The Viruses

Shared base stats

All viruses

Every virus starts with the same health, damage and fire rate as Influenza A. Instead of raw stats, the viruses are balanced through their skills, passives and ultimates.

• Same health, damage and fire rate for everyone
• Halovirus moves a bit faster than the rest
• Skills, not stats, make each virus feel different

Auto-attack

All viruses

Every virus fires on its own at the nearest cell it can see, leading moving targets. Catch a cell unaware and your shot lands as a much stronger ambush.

• Never shoots through tissue
• Sneak attacks on unaware cells hit far harder
• Only Influenza A changes shot type

Signature ability button

Early unlock

Each virus has its own signature button, SHIFT, LATENT, BLEED or VARIANT, which charges as you kill. It opens on a new save once you finish your first run.

• Every kill adds charge; the Mast Cell boss adds more
• Can't be reused while its effect is still running
• Antigenic Shift and Hemorrhage raise Detection; Latency lowers it

Ultimate button

Early unlock

Each virus has its own ultimate, which charges as you hit and kill cells. It opens on a new save after your second finished run, ready to turn a fight around.

• Charges from both hits and kills
• Takes a short break before charging again
• Using it makes the immune system notice you more

One lineage, four viruses

Progression

Your level, skill tree, Petri Lab and gear belong to the whole lineage, not one virus. The mutation a generation is born with decides which virus you play next.

• Only Infect Game Mode creates new generations and gives XP
• Core Lab upgrades carry over; each virus has its own branch
• Each virus has its own Victory and Dynasty challenges

Medicine by virus

Treatments

When the host gets treated, the drug it takes depends on which virus you are, from Tamiflu against Influenza A to an antibody infusion against Filovirus.

• Each virus faces its own drug and vaccine event
• Retrovirus meets PrEP instead of a Booster Shot
• Drug capsule clouds slow down your firing

Antigenic Drift

Passive

Every few seconds your shot type mutates at random into one of the other types. It keeps your attacks unpredictable and makes it harder for the immune system to adapt.

• Never repeats the type you just had
• The HUD shows the current type in its colour
• Beats memory B cells that resist your last shot

Standard Shot

Shot type

A plain green shot, and the type every run starts with. Simple and steady, it holds the line until your next mutation kicks in.

• Every run opens with this shot
• A plain green bolt with no special effect

Piercing Shot

Shot type

A blue shot that passes straight through cells and keeps going, so one bolt can hit several enemies lined up behind each other.

• Punches through extra cells on every hit
• Neuraminidase Cleave in the Lab adds more pierce

Splitting Shot

Shot type

A yellow shot that breaks in two when it hits, sending smaller shards flying off at an angle to catch the cells beside your target.

• Shards fly off to either side on impact
• Shards deal less damage and don't split again

Explosive Shot

Shot type

A bigger red shot that bursts on impact, splashing damage onto nearby cells and cracking armor faster than any other type.

• Splash damage hits cells around the target
• Great against Adenovirus and armored elites

Antigenic Shift

Signature · SHIFT

Fires a full ring of bolts in every mutation at once, then sends you into a burst of rapid fire where each shot is a random type.

• A ring of mixed bolts hits in every direction
• Your fire rate surges for a while afterwards
• It's loud, so Detection rises

Pandemic

Ultimate

A viral wave rolls out and damages every cell nearby. Anything that survives is infected and keeps burning for a few seconds afterwards.

• Hits every cell in a wide radius
• Survivors keep burning from the infection
• Lab upgrades let infection spread when cells die

Influenza A Lab branch

Petri Lab

Influenza A's own Petri Lab upgrades, built around its mutations, Antigenic Shift and Pandemic. Make shots drift sooner, Shift fire more bolts and infections linger longer.

• Rapid Drift makes shots mutate sooner
• Pandemic Reach and Viral Shedding widen and recharge the wave
• Superspreader passes infection on when cells die

Viral Reservoir

Passive

Cells killed by your auto-attack shots are stored in a reservoir, waiting to be released as allies by Integration Surge. The HUD tells you when it's full.

• Only kills by your own shots count
• Bosses, Killer T cells and summons are never stored
• Integrase Efficiency lets you store more cells

Charged Start

Passive

Every run begins with Integration Surge already charged and a reservoir full of random immune cells, so you can open the run with an army at your side.

• The starting reservoir always includes a macrophage
• Other charged-start effects bank extra Surges

Immune Hunter

Passive

Built to infect immune cells, Retrovirus tears into the big ones. Every kind of damage you deal to bosses and Killer T cells hits harder.

