Just as the survivors have gained a number of significant buffs in TAO, so too have the infected. Each type of infected has taken on a new role, with reworked stats and new mechanics to help give them an edge over the survivors.

What they lack in strength, the common infected more than make up for it with sheer force of numbers. Horde sizes are greatly increased, as are the number of wandering common infected that will populate each new area the survivors enter. The commons are also faster and much more alert, able to spot survivors at a distance and immediately start running to close the distance. Stealth is no longer an option, as entering a new part of the map will cause every common infected nearby to rush the survivors. Their one saving grace is that being hit by a common infected doesn't slow the survivors down nearly as much; this means that lone commons aren't much of an annoyance, but a horde still has the mass to trap and overwhelm a survivor.

Role: Applying constant pressure and dealing chip damage to the survivors, as well as forcing them to burn through their ammo so that the special infected have an easier time attacking.


Silent and extremely fast, Hunters are a huge threat to any stragglers who stray too far from their team. Hunters behave differently in TAO, and will set up for an ambush ahead of time and lie in wait for the survivors. They also won't make any noise until they start attacking, punishing survivors who don't pay careful attention to their surroundings. Hunters also have one final trick up their sleeves; if the survivors are sticking too close together, they can pounce on one survivor to stagger all the others nearby.

Role: An ambush attacker who excels at eliminating lone survivors or finishing off incapacitated players, Hunters can attack unexpectedly to catch distracted players off guard.


Much like the common infected, Boomers are fast and aggressive. They'll rush the survivors head on, taking a few more hits than usual thanks to their increased health. Their vomit ability in particular is much more effective; Boomers won't wait as long before using it, and the vomit travels further and moves faster through the air, making it harder to avoid even at a distance. Combined with the larger horde sizes in TAO, Boomers excel at causing chaos for unprepared teams.

Role: Disorienting the survivors and causing panic by attracting common infected, giving the other specials a prime opportunity to strike.


When the survivors are moving too quickly, Smokers can bring them to a halt. A faster movement speed lets them reposition quickly and get in range; although Smokers can't use their tongue from as far away, they can use it with very little delay. The tongue is also highly resistant to bullets, making it harder to free a trapped survivor from a distance if the Smoker can't be killed. Its most useful ability however is that the tongue will hold a survivor in place briefly even after they've been freed, making them easy prey for the other infected.

Role: Reposition the survivors and trap them in place to set up combo opportunities with other infected and give commons a chance at some easy damage.


Highly mobile and difficult to hit, Jockeys move quickly and jump constantly. They excel at rushing the survivors when they're distracted, a role complemented by their increased movement speed while airborne. This makes it easier for Jockeys to grab hold of a survivor, and whilst they can't steer a survivor quite as well as in vanilla they can still get plenty of damage in.

Role: An agile striker who can slip through gaps in the survivors defenses to dish out damage and move a pinned survivor into danger.


Being reworked into a tough, melee brawler, the Charger has undergone some of the most drastic changes of any infected. A health buff gives it extra time to fight the survivors in melee combat. The charge ability has been completely changed: the Charger can still knock over and carry survivors, but can't pin them. A grabbed survivor will be dropped at the end of the Charge, giving the Charger the chance to punch them as they recover. They can also charge more often, and the impact deals damage in a larger area.

Role: Serves as a protective wall for the other infected, charging to get in close to the survivors and stagger them while its high health pool buys it time to get some melee hits in on its target.

Much like the goo they spit, Spitters become more dangerous the longer they're alive. Although they're now slower and can't attack from as far away, they have increased health and will spit much more frequently, blanketing a large area if they aren't prioritized. Incapped survivors are particularly vulnerable, as the spit will melt through their temporary health in seconds. When the survivors are trapped in place and overwhelmed, Spitters can be lethal if they aren't dealt with quickly.

Role: Area denial and finishing off incapacitated survivors, as well as applying significant pressure during horde events.

Receiving various buffs across the board, Tanks are now rightfully threatening. They're more resistant to miniguns, fire, auto shotguns and explosives, and move just as fast as the survivors. In melee combat, they can recover from a missed swing faster and can reach slightly further. They'll also prioritize melee combat over rock throws, though the rock projectiles are now much faster and harder to dodge. Similarly, punched physics objects will be thrown a lot faster, making even smaller objects like dumpsters a lethal obstacle in close quarters combat.

Role: Taking and dealing massive amounts of damage, and demanding an immediate response from the survivors.

Being much less threatening in game than in the trailer, the Witch has been redesigned from top to bottom, with a focus on punishing mistakes made by the survivors. With no music or light glow, her crying is the only indication of her presence. She has extra health, and can no longer be crowned in a single shot, but moves slower and requires multiple hits to down a full health survivor. The biggest difference however is that she'll now be properly angered by flashlights. If any nearby survivors have their lights on, she'll get mad in seconds and target whoever's nearest, which can be particularly dangerous if she catches you off guard.

Role: Punishing careless survivors and creating panic by rushing in to deal heavy damage.