Far Cry New Dawn: Complete Guide

A full guide to Far Cry New Dawn: the ethanol economy, crafting and weapon ranks, upgrading Prosperity, outposts and Expeditions, companions, and how to be ready for the Twins and the endgame.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final PC version (content complete since 2019; Steam achievements were added 12 February 2025). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

It is a sequel-spin-off to Far Cry 5. You return to Hope County, Montana, 17 years after the nuclear catastrophe. Knowing Far Cry 5's ending helps, but it is not required.
Ethanol is your key currency. You spend it to upgrade Prosperity's facilities. Liberating outposts and hijacking ethanol tankers are the main sources.
Enemies have ranks, and so do your guns. Weapon and enemy tiers matter far more than in older Far Cry games: a low-rank gun barely scratches a high-rank enemy. Keep crafting upgrades.
Upgrade the Workbench early. Higher Workbench levels unlock better weapon ranks, which is the biggest power jump you can buy.
Outposts can be liberated or scavenged. Scavenging resets an outpost to a harder rank for more loot; liberating it gives you a base and ethanol production.
Expeditions take you beyond Hope County (such as Louisiana and a government plane wreck) for resources and ethanol.
Recruit companions. Guns for Hire (people) and Fangs for Hire (animals like Timber the dog and Horatio the boar) fight with you.
Co-op is two players. Much of the story progress is host-only, so let the player who owns the story save host.
Achievements are on Steam now. If you earned them in Ubisoft Connect before, launch the Steam version once and they sync automatically.

The Story Setup

A global nuclear war devastated the world. Survivors in Hope County rebuilt, and you arrive as a new Security Captain to help the settlement of Prosperity. The Highwaymen, led by twin sisters Mickey and Lou (the Twins), are taking over the region's remaining resources. Returning Far Cry 5 characters include Joseph Seed ("the Father"), whose New Eden community lives isolated in the north, and the Rye family (Nick Rye, Kim and their daughter Carmina). Far Cry 5's Deputy also returns, now known as the Judge.

Main story milestones (host-only achievements)

These are the story beats the achievements track, in roughly the order you hit them. In co-op only the host earns them:

The Meaning of Prosperity: get Carmina back to her mother in Prosperity.
Wiki-Bean-ia in Business: recover Bean's business plan so he can set up his intel network.
Coming Up With the Goods and A Graceful Return: Selene's stash and Grace's prototype gun bring those specialists on board.
The Ryeunion: reunite Nick Rye with Carmina and Kim.
Return to Eden: bring the Father back to New Eden, which leads into Eden's Gift.
Problem Solver: defeat the Twins.
The End of Eden: decide the Father's fate (kill him or spare him).

Core Systems

Resources and crafting

You scavenge components from the world, supply drops, crates and enemy loot, and combine them to craft weapons, gear, medkits, explosives and vehicles. The Wikipedia article sums it up: weapons and attachments can be upgraded through crafting, and your settlement's facilities decide how far.

Practical rules:

Loot everything early. Components pile up fast if you vacuum up crates, fallen enemies and supply drops.
Craft medkits in bulk. Ten crafted medkits is even an achievement ("How's it Look, Doc?").
Hunt and gather. Plants are your pharmacy, and animal skins are a resource (there are achievements for every fish type and every animal skin).
Highwaymen Supply Drops are guarded caches worth hitting whenever you see one.

Ranks: weapons and enemies

Enemies and weapons come in ranks. High-rank enemies soak damage from under-ranked guns, and Enforcers and Brawlers are elite threats with heavy armour.

Keep your main weapon at the highest rank you can craft.
Carry a counter to armour. Piercing ammo against Enforcers is so effective there is an achievement for headshotting one with it.
Saw launchers fire circular saw blades and shred Brawlers ("Buzzkill" asks for 10 Brawler kills).
Legendary weapons and vehicles can be crafted later; your first one is an achievement ("Legend Has It").

Perks

Perks improve health, takedowns, gear capacity and movement. Some perks are stackable and can be bought up to a 5th tier. Unlocking the first level of every perk is its own achievement ("Perk-olate"). Early picks that pay off in most playstyles:

Health upgrades (ranked enemies hit hard).
Takedown upgrades for stealthier outpost clears.
Lockpicking, which opens safes with loot (5 safes is an achievement).
Ammo and gear capacity for longer fights.

Prosperity: Your Home Base

Prosperity grows as you invest ethanol. Specialists you recruit (for example Bean, Selene and Grace in side missions) come with personal missions and unlock or improve facilities. Upgrading infrastructure is tracked by achievements ("Home is Where the Part Is", "Prospering", and "My Little Fortress" for building every upgrade).

