Helldivers 2 Stalkers and how to kill them

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The Stalkers in Helldivers 2 are invisible bugs that use stealth attacks

Helldivers 2 Stalkers
(Image credit: Sony)

Helldivers 2 Stalkers are utterly lethal, special Terminid bugs that appear and use stealth to ambush players out of nowhere. Capable of turning invisible with a special camouflage ability, Stalkers are a threat that need to be taken seriously by all players and cut off at the source almost immediately, or else you risk getting overwhelmed and cut to ribbons.

Fortunately we can help you deal with them - whether you want to find Stalkers for a Personal Order or whether you just want to know how to deal with them when you're fighting Bugs on the Terminids' planets, here's how to beat the Stalkers in Helldivers 2.

How to beat Stalkers in Helldivers 2

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.

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  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 Stalker without a nest 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
Joel Franey
Guides Editor, GamesRadar+

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. 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 Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.