How to kill Stalkers in Helldivers 2

Helldivers 2 Stalkers
(Image credit: Sony)

Helldivers 2 Stalkers are one of the game's most feared enemies, invisible bugs who represent the closest thing the Terminids have to assassins. They appear as white, mantis-like creatures - only to disappear a second later. Both fast and capable of high damage attacks, Stalkers tend to ambush players and can potentially kill them right off the bat, so dealing with them can be something of an issue for the unprepared. Not only that, but it's never clear what missions will have Stalkers involved, though we can say that they become more common as the difficulty increases. If you need help with dealing with them, here's how to beat Stalkers in Helldivers 2.

Stalkers in Helldivers 2 and how to beat them

Helldivers 2 Stalkers

(Image credit: Sony)

Stalkers in Helldivers 2 are easy to get killed by when you don't know they're there - but once you do, there's a process.

  1. Damage the Stalker, but try not to kill it (if you do you'll have to repeat this process)
  2. After being hurt enough, it'll cloak and try to flee
  3. Watch for the fuzzy, white shape that marks where it is
  4. Follow it back to the "Stalker Lair"
  5. The Lair has one or two bug holes that need to be closed with Grenades or explosives, like any other nest
  6. This will cut off the supply of Stalkers to the map. 
  7. Shoot the survivors. A homeless Stalker is still dangerous.

Obviously it's entirely possible to stumble across the Stalker Lair by accident, but the Stalker's AI is programmed to flee back in that direction when hurt, leading you back to their point of origin. Not only that, but Stalker Lairs are actually a side quest within missions whenever they show up, so razing one to the ground will earn you a healthy XP and requisition slip bonus at the end of the mission.

Otherwise, the key to killing individual Stalkers is high damage done quickly - the Breaker shotgun, as with all things, is ideal here. Close-range weapons like shotguns, SMGs and similar are the best option here - they're generally too fast to hit with anything else.

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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.