How to avoid Hunter Killer groups in The Forever Winter

The Hunter Killer groups in The Forever Winter spawn when a Scav collects a piece of valuable loot, as the Hunter Killers seek to eliminate the Scar and claim the coveted treasure for themselves. But there are ways to avoid them altogether, especially for newcomers without the firepower or know-how to take them head-on.

The Forever Winter encourages both stealth and combat gameplay, though the former is more preferable for lower-ranking Scavs, since the Hunter Killer groups can be quite persistent once triggered. Here are a few surefire ways to avoid Hunter Killers and make them more manageable, especially for solo players.

Events that trigger Hunter Killer groups in The Forever Winter

There are a number of ways to trigger Hunter Killer groups in The Forever Winter and once they are deployed, they literally don’t stop coming. Here are the events in The Forever Winter that have a significant chance of spawning Hunter Killers:

• Looting Weapon Tech
• Looting Data Cache
• Looting Neurolinks
• Entering an area with high-value loot
• Carrying a lot of high-value loot in your inventory
• Spending too much time on a raid

Ways to avoid Hunter Killer groups in The Forever Winter

It might sound self-explanatory, but the most effective method for avoiding Hunter Killer groups in The Forever Winter is to reach the extraction point before they can get you. Especially when you first start, the best advice is to prioritize stealth, gather some loot, and silently make your way to the extraction. Don’t draw unnecessary attention to yourself and the Hunter Killers shouldn’t spawn.

Other methods for avoiding Hunter Killer groups:

• Create some distance – When you can’t fight them, it’s best to outrun the Hunter Killers to at least give yourself the chance to recuperate.
• Let other squads fight them – If outrunning Hunter Killers isn’t working, dash to the nearest faction and instigate a fight between the Hunter Killers and another squad to take the heat off yourself.
• Keep moving – Don’t stay in one spot for too long as Hunter Killers will actively hunt you down wherever you hide.
• Break line of sight – Hunter Killers will actively pursue you no matter what, but breaking their line of sight helps elevate some of the pressure for a short while and let you regroup.
• Use vantage points and huddle spots – The best way to evade Hunter Killers is to outsmart them, so make use of high places and enclosed areas so you’re not caught out in the open.

That’s really all there is to it. The strategy to surviving The Forever Winter is a cycle that’s fairly easy to master once it’s practiced enough times. Simply hide, let the NPCs duke it out, find an opportunity to loot a few items, take it, and then high-tail out of there.