YAZS GuideUnofficial Fan Resource
Version 1.0

How to Unlock All 9 Survivors in Yet Another Zombie Survivors

Three survivors are available from the start. Six more require specific milestones — from surviving 15 minutes in a single run to reaching Survival Level 175. Here is the complete unlock guide for all nine characters, with weapons, abilities, and a recommended order.

All 9 Survivors — Unlock Conditions

Verified against the official 1.0 changelog and cross-referenced with community guides. Checked August 27, 2026.

# Survivor Unlock Condition Type Weapon Line
1 SWAT Available from the start Starter Pistol → SMG → Assault Rifle / Sniper Rifle
2 Tank Available from the start Starter Shotgun → Pump-Action → Minigun / Rocket Launcher
3 Engineer Available from the start Starter Taser → Tesla → Blaster / Laser
4 Huntress Survive 15 minutes in a single run Progression Bow → Multishot Bow → Explosive / Freezing Arrows
5 Ghost Defeat 100 zombie bosses Cumulative Katana → Katana Splash → Thousand Cuts / Windcutter
6 Medic Collect 100 health pickups Cumulative Pistol → Syringe Gun → Antidote / Freezing Flasks
7 Pyro Deal 1,000,000 total elemental damage Cumulative Fireaxe → Blowtorch → Flamethrower / Infernax
8 Mechanic Activate abilities 4,000 times Cumulative Trust Spanner → Lancer → Chainsaw / Nitro-Gun
9 Ranger Reach Survival Level 175 Level Gate Crossbow → Repeater Crossbow

Recommended Unlock Order

The most efficient path to the full roster, based on how quickly each condition can be met during normal play.

  1. SWAT, Tank, Engineer — Available immediately. Use these three to learn the game and build permanent upgrades.
  2. Huntress — Survive 15 minutes in one run. This is the easiest non-starter unlock and should come naturally within your first few sessions.
  3. Ghost — Defeat 100 zombie bosses. Bosses spawn from around the 7-minute mark, so you will make steady progress on this during normal runs. Prioritize DPS upgrades to speed things up.
  4. Medic — Collect 100 health pickups. Health packs drop randomly and cannot be collected at full health, so this takes time. Play longer survival runs to maximize opportunities.
  5. Pyro — Deal 1,000,000 total elemental damage. Use Engineer's electric weapons or Huntress's freezing arrows to contribute elemental damage across runs. This accumulates naturally but can be sped up by prioritizing elemental upgrades.
  6. Mechanic — Activate abilities 4,000 times. This is cumulative across all runs. Builds that trigger abilities frequently (short cooldowns, multi-hit abilities) will reach this target faster.
  7. Ranger — Reach Survival Level 175. This is the longest-term goal and will be the last unlock for most players. Focus on completing runs, missions, and permanent upgrades to raise your overall Survival Level.

Survivor Weapons & Abilities

Each survivor has a unique weapon line and a set of active abilities. Version 1.0 adds Rank 5 skill tree nodes and four cross-survivor synergies per character.

1

SWAT

Starter
Weapon: Pistol → SMG → Assault Rifle or Sniper Rifle
Abilities: Grenade Trail, Helicopter Strike, Automatic Turret, Ricochet
Role: Reliable kinetic damage, boss pressure, and lane coverage
Unlock: Available from the start.
2

Tank

Starter
Weapon: Shotgun → Pump-Action → Minigun or Rocket Launcher
Abilities: Sawblade Drone, Minefield, Bombing Strike, Fury Unleashed
Role: Frontline damage, horde control, and explosive coverage
Unlock: Available from the start.
3

Engineer

Starter
Weapon: Taser → Tesla → Blaster or Laser
Abilities: Electrocution, Electric Turret, Energy Shield, EMP Grenade
Role: Electric damage, deployable control, and projectile protection
Unlock: Available from the start.
4

