The Survivor

Follow this guide to complete 'The Survivor' side quest in Horizon Zero Dawn. Help Aloy find two missing hunters and face dangerous machines.

Alright, let's get this side quest, 'The Survivor,' sorted out. We need to head northeast to a place called Keener's Rock. You'll spot it on the map as a small hut with a campfire nearby. It's pretty close to the Hunting Grounds, so just make your way there. As you get close to the settlement, the green marker for the quest should pop up on your map.

Once you're at Keener's Rock, find the Chieftain of the White Teeth werak. Chatting with him will clue you in on the trials the Banuk hunters are going through. Basically, they have to spend four days and nights out in the freezing mountains, and if they don't make it back, they're left behind. They're not supposed to help each other out, which is pretty harsh.

The Chieftain will mention that two hunters haven't returned, and his people aren't going to look for them. This is where Aloy steps in! Activate the quest from your menu and follow the waypoint. It's not a super long trek, so you can probably just hoof it there pretty quickly.

You'll eventually reach a zipwire overlooking a valley with some machines. One of the missing hunters is down there fighting them. Head down and lend her a hand – you'll need to take out a few Watchers and some Lancehorns. After you've dealt with them, a cutscene will play, but it's cut short by an ambush from some Scrappers!

During this fight, a couple of Glinthawks will join the party, so keep an eye out for them. Once all the machines are down, head back to the hunter, Ikrie. She'll explain that the other missing hunter, Mailen, is injured and refusing help, but Ikrie doesn't want to leave her. After that chat, follow Ikrie to Mailen's location.

When you get there, you'll find Mailen is surrounded by three Longlegs. Take them out, but be ready, because some Scrappers will show up to join the fight. After you've dealt with all of them, brace yourself – a Scorcher is about to make an appearance.

Once you've finally defeated the Scorcher, you can head back to Ikrie and Mailen. A cutscene will trigger where Aloy tries to help, but Mailen is sticking to the Banuk traditions and is pretty stubborn. Mailen will head back to Keener's Rock on her own, and Ikrie decides to stay behind for now.

Your last step is to return to the White Teeth Chieftain at Keener's Rock to officially wrap up the quest.