Most players treat Active Matter's Body Sleeves as skins, and it's an easy mistake: camouflage genuinely is cosmetic, and the sleeve select screen looks like a character picker. It isn't. The sleeve underneath sets where your armour plates go and how big they can be, how much you can carry, and a set of passive modifiers that the game then stacks with your chronogenes. Two operatives in identical gear perform differently on sleeve alone. This is every sleeve, read from the stat panel on the launch build (0.4.0.93, 15 September 2026) and spot-checked on build 0.4.0.156 on 30 September, and what each one is actually for.
What a sleeve sets
Open Inventory, then Select Body Sleeve. The roster is grouped by operative: nine of them (Karl "Baron" Müller, Kwame Mensah, Genevieve Brennan, Naomi Carter, Joris van Dijk, Mariko Sato, Sergei Volkov, Alexander Arkhangelsky, Si Chen), each with a "Constant" biography and then several sleeves, which the game frames as the same person from a different universe. Pick the operative, then pick which version of them you are.
Every sleeve shows four things:
- Rarity: Uncommon, Rare or Epic. Epic doesn't mean best; three of the Epics are civilian sleeves with no plate slots at all.
- Inventory Volume: your base carry, before rig and backpack. From 300 on the starter Uncommons to 550 on Viper.
- Plate slots, drawn on the silhouette: torso, both hands, both legs, each S, L or XL, or missing. This is the part that decides fights. A sleeve with no leg slots takes every leg hit on 165 hit points of flesh. Coming from Tarkov, where plates live in the rig? Our Tarkov translation guide maps health, armour and everything else.
- Modifiers: bullet proof, explosion protection, healing, move speed, recoil, noise, stamina, and volume discounts on ammo, medicine and grenades.
Appearance (mask, headgear, camouflage pattern) is a separate panel and changes nothing above. And the sleeve's numbers are only the base: the Characteristics and Skill screen shows the "Modified Stats" after your slotted chronogenes and Perks Tree passives are added. On our Reaper, +50% melee strength on the sleeve reads +77.7% there with Melee II slotted. How chronogenes are made, and what dying costs them, is in our workshop guide.
The best body sleeve for each playstyle
Best starting sleeve, and for learning Isolated raids: Beast or Rock. Both Uncommon, both a Large torso slot with Small on the legs and nothing on the hands, both 300 volume. Beast is +9.5% bullet proof, Rock is +6%. Cheap to lose, a big plate where it matters, and the leg slots most starter sleeves don't have. Beast if you have it. Which raids have an Isolated mode is in our PvE-only guide.
Best for Open raids: Knight. The only sleeve with a Large slot on every part (torso, both hands, both legs), 525 volume, +6% bullet proof, +50% explosion protection and +35.5% melee proof. It pays for that with −10% jump height, −5% move speed and medicine at −20% volume. If you've got it, it's the one to wear when you're carrying something you can't afford to lose. Going into Open raids alone? Our solo guide covers the matchmaking settings that decide who you meet there.
Best for carrying: Viper. 550 volume, the largest of any sleeve, Large torso, Large on both hands, Small legs, −65% hand stamina drain, +20% jump, −5% recoil. The Epic sleeve that's a straight upgrade rather than a trade.
Best for moving: Alfa, Psychologist or Fugitive. All three are +10% move speed. Alfa (Rare) keeps a full slot layout (L torso, S hands, S legs) and adds +6% bullet proof. Psychologist (Rare) has the same layout with −5% recoil. Fugitive (Uncommon) drops the leg slots entirely for it.
Best for being quiet: Ghost or Shadow. Ghost is −20% move noise with Large slots on both hands and −35% hand stamina drain; Shadow is −10% noise, −5% recoil, and a full L / S S / S S layout at 425 volume.
Best for healing your squad: Angel, Pulse or Paladin. Angel (Uncommon, all-Small layout) is +20% healing effectiveness. Pulse (Uncommon) is +10% additional healing on all body parts, with a Large torso, Small hands and no leg slots. Paladin (Epic) is +30% healing effectiveness on top of +30% fire protection and 525 volume, with Large legs.
The Deluxe Edition sleeve, Reaper: 500 volume, Large torso, Small on hands and legs, +25% reload, mag stuffing and healing-item speed, +50% melee strength, 10 seconds off shock time, ammo at −20% and grenades at −10% volume. A strong all-rounder with a complete slot layout, which is exactly what a paid sleeve should be. It's not stronger armour than Beast; it's more of everything else. Everything else Deluxe includes is in our editions comparison.
Don't raid in a civilian Epic. Ph.D. Brennan, Prof. Arkhangelsky and Ph.D. Chen have 500 volume, no plate slots anywhere, and stats like "Mindvault hacking speed +341%" and "Risk of catching a time loop +6%". They exist for the story and the Investigations, not for the zone.
