Killing Floor 2 Beginner’s Guide: Perks, Game Modes, Zeds, & More

Killing Floor 2 is an exciting first-person shooter with unique, terrifying foes and tons of replayability with a full shop of items to purchase between rounds and tons of perks to sculpt your own build. Since it's a one-of-a-kind and intense experience, some new players might find the game intimidating to start with. To ensure you get the best new player experience possible and explore all it offers, we've prepared a Killing Floor 2 beginner's guide covering how the game works from the ground up.

Killing Floor 2 Beginner’s Guide: Everything You Need to Know

You might not be a trained zed killer yet, but by the end of this guide, you'll be able to start your journey on the right foot.

Perks

Perks in Killing Floor 2 are roles and shouldn’t be confused with characters, which are purely cosmetic assets. These roles offer different playstyles and loadouts so you can shape your experience to your liking. Whether you want to use sniper rifles, flamethrowers, or anything in between, Killing Floor 2 has plenty of perks for you.

Berserker

• XP Objectives: Dealing Berserker weapon damage and killing Zeds near the player while wielding a Berserker weapon.
• Starting Loadout: Crovel Survival Tool, 9mm Pistol, Lawn Mower Blade, and EMP Grenade

A close-combat tank, the Berserker in Killing Floor 2 is typically reserved for more veteran players. This perk relies heavily on the player being at the front lines, thanks to its high survivability stats. In particular, the Berserker can deal and take tons of punishment, making this perk a must-have in many multiplayer scenarios.

Commando

• XP Objectives: Dealing Commando weapon damage and killing Stalkers while wielding a Commando weapon.
• Starting Loadout: AR-15 Varmint Rifle, 9mm Pistol, KF-BAR, and HE Grenade

Killing Floor 2 players who take pride in having fast reaction times and a constant eye on the battlefield can become the team’s Commando. This perk has eyes on the immediate area, allowing the player to see Stalkers as clear as day. Additionally, the Commando perk allows the player to see enemies' health, allowing them to focus on near-death Zeds.

Support

• XP Objectives: Dealing Support weapon damage and welding doors.
• Starting Loadout: SG 500 Pump-Action Shotgun, 9mm Pistol, Machete, and Flag Grenade

The Support perk is typically the team’s ammo supplier and door person. Albeit a support role, players who use this perk will wield the powerful SG 500 Pump-Action Shotgun, allowing them to mow down hordes of Zeds. Beginners may even find using this perk a comfortable way to start learning the basics. In particular, the slow reload of the shotgun, hit-and-run tactics, and focus on backing up teammates can help reduce stress during sweaty Zed encounters.

Field Medic

• XP Objectives: Deal Field Medic weapon damage and healing teammates.
• Starting Loadout: HMTech-101 Pistol, 9mm Pistol, Scalpel, and Medic Grenade

The Field Medic is the team’s lifeline. Difficult Zed encounters can become less challenging when the party has at least one player using this perk. This role has the Medic Grenade, which heals squad mates while poisoning nearby Zeds. Additionally, the Field Medic wears reasonably thick armor, increasing the player's survivability.

Demolitionist

• XP Objectives: Dealing Demolitionist weapon damage and killing Fleshpounds with Demolitionist weapons.
• Starting Loadout: HX25 Grenade Pistol, 9mm Pistol, Utility Knife, and ½ Stick of Dynamite

As its name implies, the player with the Demolitionist perk is the team’s explosive expert. This user packs massive firepower strong enough to take down large Zeds, especially Fleshpounds. However, being aware of the Demolitionist's short-range weapons is important. Ensure you're close enough to enemies while staying reasonably far from them to prevent unwanted damage to your health.

Firebug

• XP Objectives: Dealing Firebug weapon damage and killing Crawlers and Bloats with Firebug weapons.
• Starting Loadout: Caulk n’ Burn, 9mm Pistol, Fireman’s Knife, and Molotov Cocktail

The Firebug is Killing Floor 2's flamethrower specialist. Use this role if your team needs a crowd-control expert. Its loadout can help weaken large groups of Zeds, although the player with this perk usually struggles with stronger enemies, such as Sirens and Husks. Nonetheless, a beginner may find this perk easy to use since you typically only need to point your trusty flamethrower at a group of Zeds and press the trigger.

Gunslinger

• XP Objectives: Dealing Gunslinger weapon damage and making headshots with Gunslinger weapons.
• Starting Loadout: Dual 1858 Revolvers, 9mm Pistol, Bowie Knife, and Nail Bomb.

Gunslingers in Killing Floor 2 are quick on their feet while dealing fairly high damage to nearby Zeds. Additionally, a player using this perk generally has a higher ammo pool than others, making them last longer on the battlefield without relying heavily on melee weapons. Remember, the Gunslinger’s reload times and accuracy suffer because of the dual-wielded pistols.

Sharpshooter

• XP Objectives: Dealing Sharpshooter weapon damage and making headshots with Sharpshooter weapons.
• Starting Loadout: Winchester 1984, 9mm Pistol, Kukri, and Freeze Grenade

The Sharpshooter is generally the Gunslinger’s opposite. In particular, the Gunslinger isn’t the best in firing accurate shots, but the Sharpshooter excels in this field. A player who takes pride in dealing precise hits will feel right at home when using this perk.

