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Far Cry 5 Perks - Best Perks to Unlock in Far Cry 5 and how to Earn Perk Points

Far Cry 5 is a big game full of things to do. In this guide we'll detail how to recruit the dog, bear, and cat, how to earn money quickly, the best perks in Far Cry 5, Prepper Stash Locations, helicopters and planes, and how to fish. Also how to play Far Cry 5 Coop with friends, crafting, and weapon upgrades.

Far Cry 5's upgrade system is built around perks and the use of perk points. In this guide to perks in Far Cry 5 we'll detail all the perk upgraded available in the game, explain which perks are the best, and tell you how to earn perk points. Read on for all the Far Cry 5 perk info you'll need.

If you're after more Far Cry 5 tips, head over to our Far Cry 5 guide hub. We've got loads of useful guides over there, including how to recruit the bear, dog, and cat, plus tips on hunting and fishing.

Far Cry 5 Perks Guide

In Far Cry 5 your character's progression is determined by perks. There are 40 perks to unlock over the course of the game, split into four categories: Survivalist, Renegade, Assassin, and Prepper. There are also 10 perks tied to the Guns for Hire you can recruit.

Survivalist Perks in Far Cry 5

  • Human Fish - 1 Point - You can swim faster and hold your breath underwater for longer. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Fisher King - 4 Points - Fish will tire more quickly. Also unlocks new types of flies in the Fishing Rod Slot of the utility wheel, for catching heavier fish.
  • Repair Torch - 5 Points - The Reair Torch is added to your utility wheel. Use it to open safes or to use repair vehicles.
  • King of the Jungle - 6 Points - Reduced animal attack damage. Predators prioritize nearby enemies over you. Prey animals flee less from you. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Black Market - 6 Points - Craftable remote explosives, proximity explosives, molotovs, pipe bombs, sticky upgrades, and special ammo are now available at all shops.
  • Harvest Master - 8 Points - Double your loot reward from plants and animals.
  • Health Boost 1 - 6 Points - Maximum health is increased to 150%.
  • Health Boost 2 - 7 Points - Maximum health is increased to 200% (requires previous perk).
  • Health Boost 3 - 8 Points - Maximum health is increased to 250% (requires previous perk and one lieutenant defeated - Jacob, Faith, or John).
  • Health Boost 4 - 9 Points - Maximum health is increased to 300% (requires previous perk).

Renegade Perks in Far Cry 5

  • Parachute - 1 Point - Unlocks the parachute.
  • Wingsuit - 4 Points - Unlocks the wingsuit. Use to cover more distance in the air (requires previous perk).
  • Airdrop - 10 Points - Unlocks the options to arrive by air drop when you fast travel to a location (requires previous perk).
  • Vehicle Buster - 7 Points - Bullets will do more damage to vehicles. Works especially well with armor piercing ammo. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Weapons Pro - 6 Points - Reload, aim, and switch SMGs and shotguns faster. Sway and bullet spread are reduced. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Heavy Weapons Master - 6 Points - Reload, aim, and switch LMGs, launchers and flamethrower faster. Sway and bullet spread are reduced. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Auto Repair - 6 Points - All vehicles you drive will automatically repair themselves. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Rifle Mastery - 7 Points - Reload, aim, and switch rifles and sniper rifles faster. Sway and bullet spread are reduced. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Saboteur - 7 Points - Approach a vehicle's hood and set it on fire to make it explode 10 seconds later. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Booby Trap - 7 Points - Approach a vehicle's hood and make it explode on the next collision. Also works in Far Cry Arcade (requires previous perk).

Assassin Perks in Far Cry 5

  • Grapple - 1 Point - Unlocks the grapple tool, letting you use grapple spots in the game world.
  • Nimble Fingers - 4 Points - Quicker to craft items, sabotage or booby trap vehicles, disable alarms, and open safes. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Sneaky Sprint - 4 Points - Move much faster while staying crouched. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Master Blaster - 5 Points - Components needed to craft remote and proximity explosives is reduced by 50% (requires you help Zip and the Kupka Ranch in Holland Valley).
  • Takedown Mastery - 6 Points - Unlocks the chain, melee throw and sidearm takedowns. Takedown range increased.
  • Primal Mastery - 6 Points - You can reload, aim, and switch bows and slingshots faster. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Close Combat Mastery - 6 Points - Melee weapons are more sturdy. Reload, aim, and switch handguns and melee weapons faster. Sway and bullet spread are reduced. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Locksmith - 6 Points - Stealthily lockpick safes and doors that do not require a keycard.
  • Throwback - 7 Points - Throw back incoming projectiles or dynamite. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Ghost - 7 Points - You make less noise when walking, sprinting, and landing. Falling damage is also reduced. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.

