Far Cry 5: Complete Guide

A full guide to liberating Hope County: how the resistance system works, which perks to unlock first, the best Specialists, region-by-region advice, all three endings, co-op rules, and the DLC.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final PC build with Steam achievements (added December 2024). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

• Unlock perks with a plan. Perk points come from challenges and hidden magazines in Prepper Stashes. Spend early points on survival and movement, not cosmetics.
• Recruit Specialists early. Named companions like Grace, Nick, and Boomer are much stronger than generic Guns for Hire.
• Liberate outposts undetected. Taking an outpost without raising an alarm gives bonus rewards and is usually easier than a firefight.
• Prepper Stashes are worth it. They're small environmental puzzles that reward cash, perk magazines, and loot.
• Use the Wingsuit and grappling hook. They open up the map and many stashes.
• Resistance points drive the story. Every liberated outpost, rescued hostage, and side mission fills a region's meter and triggers story events.
• Expect to be captured. At certain resistance levels, the region's herald will take you. That's scripted; you can't avoid it.
• Co-op progress is for the host. Only the host's world advances. Guests keep cash, perks, and weapons.
• Achievements now work on Steam. They were added in December 2024 and sync from Ubisoft Connect.

The Setup

You play the Deputy (a customizable, silent protagonist) sent to arrest Joseph Seed, leader of the doomsday cult Eden's Gate. The arrest goes wrong and Hope County, Montana falls to the cult. You're freed by Dutch on his island, which acts as the tutorial. After that, the map opens.

Regions and heralds

Region | Herald | Theme | What to expect

Holland Valley | John Seed ("the Baptist") | Confession, forced baptisms, tattoos | Open farmland, lots of vehicles and planes

Whitetail Mountains | Jacob Seed ("the Soldier") | Conditioning, survival of the fittest | Forests, cliffs, wolves; Jacob's "trials" are shooting challenges

Henbane River | Faith Seed ("the Siren") | The hallucinogenic drug Bliss | Rivers, Bliss fields, dreamlike sequences

You can tackle regions in any order. Each has its own resistance meter; filling it brings the herald's boss mission, and liberating all three unlocks the final confrontation with Joseph.

Resistance meter

• Resistance points come from almost everything: outposts, story missions, side quests, destroying cult property, and freeing hostages.
• The meter is divided into tiers. As you move up, the cult escalates with tougher enemies, patrols, and aircraft.
• At milestones, the herald will capture you for a story sequence.

Specialists (Guns and Fangs for Hire)

Specialists are unique companions with their own abilities. Generic Guns for Hire can be recruited from civilians too, but Specialists are better.

Specialist | Type | Role

Boomer | Dog | Spots and tags enemies; fetches weapons. Great for stealth

Peaches | Cougar | Silent stealth kills

Cheeseburger | Bear | Tank; draws attention and mauls enemies

Grace Armstrong | Sniper | Long-range silent support. Excellent for outposts

Nick Rye | Pilot | Air support with bombing runs

Adelaide Drubman | Helicopter pilot | Air support with a gunship helicopter

Sharky Boshaw | Flamethrower | Close-range crowd control

Hurk Drubman Jr. | Rocket launcher | Heavy explosive support

Jess Black | Bow | Silent ranged support

Best early picks: Boomer (tags enemies, stealth) and Grace (silent sniper) make outposts much easier. Add Nick or Adelaide when you want air support.

Leadership perk: lets you bring two companions at once. One of the most valuable perks.

Perks

Perks are grouped into categories (survival, prepper, hunter, assassin, leadership, and more). You get perk points from challenges and from perk magazines found in Prepper Stashes and around the world.

Priority perks

• Lockpicking — opens locked doors and safes.
• Wingsuit — fast travel by gliding off heights.
• Grapple — climbing and reaching stashes.
• Leadership — two companions at once.
• Takedown upgrades (chain takedowns, takedowns with weapons) — faster stealth.
• Extra weapon slots and ammo capacity — more firepower in the field.
• Health and survival upgrades — for difficult firefights.

Where perk points come from

• Challenges. Kill enemies with specific weapons, hunt animals, fish, or complete activities.
• Prepper Stashes. Most contain a perk magazine.
• Far Cry Arcade. Arcade play earns rewards that carry over into the campaign.

