Pilot Helmet is associated with the infected pilot at Rogue helicopter crashes.

Choosing a Look

Since ordinary worn cosmetic items do not change stats, outfit selection can be based on appearance, collection progress, and the situations in which a player expects to be seen. The sources do not establish a measurable gameplay advantage for clothing.

However, the cosmetics page notes an argument that camouflaged items can provide a slight tactical advantage. The named examples are the Ghillie suit and Urban Camo, which could help conceal a player. This is presented as a possible visual benefit, not as a stat bonus.

When building an outfit, players can use a simple approach:

  • Start with unlocked clothing rather than relying on a rare item.
  • Check cosmetic tabs to identify new, rare, and event pieces.
  • Search building interiors, furniture, and infected drops for accessory options.
  • Use rare items as a visual centerpiece if one has been found.
  • Treat camouflage as a style choice with possible concealment value, not a guaranteed mechanical benefit.

A rare hat can make an outfit stand out, while a camouflaged look may suit players who prefer a less noticeable appearance. Because the source confirms that cosmetics are not stat adjustments, there is no need to choose an item for numerical combat performance.

The difference between backpacks and other cosmetics is also important when planning a look. Backpacks are not retained after death in the same way as saved cosmetic items, so a player should not assume a backpack is a permanent part of a collected outfit.

FAQ

Do apocalypse rising 2 outfits give stat bonuses?

No. The source says that, excluding backpacks, items worn by the player are entirely cosmetic and have no stat adjustments.

How do I unlock cosmetics?

Cosmetics can be unlocked by obtaining them. Nearly all accessories can drop from infected or spawn inside, on top of, or around furniture and on building floors. Some items must be purchased with Robux to be used.

What does the yellow NEW tab mean?

It means the cosmetic has not been unlocked. After unlocking it, the tab changes to a black UNLOCKED tab.

What makes a cosmetic rare?

Rare cosmetics are marked with a teal RARE tab. The supplied source lists rare hats, accessories, shirts, pants, vests, and belts.

Are backpacks permanent cosmetics?

No. Backpacks are excluded from the saved cosmetic behavior described for other worn items. They drop on death and are not saved to the player’s inventory.