Priorities:

Workbench: unlocks higher weapon ranks. Top priority.
Expeditions access: opens Expeditions for more ethanol and resources.
Infirmary: increases health.
Other facilities (vehicles, explosives, training and scouting/intel via Bean's scout network) as your playstyle needs.

Bean's network adds scouts you can talk to for intel on the map ("Honorary Scout" requires 10).

Outposts

Liberating an outpost turns it into a fast-travel point that produces ethanol. You can then scavenge it: give it back to the Highwaymen for a lump of ethanol, and it returns at a higher rank.

Action	Result	When to do it
Liberate (Rank I)	Fast travel point, ethanol income	Always, early
Scavenge	One-time ethanol payout; outpost reverts at higher rank	When you need ethanol for the next Prosperity upgrade
Retake at Rank III	Tougher enemies, better rewards	Once your weapons are high rank

Tips:

Go undetected for bonuses. Liberating a Rank III outpost undetected is the "Pure Ninja" achievement.
Hit alarms first. Disabling alarms stops reinforcements.
Use companions for flanks. Fangs for Hire are excellent at silent takedowns.
Commandeer ethanol tankers you see on the roads and drive them to one of your outposts ("White Gold").

Expeditions

Expeditions fly you out of Hope County to other US locations to grab a package and escape to extraction. They can be played at higher ranks for better rewards and support co-op. "Hit the Road" requires 7 unique Expeditions on Rank III. One expedition, the Government Plane Wreck, hides Sam Fisher's outfit.

Tips:

Grab the package, then run. Enemy waves escalate once you pick it up.
Scout the extraction route before grabbing the package.
Bring explosives and your best armour-piercing gun for higher ranks.
Co-op makes Rank III far easier ("Have Buddy, Will Travel" requires 3 co-op expeditions).

Companions

Guns for Hire are human specialists with unique weapons and skills. Recruiting all of them is "Closed for Applications".
Fangs for Hire include Timber (a dog who can ride in a sidecar) and Horatio (a boar).
Companions level up with use. Pick stealthy companions for outposts and tanky ones for open fights.

Eden's Gift and Joseph Seed

Story progress with the Father unlocks special abilities. Leap of Faith lets you jump huge distances and chain into aerial takedowns, and it can nullify fall damage ("Springboard" asks you to survive a 30m fall with it). Wrath is a rampage ability ("Anger Management" asks for 10 kills during one activation). These abilities make late-game outposts and expeditions dramatically easier. The storyline ends with a decision about the Father's fate.

Treasure Hunts and Collectibles

Treasure Hunts: puzzle-like mini-missions with loot at the end (3 is "Finders Keepers").
MP3 players: hidden around the map (finding all is "Audiophile").
Dear Photograph locations: match photos of Hope County before the bombs ("Before").
Fish and animal skins: full-collection achievements.
Wingless plane: yes, you can fly it briefly ("Fly, You Fools!").

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Fighting with an under-ranked gun. Upgrade the Workbench and recraft instead of pouring bullets into armour.
Skipping outposts. They are your ethanol engine.
Scavenging too soon. Scavenge only when your weapons can handle the tougher rank.
Ignoring Expeditions. They are one of the fastest routes to resources.
Hosting co-op from the wrong save. Story progress is host-only.
Going loud against Enforcers without armour-piercing options.

Advanced Tips

Loop outposts for ethanol: liberate, scavenge, retake at a higher rank, repeat.
Pair Leap of Faith with aerial takedowns to open outpost fights.
Stack perks that match your style rather than buying a bit of everything.
Use supply drops as ammo and component refills during long sessions.
Charged melee knocks helmets off enemies ("Tip o' the Hat"), setting up headshots.
Throwing a shield can kill enemies ("Good Job, Cap").

FAQ

Do I need to play Far Cry 5 first? No, but New Dawn follows directly from one of Far Cry 5's endings and brings back its characters.

Can I play the whole game in co-op? Yes, two-player co-op is supported, but many story achievements are host-only.

Does the Steam version need Ubisoft Connect? Ubisoft's PC games on Steam typically launch through Ubisoft Connect. Steam achievements were added in February 2025 and sync from Ubisoft Connect when you launch once on Steam.

How do I get more ethanol fast? Liberate and scavenge outposts, commandeer ethanol tankers, and run Expeditions.

What's the best early upgrade? The Workbench, because it unlocks higher weapon ranks.

Is there a way to fly? Yes. Helicopters and planes exist, including the joke wingless plane.