Arkane’s Deathloop is packed with choices, from who to kill and when, to which trinkets and weapons you keep between loops. With eight Visionaries, four time periods, and two playable characters, the game can be overwhelming at first. But with the right approach, you can master both sides of the conflict—whether you’re Colt trying to break the loop or Julianna working to protect it.
The First Step: Push Through the Opening Hours
The beginning of Deathloop is surprisingly linear. Before you can access the full range of exploration and customization, the game walks you through several loops to introduce mechanics and story elements. You can’t keep anything you find during this phase, so don’t waste time scouring maps for trinkets or guns. Instead, push forward until you unlock the Infusion system. That’s when the real game begins.
Pro Tip: Items that provide Residium are randomized with each loop, but weapons found in fixed locations will always be there. Some may change in rarity but not placement.
Prioritizing Your Loadout – The Upgrade Ladder
Once you’ve unlocked Infusion and can start building your loadout between loops, it’s important to prioritize. Here’s a tried-and-tested upgrade strategy:
- Slabs (abilities like Shift, Karnesis, etc.)
- Slab Upgrades
- Weapons
- Personal Trinkets
- Weapon Trinkets
Slabs completely change your playstyle. Infuse those first, then enhance them with upgrades. Once you’ve built a strong ability core, start expanding your arsenal and passive boosts.
Don’t forget: After infusing a slab upgrade, you still need to manually apply it in the loadout screen.
Where to Start After Infusion – Focus on Slabs
If you’re wondering what to do first after the tutorial, go hunting for Visionaries to get their unique slabs. Each Visionary drops the same slab each time you kill them, and repeated kills will eventually reward slab upgrades.
- Wenjie is especially valuable for farming trinkets and Residium.
- Charlie gives you Shift—one of the most powerful and flexible slabs.
Optimize Every Loop – Don’t Leave Without Residium
Every time you visit a location, take the time to:
- Complete main objectives
- Explore for extra leads
- Farm Residium and trinkets from Eternalists
Eternalists are weak and numerous—once you’re armed, they’re more loot piñatas than threats. Use them to your advantage.
Health trinkets and damage reduction trinkets go a long way in improving your survival. Pair them with Residium-boosting perks to maximize returns.
Delivery Booths – How to Use Them Right
Delivery booths let you send items like turrets, Nullifiers, and crank wheels to later maps. To unlock them:
- Follow Fia’s lead and find the room that explains the booths.
- Look for a whiteboard with the code in the same room.
- Enter it manually once—it will auto-fill afterward.
Plan your runs by sending useful tools to maps where you know you’ll need them.
Combat Tips for Colt
- You can hack turrets and cameras through walls/windows by tagging them and holding the hack button—even if you move away.
- Tap the Hackamajig button to ping hackable objects in view.
- Don’t be afraid to go loud—Deathloop doesn’t punish you for abandoning stealth.
- Eternalists are dumb. Use that. They’re designed to be easily manipulated and overrun.
Avoiding or Embracing Julianna
- You can turn off online invasions or set them to Friends Only.
- Julianna always spawns near the tunnel unlock device and will track you from there.
- Eternalists spotting you sends intel to Julianna’s screen—move quickly if you’re spotted.
- If she marks you, she can turn Eternalists against you, but they’re still easy to shake.
Quick tip: Use the silenced pistol or machete to dispatch guards before they raise the alarm.
Upgrading Colt Efficiently
Because inventory space is limited, be selective:
- Infuse only what complements your build.
- Favor silenced weapons and stealth-enhancing trinkets for versatility.
- Mix health regen trinkets with damage boosters for sustained aggression.
Once you’ve nailed a preferred weapon, experiment with trinkets to refine its role. Expand your toolkit loop by loop.
Playing as Julianna – Hunt Like a Human
Julianna’s mode is a separate progression system, where your goal is to stop Colt. You get XP by:
- Using specific weapons
- Killing Colt in unique ways
- Succeeding without dying
Colt has three lives. Don’t assume one kill ends it. If you celebrate too early, you’ll give him time to respawn and ambush you.
Tips for Better Invasions:
- Think like Colt: position yourself between him and the Visionary.
- Lay proximity mines or Strelak charges at common entry points.
- Blend in with Eternalists—mimic AI behavior to avoid detection.
- Use Eternalists as bait. When they spot Colt, swoop in for the kill.
Final Thoughts
Deathloop rewards patience, strategy, and a bit of mischief. Whether you’re breaking the cycle or defending it, the key to progress is understanding your tools and adapting your approach. Slabs are your gateway to creative kills. Infusion turns loot into legacy. And above all else, every loop teaches you something new.
Push forward, improvise often, and break (or protect) the loop with style.
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