• Works on every kind of damage you deal
• Bosses and Killer T cells take bonus damage

Integration Surge

Ultimate

Releases every cell in your reservoir as an ally beside you, while a blast hits every hostile cell nearby. Even with an empty reservoir, the immune system turns on itself.

• Heavy damage to everything in range
• Stored cells return to fight for a while
• Cytopathic Burst in the Lab makes the blast stronger

Captured Allies

Allies

Released cells wear your green colour and hunt down the nearest hostile cell, striking whatever they touch until their time runs out.

• Most captured cells are hard-hitting strikers
• Lab upgrades keep them fighting longer
• Syncytia makes allies explode when they expire

Guardian Macrophage

Tank ally

A captured macrophage is your tank. It guards you and taunts nearby cells into fighting it instead, then dashes back to stand between you and any threat.

• Taunts groups of cells away from you
• Never taunts bosses or Killer T cells
• Rushes back to shield you when danger closes in

Kamikazes

Gut milestone

From the Gut on, every cell your shots kill adds a kamikaze to a store. When it fills up, they all burst out, rush the nearest cells and explode.

• The HUD tracks the store and says when they're ready
• Each one explodes on contact for heavy damage
• Blasts grow with your ally damage milestones

Latency

Signature · LATENT

Go dormant for a few seconds. Nothing can find or hurt you, Detection drops sharply, and pulses wither every cell around you, bosses included.

• Hunting cells lose your trail
• You can't fire while latent
• Deep Latency in the Lab stretches it longer

Retrovirus Lab branch

Petri Lab

Retrovirus's own Petri Lab upgrades, focused on its reservoir, its allies and its Surge. Store more cells, keep allies fighting longer and make the Surge hit harder.

• Syncytia turns expiring allies into explosions
• Provirus keeps Surge allies until the room is cleared
• Deep Latency stretches your time hidden

Bleeding Hits

Passive

Any of your hits can make a cell bleed, dealing damage over time on top of your shots. A stronger bleed always replaces a weaker one.

• Bleeds keep hurting cells after your shot lands
• Hemorrhagic Strain in the Lab raises the bleed chance

Bleed-out Feeding

Passive

Filovirus feeds on cells that bleed out. Every time a bleeding cell dies you heal a little, so keeping lots of cells bleeding keeps you alive.

• Heals you whenever a bleeding cell dies
• Rewards spreading bleeds across a crowd

Hemorrhage

Signature · BLEED

Every cell nearby starts bleeding heavily and hits you softer for a few seconds, turning a dangerous crowd into one that is slowly falling apart.

• Bled cells deal less damage, by contact and shots
• Vascular Leak in the Lab extends its reach
• Raises Detection, so pick your moment

Viral Hemorrhage

Ultimate

Every cell nearby loses a big chunk of its current health and is left bleeding out, while you heal a solid share of your own.

• Bosses and Killer T cells lose a smaller chunk
• Survivors keep bleeding afterwards
• Heals you on every use

Filovirus Lab branch

Petri Lab

Filovirus's own Petri Lab upgrades. Raise your bleed chance, make bleeding hurt more, and push Hemorrhage and Viral Hemorrhage farther and faster.

• Coagulopathy and Hemorrhagic Fever make bleeding deadlier
• Viral Bloom charges your ultimate faster

Asymptomatic

Passive

The immune system is slow to notice you, so Detection rises more slowly than with other viruses, letting you spread for longer before the host takes notice.

• Detection climbs slower all run long
• Lab upgrades make you even harder to spot

Spike Volley

Passive

Every few shots, a fan of spike shots flies out on either side of your normal shot. The Swarm form and its surge make volleys come much more often.

• Extra spikes fan out around your main shot
• Furin Cleavage in the Lab fires volleys sooner

Infected Bursts

Passive

Infected cells pass the infection on to their neighbours and burst when they die, so a single infection can ripple through a whole group.

• Dying infected cells infect the cells around them
• The infection burns cells over time

Variant Surge

Signature · VARIANT

A fitter variant takes over. You move to the next form with a big boost for a few seconds, then keep a smaller boost until your next surge.

• Always goes Swarm, Fury, Ghost, then back again
• Doesn't raise Detection
• The button takes on your current form's colour

Swarm

Variant form

The spreading variant, shown in gold. In Swarm form your spike volleys come sooner, and during its surge every single shot fires a volley.

• Runs start in Swarm form
• The surge turns every shot into a volley

Fury

Variant form

The virulent variant, shown in red-orange. Fury form makes your shots hit harder, and its surge pushes your damage up much further for a few seconds.

