Welcome to Hell-A, Slayer, where all the fun is going down under the sun in Dead Island 2. It’s been a while since we’ve blasted “Who Do You Voodoo?” by Sam B. while killing away the undead, and so much has evolved. Instead of a few standards with some twists, there are now over 20 different zombie types. You got your Burning Walkers, Eat Couriers, Butchers, Screamers, and more that roam Hell-A. Therefore, it’s best to get familiar here, to see what you’re going up against. We’ve provided a list of the zombie types in the game, along with the popular locations for apex foes to scope out in Dead Island 2.
Understanding the Zombie Types
As we mentioned before, you’re going to be dealing with more than just Walkers in Dead Island 2. In addition to them, you’ll be facing Shamblers, Runners, and apex monstrosities. Walkers and Runners come with variants, ranging from defense-focused undead to elemental-based foes. For the apex crowd, they’re a special bunch, acting as mini-bosses whenever you encounter them. The key is to know where their respective Hot Spots are located.
Assemble your team of Slayers, craft your finest tools of destruction, and stay vigilant in Hell-A as we go through the zombie types in your Zompedia.
Shamblers
Notably the weakest of the undead bunch, Shamblers are slow-moving grunts on the brink of ultimate breakage. Simple attacks will take them down, and you can find them across all of Hell-A.
In a way, they’re the grunts of the game; they’re here to fill up empty spaces while their stronger brethren handle business with the Slayers and survivors.
Upon killing Shambler, you can possibly obtain these items: Fabric, Wire, Scrap, and Infected Flesh.
Walkers
The bread and butter of the zombie outbreak. Walkers, much like the Shamblers, can be encountered across all of Hell-A. Walkers are your standard undead, bearing no resistance to your actions. Although they’re fairly easy to take down, getting caught with several of them might warrant some damage.
Killing a Walker can potentially reward you with these items: Infected Flesh, Fabric, Scrap, Adhesive, and Fasteners.
Runners
Runners are a step up from the mundane Walkers, and you’ll encounter them throughout every location in Hell-A. They’ll actually come after you once they sense your presence, but they’re significantly easy to battle one-and-one.
It goes without saying that you ought to be ready for a run if you come across these foes. They may be quick, but you are quicker. You can always cut off their limbs as well to turn them into Crawlers.
Expert Tip: If you manage to get yourself cornered by Walkers and Runners, activate Fury Mode to quickly dispose of them. This will give you a window to evade further damage and evade.
Common Zombie Variants
Of course, the zombie types in Dead Island 2 are similar to their variants with an extra punch: Burning, Shocking, Spiky, Offense-focused, Incendiary, and a few others that vary from Walker to Runner. However, since these enemies are rather circumstantial, you’ll encounter them throughout Hell-A, filling in the space between regular Shamblers, Walkers, and Runners.
Burning Walkers and Runners
It’s lit in Hell-A, as the Burning zombie type has been completely consumed by fire. Forever torching away, avoid using any fire-based attacks when it comes to these toasty enemies.
Of course, if you get too close, you will burn yourself. Therefore, you can extinguish the flames by using Chem bombs or regular water.
Shocking Walkers and Runners
It’s an electrifying mess if you happen to run into the Shocking variant. Their electromagnetic mutation makes them immune to shock damage, and they can trigger an explosion in the environment if they’re near a destructible source.
Much like with the Burning type, use water when it comes to the Shocking zombies, though you may want to keep your distance. Throwing water on them will cause an overcharge that can potentially hurt you.
Spiky Walkers and Runners
Don’t touch the Spiky foes or you’ll start bleeding. Use ranged weapons and explosives to take down these sharp guys. They are covered in broken glass, razor wire, and other pointed objects that guarantee damage.
Expert Tip: Maintaining your distance from the Shocking and Spiky zombie types can be tricky in Hell-A. Select your most beneficial Skill Cards for your deck. A few in mind are Clear Sightlines, Hammer Fist, and Hunting Season.
Unique Zombie Types
The following list will cover some of the other variants that Slayers will come across as they complete quests, collect rare weapons, and dropkick zombies. There are several of them to keep in mind, so be mindful of where you go.
- Riot Gear Walkers – Stuck with tactical armor, these tough foes are resistant to melee and ranged attacks until the outer protective layer gets knocked off by you with persistence. Their armor also helps negate the effects of your Caustic, Fire, and Shock attacks.
- Insect Swarm Walkers – As the name suggests, this variant carries a symbiotic hive of insects on its abdomen. Flocks of vicious locusts will come out of the hive to continuously attack you until you take care of its host.
- Caustic-X Walkers – In addition to using the environment and explosives, you can take advantage of the Caustic-X’s biochemical tank by destroying it from a distance. Just be sure to avoid using caustic-based attacks with this one.
- Hydration Walkers – Take notice of the Hydration Walker’s water tank. Damaging it will trigger an explosion.
- Incendiary Walkers – Much like their explosive-bound friends, Incendiary zombies carry a flammable fuel tank. As one would assume, damaging the tank will cause it to explode, so keep your distance if you plan to blow them to smithereens.
- Grenadier Walkers – If the tanks are volatile items to consider, then attacking Grenadiers is another sensitive foe where distance plays a factor. Grenades are strapped to their chest, where the kabooms can come into play for your use.
- Hazmat Walkers/Runners – The medical and heroic teams of the zombie outbreak, suited with hazmat outfits to prevent infection. As it turns out, the virus would eventually overpower them, inducing immunity to caustic damage. Consider using shock and fire-based attacks to take them down.