Beast vs Pulse
The two most common early sleeves, and the question we get asked. Beast is 9.5% bullet proof with a Large torso and Small legs. Pulse is +10% healing on every body part with a Large torso and Small hands, and no leg slots. Beast takes hits better and protects the legs; Pulse recovers from them faster and protects the hands. In Isolated raids, where most damage comes from creatures at close range, Beast. In a squad with a dedicated medic, Pulse on the medic and Beast on everyone else.
Knight: the best sleeve for Open raids
Knight is the only sleeve with a Large plate slot on every part: torso, both hands and both legs. Wherever a shot lands, it lands on a Large plate rather than on flesh, and that is why it's the answer for Open raids. It's Epic, 525 volume, +6% bullet proof, +50% explosion protection and +35.5% melee proof, for −10% jump height and −5% move speed.
Its nearest rival is Rhino, which trades Knight's Large legs for an XL chest plate. Take Rhino if torso hits are what kill you, and Knight if it's everything else. The Deluxe and Elite Squad editions start with Knight; everyone else unlocks it through the Monolith.
Shadow vs Ghost: which quiet sleeve
Both are Rare, 425 volume, with a Large torso, Small legs and −10% ammo volume. Ghost is the quieter one, at −20% move noise, and it has Large plates on both hands and −35% hand stamina drain. Shadow gives up half of that noise reduction and the hand plates for −5% recoil.
If you're trying not to be found, wear Ghost. If you expect to win the fight when you are found, wear Shadow.
Every sleeve, by what it's for
Plate slots are torso, hands and legs; "none" means no slot on that part. Volume is base inventory volume before rig and backpack. Stats read from the launch build's sleeve select screen on 15 September 2026. Knight re-checked on build 0.4.0.156 on 30 September 2026: unchanged.
Armour
| Sleeve | Rarity | Volume | Torso | Hands | Legs | Modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knight | Epic | 525 | L | L L | L L | Bullet proof +6%, explosion protection +50%, melee proof +35.5%, jump −10%, move −5%, medicine volume −20% |
| Beast | Uncommon | 300 | L | none | S S | Bullet proof +9.5%, medicine volume −10% |
| Rock | Uncommon | 300 | L | none | S S | Bullet proof +6%, medicine volume −10% |
| Mermaid | Rare | 400 | L | S S | S S | Bullet proof +6%, explosion protection +50%, grenade volume −20% |
| Rebel | Rare | 400 | L | S S | L L | Explosion protection +50%, additional healing on all body parts +10%, grenade volume −10%, medicine volume −10% |
| Alfa | Rare | 400 | L | S S | S S | Bullet proof +6%, move speed +10%, grenade volume −10%, medicine volume −10% |
Extra-large torso
Six Rare sleeves carry an XL torso slot. All of them pay with −10% jump height and −5% move speed.
| Sleeve | Rarity | Volume | Torso | Hands | Legs | Modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhino | Rare | 450 | XL | L L | S S | Physical activity impact on heart rate −30%, weight penalty reduction +20%, jump −10%, move −5% |
| Bulwark | Rare | 400 | XL | S S | L L | Healing effectiveness +20%, heart-rate impact −30%, jump −10%, move −5%, medicine volume −20% |
| Fuse | Rare | 425 | XL | S S | L L | Pulse escalation −30%, reload, mag stuffing and healing-item speed +25%, jump −10%, move −5%, grenade volume −10% |
| Vanguard | Rare | 400 | XL | L L | S S | Fire protection +30%, item recognition speed +30%, jump −10%, move −5%, ammo volume −20% |
| Guts | Rare | 400 | XL | S S | L L | Melee proof +20%, recoil −5%, jump −10%, move −5%, ammo volume −10%, medicine volume −10% |
| Hunter | Rare | 425 | XL | L L | S S | Stamina drain −30%, melee proof +20%, jump −10%, move −5%, medicine volume −10% |
Much of the older guidance still recommends Hunter with double Large ceramics; that loadout describes a layout the game no longer has.