• Steady damage boost while in this form
• A huge damage spike during the surge

Ghost

Variant form

The immune-escape variant, shown in ice blue. Ghost form makes you faster and tougher, and its surge lets you break past the usual speed cap while shrugging off hits.

• Faster movement and less damage taken
• The surge breaks past the normal speed cap

Superspreader Event

Ultimate

A mass gathering. Ordinary cells nearby are pulled together into one crowd, then hit, infected and left exposed, ready to spread the outbreak.

• Bosses and Killer T cells stay where they are
• The crowd always forms at a safe distance
• Super-spreading Reach in the Lab widens the pull

Outbreak Chain

Ultimate

Each exposed cell that dies bursts into an aerosol that hits, infects and exposes its neighbours, so one kill can sweep through the whole crowd.

• Every burst keeps the chain going
• Long chains get called out on screen
• Even bosses take a hit from the aerosols

Halovirus Lab branch

Petri Lab

Halovirus's own Petri Lab upgrades. Fire volleys sooner, hold variant surges longer, stay under the immune system's radar, and widen and recharge the Superspreader Event.

• Variant of Concern stretches each surge
• Immune Escape keeps Detection even lower

Milestones count from the deepest organ your whole lineage has reached in Infect Game Mode, whichever virus got there. They switch on mid-run the moment you first arrive.

• A banner announces when your virus adapts
• Only Infect Game Mode unlocks new milestones
• Influenza A has no milestones

Retrovirus: Lymph Node

Ally boost

Reaching the Lymph Node makes Retrovirus's captured cells hit harder and take more punishment, so your released allies stay useful in every organ and game mode.

• Allies deal more damage
• Allies hold up longer in fights

Retrovirus: Gut

Kamikaze unlock

At the Gut, captured cells get a little stronger and tougher, and every cell your shots kill starts adding a kamikaze to a store that bursts out when full.

• Unlocks the kamikaze store
• A small boost to ally damage and toughness

Retrovirus: Liver

Big boost

The Liver is a big step up for Retrovirus. Captured cells become much stronger and tougher, and both Latency and Integration Surge hit far harder.

• A major jump in ally damage and toughness
• Latency pulses and Surge blasts hit much harder

Retrovirus: Brain

Final adaptation

Reaching the Brain pushes everything further. Captured cells grow far stronger and tougher again, and Latency and Integration Surge hit harder still, stacking with the Liver bonus.

• Allies become massively stronger and tougher
• Stacks with the Liver bonus for huge Surges
• All Retrovirus milestones combine into a fearsome ally army

Filovirus: Lungs

Ability boost

Filovirus adapts early. Once your lineage reaches the Lungs, its bleeds, Hemorrhage and Viral Hemorrhage all hit much harder, in every organ and game mode.

• Every Filovirus ability hits much harder
• Arrives early in the host

Filovirus: Bloodstream

Ability boost

In the Bloodstream, bleeds, Hemorrhage and Viral Hemorrhage grow stronger again, and every cell you have bleeding now deals less damage, not just the ones Hemorrhage hit.

• Stacks on top of the Lungs bonus
• Any bleeding cell is weakened

Filovirus: Gut

Bleed boost

At the Gut, all bleeding gets a little stronger, and cells caught by Hemorrhage are weakened even further, so crowds hurt you less.

• Bleeds get a small damage boost
• Hemorrhage weakens cells a bit more

Halovirus: Lymph Node

Ability boost

Halovirus's first big adaptation arrives at the Lymph Node. From then on, its infection, spike volleys, outbreaks and ultimate all hit much harder, in every organ.

• Every Halovirus ability hits much harder
• Applies in every organ and game mode

Halovirus: Gut

Volley boost

At the Gut, Halovirus sharpens its kit. Spike volleys deal a bit more damage, and the Fury surge pushes your damage even higher than before.

• Spike volleys hit a little harder
• The Fury surge gets stronger

Halovirus: Bone Marrow

Ability boost

Deep in the Bone Marrow, Halovirus adapts again. Infection, spike volleys, outbreaks and the ultimate all hit much harder, stacking with the Lymph Node bonus.

• Another big boost to every ability
• Multiplies with earlier milestones

Halovirus: Brain

Final adaptation

The Brain brings Halovirus's biggest adaptation. Infection, spike volleys, outbreaks and the ultimate hit harder than ever, combining with the earlier milestones into a huge total boost.

• The strongest single Halovirus milestone
• Combines with the Lymph Node and Bone Marrow bonuses

Unlocking by level

Level unlocks

New viruses open as your lineage levels up with XP from Infect Game Mode runs. Influenza A is there from the start, then come Retrovirus, Halovirus and finally Filovirus.

