So you’re in Sunken City, running Gula Bloodline: Josée 2, wiping enemies left and right… and that proficiency bar just refuses to move.
Yeah — that’s frustrating.
And no, you’re not crazy, overleveled, or bugged.
This is one of those Code Vein 2 systems the game never explains, but once you understand it, the problem makes sense — and more importantly, it stops being a panic moment.
Let’s break it down.
What’s happening here isn’t a hidden penalty or a soft lock — it’s an invisible progression rule tied to enemy strength, not your character level. Sunken City enemies simply don’t meet the internal threshold required to advance second-tier Blood Codes like Josée 2, so the game quietly gives you nothing for those kills. No warning, no tooltip, no feedback — just a stuck bar that looks broken.
Once you know this, the solution becomes straightforward: tougher enemies in later areas are the key. Until then, the game is effectively telling you, “Not yet,” even if it does a terrible job of saying so.
Short Answer (The One You’re Actually Looking For)
If Gula Bloodline: Josée 2 proficiency isn’t increasing, it’s because Sunken City enemies are too weak to level a second-tier Blood Code in Code Vein 2.
That’s it.
You can grind forever — it won’t help.
This is intended behavior, not a bug.
What the game doesn’t explain is that Blood Code proficiency is tied to enemy tier and area difficulty, not your player level or time spent farming. Even if you’re under level 30, fully equipped, and actively using the Blood Code, low-tier enemies simply don’t count toward progression once you move into higher-rank (“:2”) Blood Codes. The game doesn’t warn you, doesn’t show a minimum requirement, and doesn’t give partial progress — it just silently gives you nothing.
It feels broken, but it isn’t. You’ve hit a progression gate, not a glitch.
Why Josée 2 Proficiency Doesn’t Go Up in Sunken City
Here’s the key thing the game never tells you:
Blood Code proficiency depends on enemy strength — not your player level.
Even if:
- You’re under level 30
- You have the Blood Code equipped
- You’re actively killing enemies
If the enemies are below the required tier, the proficiency bar simply won’t move. There’s no partial progress, no slow gain, and no warning that you’re wasting your time — the game just silently ignores those kills.
And Gula Bloodline: Josée 2 is considered a higher-tier Blood Code in Code Vein 2.
That’s why Sunken City just doesn’t cut it. The area is tuned for early progression, so while base Blood Codes can still level there, second-tier versions like Josée 2 hit an invisible wall until you move on to tougher regions.
“But I’m Not Overleveled” — Why That Doesn’t Matter
A lot of players get stuck here because of this assumption, and honestly, the game trains you to think this way.
Your character level does not block Blood Code proficiency in Code Vein 2.
You could be:
- Level 15
- Level 50
- Level 100
It wouldn’t change anything.
What actually matters is:
- Enemy rank
- Area difficulty
- Blood Code tier
Once enemies fall below the internal difficulty threshold for the Blood Code you’re using, the game simply stops awarding proficiency. There’s no diminishing return and no “slow gain” phase — it’s all or nothing.
That’s why low-tier enemies = zero progress, every single time, no matter how early or late you are in the game.
Is This a Bug?
It definitely feels like one — but no, it isn’t.
Here’s how we know this behavior is intentional in Code Vein 2:
- Base Blood Codes still gain proficiency in Sunken City
- Second-tier (“:2”) Blood Codes do not
- Proficiency immediately starts increasing again once you reach later, higher-difficulty areas
If this were a real bug, the proficiency bar would be broken everywhere, not just in one region. Instead, the system behaves consistently based on area difficulty and Blood Code tier.
What you’re hitting isn’t a glitch or a soft lock — it’s a progression gate. Unfortunately, the game never explains this rule, so it looks like something’s wrong when, in reality, you’re just being told “not yet” without any warning.
Common Mistakes That Won’t Fix It
Let’s save you some wasted time and frustration:
- ❌ Grinding more enemies
- ❌ Reloading the area
- ❌ Swapping weapons or veils
- ❌ Lowering or raising your character level
None of these bypass the enemy-tier requirement in Code Vein 2.
If the proficiency bar isn’t moving after several fights, the game has already made its decision — those enemies simply don’t count for that Blood Code. No amount of retries or tinkering will change that until you move on to tougher areas.
So… How Do You Actually Level Josée 2?
Option 1: Progress the Story (Best Option)
This is the cleanest and most reliable solution.
Once you reach later, higher-difficulty areas, proficiency starts working again — immediately — as long as Gula Bloodline: Josée 2 is equipped in Code Vein 2.
Most players see the bar start moving again as soon as they:
- Leave Sunken City
- Fight noticeably tougher enemies
- Keep the Blood Code equipped while getting kills
No tricks, no hidden conditions, and no special farming routes required. You just need enemies that meet the Blood Code’s tier requirement — and once you do, progression resumes like normal.
Option 2: Harder Side Areas (If You Have Them)
If you’ve unlocked any of the following:
- Optional high-level zones
- Elite or mini-boss encounters
- Later-region side content
You might be able to gain some proficiency early while using Gula Bloodline: Josée 2 in Code Vein 2. That said, this method is inconsistent and heavily dependent on enemy strength, so it’s usually not worth forcing. For most players, natural story progression is faster and far less frustrating.
Can You Max Josée’s Blood Code Before You’re Forced to Kill Her?
This is the emotional gut-punch question — and the one most players are actually worried about.
Honest answer?
Usually, no — not during Sunken City.
The game does not reliably allow second-tier partner Blood Codes to be fully maxed that early in the story.
That doesn’t mean:
- You failed
- You missed a hidden trigger
- You soft-locked your save
It simply means the game intends you to finish that progression later, much closer to Josée’s story endpoint. It’s a pacing decision, not a punishment — even if it definitely doesn’t feel great in the moment.
What If Proficiency Never Increases Anywhere?
That’s the one time you should actually worry.
If you:
- Equip Gula Bloodline: Josée 2
- Fight clearly stronger enemies later in the game
- Still see zero proficiency progress
Then yes — that could be a real bug in Code Vein 2.
At that point, try the basics first:
- Unequip and re-equip the Blood Code
- Restart the game
- Test proficiency in a different high-difficulty area
In rare cases, a reload clears the issue. But for the vast majority of players, simple story progression is all it takes — once you’re fighting enemies that meet the tier requirement, proficiency starts working normally again.
Wrapping up
- Gula Bloodline: Josée 2 not leveling is intentional in Code Vein 2
- Sunken City enemies are too weak to advance a second-tier Blood Code
- Player level doesn’t matter at all
- Grinding won’t help, no matter how long you try
- Progress to tougher areas and proficiency resumes normally
You didn’t break anything — you just ran into an invisible progression wall the game never explains.
Final Take
This is one of those classic Code Vein 2 moments where the system only makes sense after someone explains it.
Once you understand that enemy tier matters more than player level, the confusion disappears instantly — the stuck proficiency bar, the wasted grinding, all of it suddenly clicks. That said, yeah… the game absolutely should’ve told you this upfront. A single tooltip would’ve saved a lot of panic and a lot of players thinking they’d broken something.