Survivalist

• XP Objectives: Dealing weapon damage with any weapon and Killing Clots with any weapon.
• Starting Loadout: Random weapon, 9mm Pistol, Gore Shiv, and HE Grenade

As a Killing Floor 2 beginner, you may have trouble deciding which perk to pick upon starting a new game. The Survivalist can be your first choice as it's an "all-rounder" role. Your responsibility in the Zed-killing battlefield depends on the weapon you'll receive upon spawning into the map. That way, you can test and search for a particular perk that may suit your unique playstyle.

SWAT

• XP Objectives: Dealing SWAT weapon damage and killing Clots with SWAT weapons.
• Starting Loadout: MP7 SMG, 9mm Pistol, Tactical Knife, and FlashBang

Like the Firebug, the SWAT role is a good choice for players who prefer crowd-control tactics. This perk uses SMGs, which can help deplete the health of Zed groups. However, this weapon type doesn’t typically deal massive damage to hit enemies. Nonetheless, well-placed bullets from a SWAT’s SMG can still help take down even the largest Zed in the room.

Zeds

While not technically “zombies,” the Zeds are the main enemies of Killing Floor 2. These products are the results of sinister experiments and are also out for blood. The Zeds are also super-soldier clones with unique features and stats. So, here’s a quick glimpse at the Zeds you and your team will go up against in Killing Floor 2:

• Lesser Zeds: Cyst, Alpha Clot, Slasher, Stalker, Crawler, and Gorefast
• Medium Zeds: Bloat, Siren, Husk, and E.D.A.R. (and its variants)
• Large Zeds: Scrake, Fleshpound, and Quarter Pound
• Elite Zeds: Rioter, Crawler, and Gorefiend
• Bosses: Patriarch, Abomination, Matriarch, King Fleshpound, and Dr. Hans Volter

Official Maps

At the time of writing, Killing Floor 2 has 42 official maps, which are the following:

• Burning Paris
• Biotics Lab
• Outpost
• Volter Manor
• Catacombs
• Evacuation Point
• Farmhouse
• Black Forest
• Prison
• Containment Station
• Hostile Grounds
• Infernal Realm
• ZED Landing
• Nuked
• The Descent
• The Tragic Kingdom
• Nightmare
• Krampus Lair
• Powercore
• DieSector
• Lockdown
• Airship
• Monster Ball
• Shopping Spree
• Santa’s Workshop
• Spillway
• Steam Fortress
• Ashwood Asylum
• Sanitarium
• Biolapse
• Desolation
• Hellmark Station
• Elysium
• Dystopia 2029
• Moonbase
• Netherhold
• Carillon Hamlet
• Rig
• Barmwich Town
• Crash
• Subduction
• Castle Volter

Out of the maps mentioned above, Killing Floor 2 beginners may want to create or join games that are on specific maps. Some notable examples include Nuked, ZED Landing, and Outpost. In particular, Nuked and ZED Landing have wide-open spaces, reducing the chances of Zeds ganging up on you or your teammates. On the other hand, Outpost is a reasonably small map wherein you can divide your attention between the lanes to increase survivability.

Game Modes

Vanilla Killing Floor 2 has four game modes that are playable in solo or multiplayer settings. These game modes are the following:

• Survival Mode: Killing Floor 2’s signature game mode, wherein players must survive and defeat four to 11 Zed waves to win.
• Versus Mode: A score-based PVP mode wherein two teams must defeat Zeds. The team that kills the most Zeds and has the fewest casualties wins the match.
• Endless Mode: A variation of Survival Mode without the finite wave count. Players must aim to survive for as long as possible.
• Weekly Outbreaks: Special variations of Survival Mode with unique gameplay mechanics.

Afflictions

Also called incapacitations, afflictions are different methods to immobilize Zeds. These adverse effects stack, allowing Killing Floor 2 players to gain the upper hand while fending off hordes. Remember, some body parts of certain Zeds are more resistant to specific afflictions than others. If so, consider aiming at different body parts to increase the chances of afflicting these horrific clones with negative effects. The afflictions to take advantage of in Killing Floor 2 are the following:

• Knockdown: Knocks the Zed down to the ground. Note that the Zed isn’t dead yet while in this state.
• Stun: The afflicted Zed stands in place temporarily until it recovers.
• Stumble: Staggers a Zed backward, impeding its attacks and movements temporarily.
• Snare: Slows a Zed’s movement by 30%.
• Zed Panic: An affliction caused by ailments like Poison, Microwave, Fire, and EMP, canceling a Zed’s certain abilities.
• Freeze: Stop a Zed’s movement temporarily.
• Bleed: Makes the afflicted Zed more susceptible to other afflictions.
• Big Head: An exclusive affliction dealt by the HRG Head Hunter weapon, wherein the inflicted Zed’s head inflates.
• Shrink: Reduces a Zed’s size, which can ultimately kill it if this affliction stacks.

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