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Image: Bend Studio / PlayStationOfficial screenshot from Bend Studio / PlayStation.
Freakers
Freakers are people and animals turned feral by the Freaker Virus, and they are the main danger on every road in Days Gone. Each type needs a different answer, from a knife for a lone Swarmer to fire for a whole Horde.
- Threat
- High
- Type
- Infected
Appears in
- Clear Out Those NestsYour first Infestation Zone. You burn out the Freaker nests in the logging camp at the foot of O'Leary Mountain so fewer Freakers roam up near the safehouse where Boozer is recovering.
- Horde KillerHorde Killer is the storyline for wiping out every Freaker Horde in Oregon. It mixes a few story missions with the open-world Hordes you find yourself, from small cave groups in the north to the huge swarms in the south.
- Infestation ExterminatorInfestation Exterminator is the open-world storyline for burning out Freaker nests. Infestation zones are marked areas full of nests, and clearing all of them makes the roads safer and opens up fast travel through that area.
Found in
Good to know
- Human types include Swarmers, Bleachers, Newts, Screamers, Breakers and Reachers. Infected animals include Runners, Ragers and Criers.
- Different Freaker types attack each other on sight, which is why Hordes are made of Swarmers only.
- They are most active at night. Hordes sleep in caves and dark buildings by day and come out after dark to feed and drink.
- Weather changes them. Rain muffles noise and dulls their senses, while snow and cold make them hit harder.
- Bullets, blunt weapons, crushing and fire all work. Fire is the best answer to a crowd.
- Kills drop ears that camp bounty collectors buy. At Lost Lake a Swarmer ear pays 3 trust and 5 credits.
- The Lend Me Your Ears trophy asks for 989 Freaker ears, so loot them as you go.
- Some Freakers keep moving for a while after losing limbs, so make sure one is down before you turn away.
- Rippers will not fight Freakers, and some even offer themselves up to be eaten.
How they behave
An unaware Freaker just wanders. Once it spots you, it charges in a frenzy, and the noise pulls in others nearby. They eat people, animals and even plants, and they drink from rivers and lakes. Small groups build nests out of branches and trash, and you can often smell a nest before you see it.
How to deal with them
Use the Boot Knife or a melee weapon on one or two. For a small group, switch to a gun or a throwable before they surround you. Against a crowd, fall back through a narrow gap so they come at you a few at a time. Molotovs and, later, Napalm Molotovs do the most damage to a packed group.
Nests and infestations
Infestation zones are clusters of Freaker nests. Set every nest in a zone on fire to clear it, and expect the Freakers inside to come out swinging. Clearing zones moves the Infestation Exterminator storyline toward its Silver trophy. Your first one is the Logging Camp Infestation, a Copeland job you can take as soon as the Cascade opens up.
Easy to miss
A flock of ordinary crows overhead often means Freakers or a Horde are close. Slow down and use Survival Vision before you ride on. If you plan to chase the ear trophy, loot after every fight. Ears add up slowly, and backtracking for them later wastes time.
Where the virus came fromSpoilerShow
The virus came out of a secret Cloverdale weapons program hidden inside a plant research project. A worker who suspected the truth stole a sample to expose the company and infected himself instead. He carried it to a convention in Portland, and the attendees spread it worldwide within two weeks. Some of Sarah's research was used in the project without her knowing.
More infected
- Infected
Bleacher
Bleachers are pale, shirtless Swarmers with about 50% more health and a harder hit. They are a newer mutation you meet later, and the same tactics as Swarmers work if you bring a few extra rounds.
- Infected
Breaker
Breakers are hulking male Freakers that soak up huge damage and can knock you flat with one swing. Treat each one as a mini-boss: stay at range, lead with explosives and finish with headshots.
Image: Bend Studio / PlayStationInfectedHordes
Hordes are packs of 25 to 500 Swarmers that move, feed and sleep as one, and they are the biggest fights in Days Gone. Each one needs scouting and a plan, but clearing them makes a region safer and pays out in weapons.
Image: Bend Studio / PlayStationInfectedNewts
Newts are infected kids who keep their distance while you are healthy and strike when you are hurt. They are weak on their own, but a pack can pick you apart if you walk in with low health.