Weapons and Economy

• Cash is earned from missions, selling pelts and fish, and loot. Spend it on weapons, attachments, vehicles, and ammo.
• Silver bars are a secondary currency found in the world and also sold for real money. Nothing essential requires them.
• Weapon choices. A suppressed rifle, a sniper, a bow for silent takedowns, and a rocket launcher for vehicles cover most situations.
• Signature weapons from specialists or special missions are often strong unique variants.
• Melee weapons such as the shovel are a Far Cry 5 signature. They're viable for stealth.

Outposts

• Undetected liberation gives bonus rewards.
• Scout first. Use binoculars or Boomer to tag everyone.
• Kill the alarms. Disable alarms before engaging.
• Snipe from a distance. Grace with a suppressed sniper can clear outposts alone.
• Clean up. Once liberated, outposts become fast-travel points and supply stores.

Prepper Stashes

Prepper Stashes are hidden caches with puzzle-like access: finding a key, climbing, grappling, or working out an environmental trick. They reward cash, perk magazines, and gear. Look for notes and clues nearby; the map shows their rough locations once you learn of them.

Main Story Outline

• Dutch's Island — tutorial and the first radio tower.
• Hope County — tackle any region.
• Herald missions — each region builds to a confrontation with its herald.
• Final mission — once all three heralds are defeated, you face Joseph Seed.

Endings

There are three endings. Spoilers ahead.

Ending | How to get it

Secret ending | At the very start, when the Sheriff gives you the choice to arrest Joseph, don't. Wait long enough and the Sheriff calls off the arrest; the credits roll.

Resist | At the end of the final confrontation, choose to resist. This is the canonical ending that leads into Far Cry New Dawn.

Walk Away | At the final confrontation, choose to leave. A different, darker outcome follows.

Co-op

• The full campaign can be played in 2-player online co-op.
• Only the host's story progresses. The guest keeps cash, perks, and weapons.
• The guest takes the place of one of the host's companion slots, so plan your Specialist picks together.
• Both players can bring their own gear; share roles (one scouts and snipes, one drives or flies).

DLC

DLC | Setting | Notes

Hours of Darkness | Vietnam War | Stealth-focused standalone story as Wendell Redler

Lost on Mars | Mars | Nick Rye and Hurk battle alien arachnids

Dead Living Zombies | Zombie B-movie parody | Short scenarios narrated by director Guy Marvel

The Season Pass also included Far Cry 3 Classic Edition. Each DLC is standalone and accessible from the main menu.

Far Cry Arcade

A separate mode with a map editor and community maps using assets from several Ubisoft games. Play solo, co-op, or PvP maps. Rewards (cash, perk points) carry over into the campaign.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Ignoring Prepper Stashes. You'll run short on perk points.
• Going loud on every outpost. You lose bonus rewards and make fights harder.
• Skipping Specialists. They make a huge difference in difficulty.
• Expecting co-op progress as a guest. Only the host's story advances.
• Rushing the resistance meter. You'll be captured more often before you're well-equipped.

Advanced Tips

• Boomer plus a silenced weapon is one of the easiest ways to clear outposts undetected.
• Air support. Nick Rye's bombing runs make heavily guarded areas trivial.
• Arcade farming. Short Arcade maps can yield perk points and cash quickly.
• Fishing and hunting. Pelts and fish sell for good money and count toward challenges.
• Use the Wingsuit from high points to reach far areas fast.
• Explore for vehicles. Many planes and helicopters are available for free on the map.

FAQ

Does Far Cry 5 have Steam achievements? Yes, since December 2024. Achievements previously unlocked in Ubisoft Connect sync when you launch the game on Steam.

How many endings does Far Cry 5 have? Three: the secret ending at the start, Resist, and Walk Away.

Can I play Far Cry 5 co-op? Yes, the full campaign supports 2-player online co-op, but only the host's story advances.

Is Far Cry 5 connected to New Dawn? Yes. Far Cry New Dawn is a direct sequel set 17 years after the Resist ending.

What order should I do the regions in? Any order works. Many players leave Jacob's region for later because of his trials.

Do I need Ubisoft Connect? Yes. The Steam version still requires a Ubisoft account and Ubisoft Connect.

Sources

• Far Cry 5 on Steam
• Steam Achievements announcement (December 2024)
• Wikipedia: Far Cry 5