How to get XP fast in Saints Row

Saints Row XP level up farm
(Image credit: Deep Silver Volition)

Knowing how to get Saints Row XP and level up fast will hugely benefit your progress in the game, as you'll be able to unlock new perks, abilities, and powers a lot more quickly to give yourself a competitive edge. Farming XP can be a difficult task in Saints Row when you're trying to level up, but there are some methods that work significantly better than others, and those are usually centered on completing objectives. If you're looking for the best way to earn XP in Saints Row and farm levels quickly, I've outlined the process for the best XP farming methods here.

Saints Row XP farming method for fast level ups

Saints Row XP level up farm

(Image credit: Deep Silver Volition)

Saints Row XP is earned through practically anything you do, but some methods earn a lot more than others. Challenges, missions, side quests, wanted targets and even shooting random enemies in the street all serve to grant the player experience towards the next level up. This'll grant you access to new Skills in Saints Row that you can use in combat. However, not all XP is equivalent and doesn't all come in at the same rate. Farming XP is best done by pursuing objectives over kills - completing an objective of any kind, like the Saints Row insurance fraud quests, tends to earn a lot more XP than the enemies you slaughtered to reach it.

For that reason, the best thing you can do for XP farming is find an objective in the game that's very easily completed, work out the most efficient method to complete it, then repeat the process as many times as possible. Repeating these hustles will also get you lots of money in Saints Row along the way. We specifically recommend the "Riding Shotgun" side hustles (shown on the map with blue icons of figures shooting), for the following reasons:

  1. They're completed quickly (three minutes or so), and thus can be repeated over and over fast.
  2. Shooting enemies in various ways is tied to lots of challenges you can complete in the process.
  3. Killing enemies itself gives a small, steady influx of XP.
  4. Some of the Riding Shotgun missions have one-time bonus objectives for even more XP.

Once the mission is done, there's nothing stopping you from going back and doing it over. Admittedly the bonus objectives can only be done once, but if you've done the objectives in most of the side hustles or just need a quick influx of XP you can grind up, this is the best way to level up fast and farm XP in Saints Row. Make sure you've got Saints Row fast travel points up an running so that you can quickly get between XP sources for efficient XP farming.

© 12DOVE. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Joel Franey
Guides Writer

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and raconteur with a Masters from Sussex University, none of which has actually equipped him for anything in real life. As a result he chooses to spend most of his time playing video games, reading old books and ingesting chemically-risky levels of caffeine. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at USgamer, Gfinity, Eurogamer and more besides.

Read more
Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League level system and skill points
Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League levelling and Talents skill tree explained
A cyberware market vendor standing at his stall in Cyberpunk 2077.
How to make money in Cyberpunk 2077 and earn eddies fast
Star Wars Outlaws transfer credits
How to get credits in Star Wars Outlaws fast
Star Wars Outlaws Wanted
How to lower your Wanted level in Star Wars Outlaws
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth fast travel
How to fast travel in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Helldivers 2 Killzone 2 items in superstore
How to farm Helldivers 2 Super Credits
Latest in Action
Death Stranding 2 Collector's Edition
Hideo Kojima reveals Death Stranding 2: On the Beach release date, and the Collector's Edition includes exactly what I predicted it would
Former Xbox boss says GTA: San Andreas and its infamously NSFW Hot Coffee minigame "signified a maturing of the industry" and put games "on par with movies and music"
Death Stranding 2 PS5 screenshot
Death Stranding 2 pre-orders are estimated to go live this month, and will reportedly include a $230 collector's edition that I pray doesn't come with another creepy baby statue
Assassin's Creed Shadows Claws of Awaji expansion Naoe and Yasuke in Awaji forest
Assassin's Creed Shadows roadmap, DLC and future content
Grand Theft Auto 3
A GTA streamer is trying to beat every single 3D entry without dying, and in 33 hours he's made it as far as San Andreas but keeps getting caught in Vice City purgatory
The Last of Us 2
Naughty Dog has done it: it's remastered the PS5 controller with a Last of Us-themed DualSense announcement 24 hours after Neil Druckmann dashed our hopes for The Last of Us 3
Latest in Guides
Assassin's Creed Shadows Claws of Awaji expansion Naoe and Yasuke in Awaji forest
Assassin's Creed Shadows roadmap, DLC and future content
A scary emoji shown in horror game REPO.
Is REPO coming to consoles?
Monster Hunter Wilds Nu Udra Palico
How to get the Monster Hunter Wilds Aqua Sac and Flame Sac
WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 DLC guide to all Season Pass wrestlers
Monster Hunter Wilds screenshot showing a fiery octopus monster grabbing player
Monster Hunter Wilds Black Flame location and boss fight guide
Monster Hunter Wilds Aqua Sac and Flame Sac
The best Monster Hunter Wilds mods and how to install them