Speed and mobility
| Sleeve | Rarity | Volume | Torso | Hands | Legs | Modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viper | Epic | 550 | L | L L | S S | Hand stamina drain −65%, jump height +20%, recoil −5%, ammo volume −10% |
| Psychologist | Rare | 400 | L | S S | S S | Recoil −5%, move speed +10%, ammo volume −10%, medicine volume −10% |
| Jay | Rare | 425 | L | S S | S S | Jump height +20%, recoil −5%, ammo volume −10% |
| Warlord | Rare | 400 | L | S S | S S | Jump height +20%, melee strength +30%, ammo volume −10%, grenade volume −10% |
| Fugitive | Uncommon | 300 | L | S S | none | Move speed +10%, grenade volume −10% |
| Liquidator | Uncommon | 325 | S | S S | S S | Weight penalty reduction +20% |
Stealth and handling
| Sleeve | Rarity | Volume | Torso | Hands | Legs | Modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost | Rare | 425 | L | L L | S S | Hand stamina drain −35%, move noise −20%, ammo volume −10% |
| Shadow | Rare | 425 | L | S S | S S | Recoil −5%, move noise −10%, ammo volume −10% |
| Phantom | Rare | 400 | L | S S | S S | Hand stamina drain −35%, reload, mag stuffing and healing-item speed +25%, ammo volume −20% |
| Guardian | Uncommon | 300 | L | none | S S | Recoil −5%, ammo volume −10% |
| Old Man | Rare | 400 | L | none | S S | Item recognition speed +30%, recoil −5%, ammo volume −20% |
| Breach | Uncommon | 300 | S | S S | S S | Item recognition speed +30%, ammo volume −10% |
Healing and support
| Sleeve | Rarity | Volume | Torso | Hands | Legs | Modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paladin | Epic | 525 | L | S S | L L | Body temperature reduce −90%, fire protection +30%, healing effectiveness +30%, ammo volume −10%, medicine volume −10% |
| Reaper | Epic | 500 | L | S S | S S | Reload, mag stuffing and healing-item speed +25%, melee strength +50%, shock time −10s, ammo volume −20%, grenade volume −10% |
| Angel | Uncommon | 300 | S | S S | S S | Healing effectiveness +20%, medicine volume −10% |
| Pulse | Uncommon | 325 | L | S S | none | Additional healing on all body parts +10% |
Melee
| Sleeve | Rarity | Volume | Torso | Hands | Legs | Modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wizard | Uncommon | 325 | S | S S | S S | Melee proof +20% |
| Mirage | Uncommon | 300 | S | S S | S S | Melee strength +30%, grenade volume −10% |
Civilian (no plate slots)
| Sleeve | Rarity | Volume | Modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ph.D. Brennan | Epic | 500 | Aggression −68%, empathy +47%, Mindvault hacking speed +341%, spontaneity −84%, thrill-seeking −63% |
| Prof. Arkhangelsky | Epic | 500 | Protection from spontaneous wavefunction collapse +20%, electronics −22%, eloquence −31%, memory +112% |
| Ph.D. Chen | Epic | 500 | Anchor calibration +287%, safe container assembly +164%, safety procedure compliance −73%, risk of catching a time loop +6% |
How sleeves are earned
Sleeves are unlocked through the Monolith, and the Deluxe and Elite Squad editions include Reaper and Knight from the start. On the sleeve select screen a locked sleeve still previews its full stat panel, which is how this list was built, so you can plan the one you're working toward before you spend a token on it. The Monolith's levels and what gates each one are in the Beginner's Guide, and what a new Personal Timeline keeps and resets is in our wipe explainer.
Is a Body Sleeve a skin?
No. The skin is the Appearance panel: mask, headgear and camouflage pattern, which change how you look and nothing else. The sleeve is the body: plate slots, carry volume and passive modifiers. Two players in the same camouflage can have different armour layouts, and two players in different camouflage can be identical underneath.
Since update 0.4.0.122 on 18 September, the sleeve screen also has an experimental appearance-correction mode for adjusting how a sleeve looks. The stats in this guide are from the sleeve select screen and still apply.
Heart rate and body temperature
A few sleeves list these, which is why people ask. The Characteristics and Skill screen lists seven heart-rate stats, from pulse escalation to stamina restoration. Four of the six XL-torso sleeves cut one of them by 30%: Rhino and Bulwark reduce physical activity impact, Fuse reduces pulse escalation, and Hunter reduces stamina drain. Paladin reduces body temperature by 90%, and the Cold-Blooded chronogene by 5% at Tier I.
Heart rate is how the game models stamina: running raises it, and the higher it climbs, the faster your stamina and hand stamina drain. Body temperature rises when you stand in fire, which is why Paladin pairs its cut with +30% fire protection. Both play a very small part in a raid, so neither is a reason to pick one sleeve over another. Choose on plate layout and volume first.
Which sleeve, in one line
Beast for your first week of Isolated raids, Knight when you have something to protect, Viper when you have something to carry, Ghost when you'd rather not be found, and never a Ph.D. into a raid. If you'd rather learn the maps with someone who already knows which sleeve suits which one, that's what our Squad Carry is for.
Matter Team has reworked sleeve layouts once already, so if a number here disagrees with your screen, trust the screen and tell us.