Huntress

Progression
Weapon: Bow → Multishot Bow → Explosive or Freezing Arrows
Abilities: Eagle Eye, Arrow Rain, Bear Trap, Zombie Decoy, Arrow Penetration
Role: Ranged critical damage, area volleys, and crowd control
Unlock: Survive 15 minutes in a single run on any map.
5

Ghost

Cumulative
Weapon: Katana → Katana Splash → Thousand Cuts or Windcutter
Abilities: Critical Protocol, Shuriken, Kunai Dance, HoloGhost, Pulsar
Role: Close-range burst, dodge, and ability critical support
Unlock: Defeat 100 zombie bosses. Progress carries over across runs.
6

Medic

Cumulative
Weapon: Pistol → Syringe Gun → Antidote or Freezing Flasks
Abilities: Medical Education, Transplantology, Stimpack, Reanimation, Medical Drone
Role: Healing, regeneration, life steal, and chemical damage control
Unlock: Collect 100 health pickups across runs. Health packs cannot be collected at full health.
7

Pyro

Cumulative
Weapon: Fireaxe → Blowtorch → Flamethrower or Infernax
Abilities: No Pain No Gain, Molotov Cocktail, Fire Walk, Makeshift Bomb
Role: Fire and slashing damage, burning zones, and low-health scaling
Unlock: Deal 1,000,000 total elemental damage across runs.
8

Mechanic

Cumulative
Weapon: Trust Spanner → Lancer → Chainsaw, Nitro-Gun, or Spanner Spammer
Abilities: Remote Control Car, Transmitter, Ice Turret, Cooling Mods
Role: Mixed melee and range, ice control, and deployable support
Unlock: Activate abilities 4,000 times across runs.
9

Ranger

Level Gate
Weapon: Crossbow → Repeater Crossbow
Abilities: Dog, Falcon, Animal Whistle, Incense Holder
Role: Ranged damage, animal companions, and team critical/luck support
Unlock: Reach Survival Level 175. This is an account-wide progression level, not a single-run level.

How the Squad System Works

Three-person teams

  • You select one survivor as your leader at the start of each run
  • During the run, you can rescue up to two additional survivors via SOS encounters
  • The squad aims and attacks automatically — you control movement, positioning, and upgrade choices
  • Each leader provides a leader perk that shapes the run's foundation
  • Version 1.0 adds four cross-survivor synergies per character, making team composition more important than individual power
  • The Camp hub (new in 1.0) lets you access missions, radio, and character conversations between runs

Tips for Unlocking Faster

Efficient unlock strategies

  • Start with Huntress — her 15-minute survival requirement is the simplest non-starter unlock
  • For Ghost, prioritize DPS builds to kill bosses faster; bosses spawn from around the 7-minute mark
  • For Medic, avoid picking up health at full health — play runs where you take damage to create pickup opportunities
  • For Pyro, use Engineer's electric weapons or Huntress's freezing arrows to contribute elemental damage
  • For Mechanic, choose builds with short cooldowns and frequent ability triggers to rack up activations
  • For Ranger, focus on completing runs, missions, and spending training points on permanent upgrades
  • Most cumulative objectives can be worked on simultaneously during normal play

What to Do After Unlocking Everyone

Once you have the full roster, the next step is finding the best team combinations.

Build Your Team

Compare community-reported 1.0 squads for criticals, control, and direct damage.

Understand Synergies

Follow triggers, converters, control windows, and Rank 5 team choices.

Plan Your Achievements

229 achievements, 79 missions, 28 Torments, and Boss Rush mode.

Get the Game

Available on Steam, GOG, PlayStation, and Xbox for $14.99 USD.
Unofficial fan-made guide. Yet Another Zombie Survivors is a trademark of Awesome Games Studio. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by Awesome Games Studio. Unlock conditions verified against the official 1.0 changelog and community sources on August 27, 2026. Some unlock values (such as Medic's health pickup count) may have changed between Early Access and 1.0 — always check the current game client if a condition does not register.