Pair Frag Grenade with Bandolier
In the October demo, pair Frag Grenade with Bandolier to gain the Legend of Catachan’s modified Ripper Pistol. Players report that this gift evolution adds a poisonous firearm while Frag Grenade remains equipped.
Build the route around a maxed Frag Grenade, the Bandolier passive and an eligible boss chest. A later demo test succeeded with Bandolier at level 1, so you can attempt the evolution without first maxing that passive. These instructions describe the October demo; keep them separate from the May demo and full-release builds.
What you need and what you gain
| Item | Effect or role | How to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Frag Grenade | The Legend of Catachan’s starting weapon and the base of this evolution. | Start a run as the Legend of Catachan. Its separate weapon-unlock objective requires surviving 15 minutes with him. |
| Bandolier | The passive paired with Frag Grenade; players describe it as a cooldown item. | Acquire it as a passive upgrade when available and keep it alongside Frag Grenade. |
| Ripper Pistol | A gift evolution that adds poisonous gunfire while retaining the grenade, according to demo players. | Max Frag Grenade, carry Bandolier and collect an eligible evolution chest. |
Rescue the Legend of Catachan first
The Legend of Catachan is rescued on Imperial Bastion. Question-mark objectives lead to rescue encounters, and his encounter is guarded by a circle of Warriors whose Synapse Emitters strengthen nearby enemies. Prepare your damage and leave room to retreat before taking on that group.
Defeat the enemies guarding him to unlock the character, then choose him for a grenade-focused run. He enters combat armed exclusively with Frag Grenades and moves faster than other Survivors. The demo’s Ripper Pistol evolution objective also requires his rescue first.
Take the grenade route to Ripper Pistol
- Choose the Legend of Catachan for your run. His starting Frag Grenade gives you the base weapon needed for the Ripper Pistol recipe.
- Upgrade Frag Grenade to level 8, its demo maximum. Prioritize those weapon upgrades when they appear so you reach the recipe’s weapon requirement.
- Take Bandolier and keep it equipped with Frag Grenade. A successful player test used Bandolier at level 1, so attempt the chest step once the grenade is maxed rather than treating a maxed Bandolier as compulsory.
- Collect an eligible boss chest after preparing the pair. On Imperial Bastion, target a chest from minute 10 onward, when the demo’s boss chests list Evolution as their first prize.
- Check for Ripper Pistol alongside your grenade attack. Demo players describe the result as an added poisonous firearm, with Frag Grenade still equipped.
Why Bandolier does not need to be your upgrade priority
An October 12 player report called for max Bandolier. Another player’s October 23 test obtained the evolution with Bandolier at level 1. That later result supports the practical route of maxing the base weapon while holding the passive.
For your next attempt, put Frag Grenade’s upgrade state ahead of extra Bandolier levels. Keep Bandolier in the loadout, then move on to the chest requirement when the grenade is ready. This avoids spending level-up choices on a passive maximum that the successful test did not require.
The grenade stays in the loadout
Yes, players reported keeping Frag Grenade after gaining Ripper Pistol. The evolution is a gift: the new firearm adds an attack instead of simply turning the grenade into a larger explosion. When judging whether the recipe worked, look for the added pistol rather than waiting for your grenade to disappear.
Check the weapon, passive and chest separately
If Bandolier never appears, check its unlock before spending another run waiting for it. Demo players linked its unlock to upgrading Boltgun, so inspect the relevant Objective in your game. Reaching a long survival time alone does not tell you whether you have that passive available.
If you already hold the pair, check Frag Grenade’s level and whether you have collected an eligible boss chest since preparing it. Picking up the companion alone is not the reported evolution trigger. Also distinguish the Frag Grenade weapon from the grenade pickups found on the battlefield: this route uses the weapon in your loadout.
Keep your progression expectations within the demo as well. Progress from the previous demo does not transfer to the newer demo, and demo progress does not transfer to the full release. Use this run to learn the pairing and chest sequence before starting again in a different build.