CODE VEIN: Complete Guide

How to survive the Revenant soulslike CODE VEIN: Blood Codes and Gifts, stats and weapons, partners, build archetypes, area order, the three endings (and how not to miss the true one), DLC, and co-op.

Researched September 2026 — current as of patch 1.53 (May 26, 2020), the game's final update; the sequel CODE VEIN II launched January 30, 2026. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

1. Blood Codes are your class, and you can swap them anytime. Each code sets your base stats and gives access to a set of Gifts (skills). Experiment freely.
2. Master Gifts to inherit them. Earning Haze with a Blood Code equipped masters its Gifts. Mastered Gifts can be equipped on other codes, which is how you build hybrids.
3. Drain attacks fuel your Gifts. Backstabs, parries, and charged drain attacks with your Blood Veil restore Ichor (your skill resource) and can increase your max Ichor for the fight.
4. Rest at Mistles. They're checkpoints that heal you and restore your items, but respawn enemies. Level up with Haze there.
5. You drop Haze on death. Return to where you died to recover it. Die again first, and it's gone.
6. Bring a partner. An AI partner revives you, fights alongside you, and makes early bosses much easier.
7. Restore every Vestige you find. Vestiges unlock new Blood Codes and Gifts, and restoring successors' Vestiges is required for the true ending.
8. Upgrade weapons and Blood Veils. Use materials at the Home Base to upgrade gear. Damage scales heavily with upgrades.
9. Lock on and dodge. Like other soulslikes, reading attacks and dodging through them is key.

Core Systems

Stats

Your attributes come from your equipped Blood Code, not levelling a stat directly.

Levelling up raises overall base values across stats; your Blood Code determines how they're weighted.

Weapons

Blood Veils

Blood Veils are armour that also power your drain attacks. Types include Ogre, Stinger, Hounds, and Ivy, each with its own drain attack animations, speed, and stats.

Ichor and Gifts

• Ichor powers Gifts. Gain it through drain attacks and Ichor items.
• Active Gifts are attacks, buffs, and debuffs.
• Passive Gifts give constant bonuses.
• Mastery via Haze lets you equip Gifts across Blood Codes.

Partners

• NPC partners like Io, Yakumo, Louis, Mia, and Jack join you during exploration.
• They revive you if you go down, draw aggro, and have unique Gifts.
• Change partners at the Home Base.

Blood Codes

Blood Codes from character Vestiges unlock as you restore those Vestiges. Fextralife lists the full set, including the Queen's Ribcage, Breath, Claw, and Throat codes and late-game codes such as Queenslayer.

Build Archetypes

Heavy Strength (Berserker or Atlas)

• Two-Handed Sword or Hammer.
• Heavy Blood Veil (such as Ogre-types).
• Gifts for attack buffs and stagger.
• Great for new players: hits hard and trades well.

Dexterity (Prometheus or Hephaestus)

• One-Handed Sword or Halberd.
• Stinger or Ivy Blood Veil for fast drain attacks.
• Mobile, versatile, and good for learning combat.

Caster (Caster, Isis, or Queen)

• Bayonet or light weapon.
• Mind (light Gifts) or Willpower (dark Gifts) focus for Gift damage, depending on which Gifts you run.
• Gifts for ranged damage; stay at range and let your partner tank.

Hybrid Bayonet (Hunter)

• Bayonet for ranged and melee.
• Ranged Ichor shots with drain-based Ichor regeneration.
• Balanced survivability.

Support (Demeter or Eos)

• Buffs and healing for co-op and partners.
• Pair with a tank partner.

Area Progression

1. Ruined City Underground
2. Home Base
3. Ruined City Center
4. Howling Pit
5. Dried-up Trenches
6. Cathedral of the Sacred Blood
7. Memories of Player
8. Ridge of Frozen Souls
9. Ashen Cavern
10. City of Falling Flame
11. Crown of Sand
12. Crypt Spire
13. Provisional Government Outskirts
14. Provisional Government Center
15. Gaol of the Stagnant Blood

Depths are optional dungeons unlocked with maps; talk to Davis at the Home Base to access them.