Prepper Perks in Far Cry 5

  • Close Combat Gear Bag - 1 Point - Carry more handgun ammo and melee weapons. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Journey Pack - 7 Points - Carry more items in your inventory, including up to 5 medkits. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Tactical Ammo Bag - 8 Points - Carry more SMG and shotgun ammo. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Quiver - 8 Points - Carry more normal, incendiary, and explosive arrows. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Rifle Ammo Bag - 9 Points - Carry more rifle and .50cal ammo. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Throwables Bag - 9 Points - Carry more explosives, throwing knives, and bait. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Special Ammo Bag - 9 Points - Carry more armor piercing, incendiary ammo and special rocket launcher ammo. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Heavy Ammo Bag - 9 Points - Carry more LMG, flamethrower, rocket launcher and grenade launcher ammo. Also works in Far Cry Arcade.
  • Additional Holster - 8 Points - Carry a 3rd weapon of any type in your weapon wheel.
  • Weapons Collector - 9 Points - Carry a 4th weapon of any type in your weapon wheel (requires you have defeated one of the lieutenants - Faith, John, or Jacob).

Leader Perks in Far Cry 5

The Leader perks in Far Cry 5 are tied to the Guns for Hire system. Nine of these perks are specific to each Specialist Gun for Hire you can recruit, reducing the time it takes for them to return to action after being injured. Each of these perks costs 4 points. There is, however, one perk, that is different, and pretty essential.

  • Leadership - 6 Points - Unlock and additional slot in your squad to let you play with two Guns for Hire in single player.

Best Perks in Far Cry 5

While it's fair to say that the best perks in Far Cry 5 depend a lot on your playstyle, there are some that you'll want to get unlocked as soon as possible. We've listed the best perks in Far Cry 5 just below, so you know what you spend your early perk points on.

Health Boost

When you start Far Cry 5 you'll feel a bit fragile, so boosting your maximum health should be on your list of priorities. Definitely get Health Boost 1, but then see how you're doing to determine if you should splurge on Health Packs 2 to 4.

Parachute

For only one point you can unlock the Parachute perk in Far Cry 5. There are a lot of high mountains in Far Cry 5, so this perk will allow you to leap off them without the fear of dying.

Grapple

Without this perk you won't be able to ascend the cliff faces scattered throughout the game. Definitely get this bought ASAP as it only costs one point.

Nimble Fingers

You might not want to play stealthily, but at points it's the best option. Nimble fingers makes tasks like disabling alarms a lot quicker.

Sneaky Sprint

Putting some perk points into stealth moves is wise, and this faster movement speed while crouched will come in very hand. Four points well spent.

Locksmith

Unlocking doors and safes without raising an alarm is a great skill to have. It'll let you gain access to places and get your hands on some nice rewards.

Additional Holster

Getting a third weapon slot is vital if you don't fancy wandering around with a bow the entire game. Having to drop a cool weapon because you only have two slots but really want to carry a rocket launcher is a pain best avoided.

Leadership

As soon as you've recruited more than one gun for hire you're going to want to unlock the Leadership perk. Having two friends by your side makes big battles a lot easier.

How to Earn Perk Points in Far Cry 5

Perk points are essential if you want to improve your character in Far Cry 5 by adding new abilities and skills. There are numerous ways to earn perk points, which we've detailed just below.

  • Complete Challenges - Earn between 1 and 4 points for completing a challenge. Challenges are built around all aspects of general gameplay, including killing, hunting, and fishing.
  • Find Prepper Stashes - These secret stashes of items give you plenty of rewards, including a bunch of perk points. Use clues in the game world to find where there locations are.
  • Far Cry Arcade - Perk Points earned in Far Cry Arcade can be used to buy perks in the main Far Cry 5 campaign. Earn XP and level up in Far Cry arcade to earn Perk Points.

That's all there is to know about Perks in Far Cry 5. If you're looking for help with another aspect of the game, why not check out our guide to fishing in Far Cry 5.

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Far Cry 5

PS4, Xbox One, PC

About the Author
Tom Orry avatar

Tom Orry

Deputy Editorial Director ReedPop

Tom (he/him) has spent 20 years in games media after getting a pointless BSc in Software Engineering. He oversees a number of ReedPop websites and projects. Previously he created VideoGamer.com, was EiC on VG247, and managing editor on USgamer.
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