• A newly opened virus always appears in your next offer
• Once offered or played, a virus stays open

How jumps are offered

Mutation offers

Each set of mutation offers has a chance to include a jump to another virus you've unlocked. The first offer always keeps your current virus, so you can stay put.

• A parent's mutation can come back to stack
• Abandoned runs and Pandemic or Endless Game Mode runs make no generation

Segment Reassortment

Jump mutation

The jump mutation that turns your lineage into Influenza A, with a damage boost as a bonus. Inherit it again in later generations and the boost grows.

• Becomes Influenza A
• Extra damage that grows when stacked

Reverse Transcriptase Capture

Jump mutation

The jump mutation that turns your lineage into Retrovirus, with extra max health as a bonus. Inherit it again in a row and the health boost grows.

• Becomes Retrovirus
• Extra max health that grows when stacked

Filovirus Spillover

Jump mutation

The jump mutation that turns your lineage into Filovirus, with the biggest health boost of any jump. Keep inheriting it and that boost grows further.

• Becomes Filovirus
• Extra max health that grows when stacked

Spike Recombination

Jump mutation

The jump mutation that turns your lineage into Halovirus, with a bonus to move speed. Inherit it generation after generation and you get faster still.

• Becomes Halovirus
• Extra move speed that grows when stacked

Family Tree

Lineage

The Family Tree shows one lane per virus, with every generation your lineage has been. Each generation gets a flu-style name and glows with its mutation.

• Locked lanes show what it takes to open them
• Generations get names like real flu strains
• Inherited mutations grow a bigger corona and more particles

Rhinovirus

Fast rival

The common cold: a small, fast blue icosahedron that darts around you, circling at range and firing spreads of tiny virions that come faster each generation.

• Keeps its distance and circles you
• Flees faster than you can run
• The smallest rival, spinning fast

Norovirus

Slow rival

The winter vomiting bug: a slow, cup-dimpled yellow-green sphere that lumbers after you, splattering sticky pools and rings of slowing droplets.

• Sticky clot pools slow you heavily
• Fires full rings of slowing droplets
• The Plasminogen Activator gene cancels its clot pools

Adenovirus

Armored rival

The armoured icosahedron: a slow purple shell bristling with fibers that it fires in rotating crosses. Crack its armor before you can wear down its health.

• The biggest rival, with the hardest contact hit
• Explosive damage cracks its armor faster
• Its cross of fibers rotates every volley

When rivals appear

Unlocks later

Once your lineage reaches the rival unlock level, a rival can show up after you clear a combat room. Each one rolls a random tier, from Common up to Legendary.

• Your first rival is always a Common
• Only one rival is active per run at a time
• Its health shows in the top bar

Fleeing and the chase

Behaviour

Sometimes, and always once it's badly hurt, a rival stops attacking and makes a run for the nearest door. Follow it quickly and you can corner it.

• It hides in the next room if it gets through
• Catch up and it's cornered, still wounded
• Leave it behind and it gets away

Returning stronger

Behaviour

An escaped rival replicates somewhere else in the host and can return after a later fight, one tier higher and one generation stronger, with a bigger bounty.

• Can climb all the way to Prismatic
• Each generation is tougher, bigger and shoots more
• Gains an extra rotating halo each time

Rival bounty

Loot

Defeating a rival claims its share of the host: nucleotides, materials, gear and more. Higher tiers and older generations pay out far better.

• Gear rarity starts at the rival's tier
• Older rivals drop a second piece of gear
• A rare chance at a Dormant Virion extra life

Rival Pheromone

Run modifier

A loot run modifier that makes rival viruses show up much more often, at the cost of cells hitting you a bit harder.

• More rivals means more bounties
• Pairs with Scavenger to form Hunting Season

Cruise Ship Cluster

Singapore policy

A Singapore policy in Pandemic Game Mode: a Norovirus rival waits in every organ, and none of the rivals can flee. Beat them for normal loot.

• A guaranteed Norovirus fight in each organ
• Rivals can't run away

Ruby Princess Docks

Sydney policy

A Sydney policy in Pandemic Game Mode: rival viruses turn up far more often and roll a rarer tier, which means better loot when you beat them.

• Rivals appear much more often
• Every rival rolls one tier rarer

Rival challenges

Challenges

Challenges for rival hunters, from Competition and Apex Strain to Only One Survives, plus a Rival and Nemesis challenge for each species.

• Defeat more and more rivals to climb the ranks
• Rival and Nemesis challenges for each species
• Evolved Rival and Ancient Rival reward beating old generations