Early-Game Walkthrough Tips

Ruined City Underground and Home Base

• This stretch teaches the basics: lock-on, dodging, drain attacks, and Mistles. Practise backstabs on unaware enemies here; they're the easiest drain attacks to land.
• Once you reach Home Base, check every NPC. It's where you level up, upgrade gear, change partners, restore Vestiges with Io, and rest.

Ruined City Center

• The first real exploration zone. Activate every Mistle you find; they also reveal parts of the map.
• Pick up every Vestige you see and have Io restore them back at base. Early Vestiges unlock companion Blood Codes like Yakumo's Atlas and Louis's Prometheus.
• The Queen's Knight is the first major boss wall. Bring your partner, stay behind or to the side of its big sweeping attacks, and punish recoveries.

General habits for the rest of the game

• Spend Haze before risky pushes. Losing a big bank of Haze to a surprise ambush is the classic early setback.
• Upgrade one weapon properly rather than spreading materials across many. A fully upgraded mid-tier weapon beats a stock "better" one.
• Carry a range option. A bayonet or ranged Gift makes pulling single enemies from groups far safer.
• Use Mistle teleports to return to Home Base often; it keeps your Vestiges restored and your gear up to date.
• Check dead ends and ledges. Vestiges, Blood Code materials, and upgrade items are often tucked away off the main path.

Bosses and DLC

Story bosses include Oliver Collins (the tutorial boss), the Queen's Knight, Butterfly of Delirium, Insatiable Despot, Invading Executioner, Argent Wolf Berserker, the four Successors (of the Ribcage, Breath, Claw, and Throat), Gilded Hunter, Blade Bearer, Cannoneer, Juzo Mido, Queen's Knight Reborn, Attendant of the Relics, Skull King, and The Virgin Born.

The three DLC packs add the Hellfire Knight, Frozen Empress, and Lord of Thunder bosses, each with new Depths, Blood Codes, and Gifts.

Boss tips

• Summon your partner or a co-op player.
• Learn the pattern before going aggressive.
• Use drain attacks when the boss is staggered.
• Buff with Gifts before the fight.

Endings (Do Not Miss the True Ending)

Optional: Restoring every Eos (Io) Vestige unlocks an extra post-credits scene, often counted as a fourth ending.

Co-op

• CODE VEIN supports two-player online co-op.
• Use co-op for tough bosses: send a distress signal to summon help, or answer another player's signal to join their world.
• Progress and boss kills count for the host; helping others is a good way to earn Haze and practise fights.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Ignoring Vestiges. They're needed for Gifts and the true ending.
• Not upgrading gear. Damage scales heavily with upgrades.
• Hoarding Haze. Level up often; you'll lose Haze on death.
• Solo without a partner. Partners make early game much easier.
• Walking through successor doors. You'll lock yourself out of the true ending.
• Sticking to one Blood Code. Experiment and master Gifts.

Advanced Tips

• Parry and backstab for drain attacks and big damage.
• Master Gifts early to build hybrid loadouts.
• Mix Blood Veil types for different drain attacks.
• Use Ichor wisely: save it for bosses.
• Depths: Explore for loot and materials.
• New Game Plus: Carries over gear and unlocks.

FAQ

Is CODE VEIN hard? It's a soulslike but more forgiving than Dark Souls, thanks to AI partners.

How do I get the true ending? Save all four Successors by restoring their Vestiges and memories, and don't go through the large door at the end of each successor's memory.

Can I respec? Yes. Swap Blood Codes anytime; stats come from the code.

Is CODE VEIN II a direct sequel? It's a new game with a new setting and cast, released January 30, 2026.

Does CODE VEIN have co-op? Yes, two-player online co-op.

How long is CODE VEIN? Roughly 40 hours for a thorough first playthrough, more for all endings and DLC.

Sources

• CODE VEIN on Steam
• CODE VEIN Steam news
• CODE VEIN Wiki (Fextralife): Blood Codes
• CODE VEIN Wiki (Fextralife): Walkthrough
• CODE VEIN Wiki (Fextralife): Endings
• CODE VEIN Wiki (Fextralife): Bosses
• CODE VEIN Wiki (Fextralife): Stats