What does the Recharge Drone do in R.E.P.O.?

Keep those Drones handy—they act as a safety net to replenish your item’s power or can be a cute little distraction from the horrors that wait for you inside R.E.P.O.

Here is our quick guide on how to use the Recharge Drone in R.E.P.O.

R.E.P.O. Recharge Drone guide

While a lot of items have a single use (throwables and upgrades), in R.E.P.O., many can be used indefinitely—so long as you know how to recharge them. Here is where the handy little device called the Recharge Drone comes in. The Recharge Drone is one of five Drones you can buy from the Service Station. Its spawn isn’t guaranteed, but its small asking price of 4K-5K makes it worthwhile if this device is available for purchase.

You only ever need one of these Drones in your arsenal. Spawning inside the truck after purchase, you can move the Drone into one of your inventory slots (assigning it to one of these keys: 1, 2, or 3). Drones are activated with “E” after equipping them. The Recharge Drone replenishes the charge of used items. These are often electrical (e.g., Extraction and Valuables Tracker), but also include melee weapons (e.g., Frying Pan, Inflatable Hammer, or Sword). Most items (aside from throwables) have a charge bar. The bar appears underneath the item name, with five available power squares.

Using an item with a charge bar will inevitably drain its power. Swinging weapons or activating a Tracker for a prolonged period can quickly drain the available charge. Once the charge is empty, swap to the Drone and activate it. The Drone will lift into the air, allowing you to equip the item you wish to recharge. Make sure to turn the item off before the Drone latches onto it. The Recharge Drone can refuel items currently in use, but we don’t recommend doing this as the Drone loses its charge at a faster rate.

The Drone is handy as it eliminates the need to buy duplicates of the same item. When in use, a single Drone can only latch onto one item at a time. Its own charge bar transfers into the item you’re holding.

When the Drone dies, it will drop to the ground. Pick it up and return it to your inventory slot. Be sure to bring it back to the R.E.P.O. truck, as you can replenish its power at the Charging Station inside. You can only activate this with Energy Crystals. The Crystal’s charge will transfer to the item you placed inside the compartment next to it, moving directly into the item’s charge bar. Place the dead Recharge Drone inside and watch the charge bar fill to five full squares, indicating you can use it again. This saves you from having to replace the Drone.