Dying Light 2 - Explanation of all types of infected

In Dying Light 2, while there are also human enemies, you will mainly deal with hordes of infected. These zombies can be found all over the city and become significantly more active at night. In addition to the usual biters and virals, you will occasionally encounter special types of infected.

These special infected were created on January 6, 2025, during an event called "Black Monday," when tons of chemical bombs fell on the city. The idea was to use the THV-GenMod (a chemical compound that accelerated the breakdown of infected DNA, causing them to die) to bombard the city and get rid of the infected once and for all. However, things didn't go as planned. The bombs killed hundreds of people and mutated the infected into special types. This guide includes all the different types of infected that appear in Dying Light 2 and how to deal with them.

Updated on September 22, 2023, by Sean Murray: Knowledge is power, so having a real advantage in knowing what you're dealing with in Dying Light 2 can make a difference. We have updated this guide with improved formatting and some additional tips to make killing each type of infected even easier.

Virals

Virals are a fairly common type of infected in the game. They have recently transformed, which is why they are relatively fast and can effortlessly climb buildings.

Virals sometimes perform strong attacks where they leap at you and knock you down. The best way to deal with them is to dodge their attacks. You can also simply attack them with the various weapons in the game.

Biters

In addition to virals, biters are the most common type of infected in the game. These individuals have been infected for a long time, their bodies are decaying, and they move very slowly, making it relatively easy to deal with them. A few quick attacks or pushing them off rooftops will be enough.

The only time a biter poses a real threat is when you come across a group of them.

Another good way to deal with biters is to sneak past them when they are calm and quietly kill them. Some biters are poisonous, meaning they have a green gas aura around them that inflicts poison damage to the player.

Howlers

Like most types of infected, these guys come out at night. You can easily identify them because their chest glows and they have a special symbol above their head. Howlers don't attack you immediately, but they emit a high-frequency scream that alerts nearby infected and triggers a level one pursuit.

To deal with them, either move quickly or use stealth to avoid being detected, or kill them first using ranged weapons.

Bolters

Bolters are incredibly fast, don't attack the player, and flee as soon as they are discovered. You will easily recognize Bolters as they have glowing parts on their body and leave behind glowing footprints.

You don't necessarily have to engage with a Bolter if you don't want to, but they usually carry high-quality loot if you manage to kill one.

Banshees

Banshees were once human women, as evidenced by the dresses and jewelry they wear. Not only that, but their hands have also transformed into deadly claws.

Banshees are incredibly agile and acrobatic, capable of jumping very high within seconds. This gives the impression that they can almost fly. They attack the player by leaping towards them and can even climb on other zombies to use them as springboards.

The best way to deal with them is to dodge their attacks and then strike back when they are in a "charging" state.

Spitters

Spitters are a special type of infected that have the ability to spit yellow acid from their chest, which can significantly deplete your health.

They are deadly from a distance, but try to get close to them to kill them with melee attacks.

Bombers

These zombies may seem silly, but they are extremely dangerous. Bombers are infected creatures that explode near the player, causing significant damage.

To deal with Bombers, do not let them get close to you and attack them with ranged weapons, as they explode upon contact.

Goons

Goons are the big guys in Dying Light 2. These infected are massive and will hit you with a large hammer attached to one of their arms. A hit from a Goon can easily take a significant portion of your health and send you flying back.

Fortunately, Goons are extremely slow, so you can lure them to one side and then run in the opposite direction.

Volatile

Volatiles are undoubtedly the most deadly infected in the game. They are even considered the apex predators among the infected. These zombies are built differently and possess incredible speed and strength, making them an extremely dangerous threat.

The best way to deal with Volatiles is to not deal with them at all. If you see one (or three), avoid them and use stealth to sneak past them unnoticed.

If you have to confront a Volatile, use the UV flashlight to weaken them and then approach cautiously.

Revenant

These are the uniquely looking infected in the game; they have something growing on their back that resembles fossilized wings. This type of infected is slow but can empower surrounding zombies by emitting a toxic mist that can also harm the player. They also have the ability to summon infected, most likely biters.

You will likely encounter these creatures at GRE anomaly locations. To deal with them, first deal with the infected they summon and then dodge the slime they will shoot at you. If you have it, use the UV flashlight to weaken them and get close enough to attack.