- Firefighter Walkers/Runners – When the heat turns up, so do the resistance statuses for some of the zombie types. Firefighters are immune to fire, shock, and caustic damage, so they’ll be a little tough to kill.
- Eat Couriers – Need a boost? Killing an Eat Courier will ultimately spill the contents from their backpack cooler: Protein Bars and Energy Drinks.
Expert Tip: Mutalition is vital here. Cut off the arms, the attacks will be limited. Cut off the legs, the listed zombie types will fall to the ground with reduced power.
After getting through the initial quests for Dead Island 2, you will progressively encounter each of these special infected foes. Some are fixed, such as the Grenadiers and Riot Gear foes stationed at military posts, while others are scattered throughout the Metro and Brentwood Sewers.
Our recommended areas to find named zombies are Monarch Studios throughout the different film sets, all across Beverly Hills (where the apex Hot Spots are aplenty), the GOAT Pen in Bel-Air, and along Venice Beach.
Defeating any of the common variants will reward you with crafting supplies to pick up. Each will vary, but you can expect a lot of items to loot after you’ve wiped out a horde.
Apex Zombie Types
Hell-A is home to many celebrities and social icons, but it also possesses a dangerous playground for apex beasts to roam. To add to the zombie situation, Slayers will also be fighting these unique enemies throughout the game. They’re not as prevalent as the common zombie types; instead, apex enemies are found in fixed areas within Hell-A. Luckily, they all have Hot Spots that you can visit to guarantee a fight with one or more of them.
Crushers, Screamers, Slobbers, Butchers, and Mutators will be sorted below. We’ll also provide a few Hot Spot locations for reference.
Crushers
Imagine if a Walker was infused with the Incredible Hulk’s gamma radiation, and you got yourself a Crusher. They can trigger a shockwave by pounding on the ground, and they’re resistant to explosives. While they are weak to bleed damage, cutting off the arms of a Crusher can prevent any heavy attacks.
A sub-variant of this enemy also exists in Hell-A: Inferno Crusher. Similar to the Burning Walkers, Slayers can use water and Chem Bombs to extinguish the flames. However, it is only for a short time; an Inferno Crusher’s fire can reignite if you don’t kill it in time.
Your first Crusher will show up in the Room Service for Major Booker quest. The Crusher Hot Spots are located in these areas: Halperin Hotel; south of Venice Beach; Ocean Avenue along the Venture Walk.
Bursters
Don’t touch the Bursters unless you want a confetti of infected goo and fluids spilling all over you. Attack these undead fiends from a distance; their explosive presence can potentially damage other zombies.
Slayers can find a couple of Burster Hot Spots within the Metro.
Slobbers
Walking monstrosities, these Slobbers can be. They are filled to the brim with bile, which can damage you if you’re within its AOE. This is what you need to avoid, so focus your attention on the Slobber to get up close and personal, making the big guy restrain himself from using the bile. Melee attacks are recommended here.
In addition to the bile-based baddies, Slobbers also come in Putrified and Firestorm forms. The Putrified type can deliver sticky and explosive bile, while the Firestorm sub-variant carries a flaming aura with attacks that can set you on fire.
Hot Spots for the Slobbers are established in the Metro; outside the Halperin Hotel; Monarch Studios by “The Badge”.
Expert Tip: If you’re looking to fight multiple apex zombie types, equip yourself with the best weapons and take a trip to Bevelry Hills and Brentwood Sewers. Both locations include multiple Hot Spots.
Screamers
Protect your eardrums from the Screamer, whose name directly implies that they use sonic shockwaves that can send you back a few steps; other zombies will take notice of the intense noise. In this case, consider using ranged attacks to quiet this one down.
The Screamers can also show up in shock-based circumstances with the Voltaic sub-variant.
Screamer Hot Spot is located on the Santa Monica pier; near the Goat Pen in Bel-Air by Alpine Dr.; Monarch Studios at “FRIENDS [Without Benefits]”.
Butchers
You’ll need to be on your toes if you’re going up against a Butcher. They’re quick with their movements, with fleshy blades protruding from the arms. If you submit some damage to one, they’ll run off to find a corpse to feast on, which will regenerate their health. Swift combat should be utilized here, with the blocking mechanism coming to mind for counterattacks.
Butchers can also be Vicious, meaning that the action will become more aggressive. Bleed damage can occur here if a Vicious Butcher manages to get in a nice slash. However, instead of running away for regeneration from a corpse, this one stays put and heals itself. Be ready for a fight.
Butcher Hot Spots are located on the Santa Monica pier; Monarch Studios at “The Rise of the God-Spider”; Hollywood Boulevard.
Mutators
The deadliest of the undead bunch, Mutators are tough to bring down. They start off as normal Walkers until they are petrified by a loud sound, triggering a grotesque mutation where their chests rip wide open. With an exposed portrait, the Mutator can fire away bone darts at you to complement his arm attacks.
Mutators Hot Spots are found in Bel-Air, southeast of Emma Jaunt’s mansion; Ocean Avenue; in the Halperin Hotel.
Expert Tip: You’ll have to bring your absolute best when it comes to fighting a Mutator. If you use up your Fury Mode, use the environment to your advantage. Heights, shelters, debris, anything that you can rely on for temporary protection.
These are the current zombie types that Slayers can run into in Dead Island 2. Future DLC may introduce new variants to add to the Zompedia, but this list outlines what kind of undead mess you can expect in Hell-A.
