KF2 Basic Guide for New Players: Perks, Waves and ZEDs

This beginner guide was written for people who have just bought Killing Floor 2 or are thinking about it. It keeps a light tone but covers the foundations. The perk descriptions describe the seven perks available when it was written (the author later joked that the promised three extra perks arrived late); for the current list see the perks overview.

The game in a nutshell

Killing Floor 2 is a cooperative, wave-based game. You and your teammates fight a set number of ZEDs, earn money and spend it between waves on ammo, new weapons and armor. At the end the team must beat a randomly chosen boss. When the guide was written there were two bosses: the Patriarch and Hans Volter.

A wave-based cooperative fight.

The perks

Every perk starts a game with a knife, a 9mm pistol, two perk-specific grenades (Molotovs for fire perks, healing grenades for the medic and so on), a perk-specific primary weapon and a healing syringe. Perks start at level 0 and gain stats as you earn experience from kills, up to level 25.

Perk icons on the Killing Floor 2 background.

• Berserker: melee tank. Increased movement speed, damage resistance and night vision. Often the first to kill, not the first to die.
• Field Medic: heals teammates with syringes and healing darts fired from his weapons. Also gets more speed and armor. His primary job is to keep everyone alive.
• Commando: rifles with full-auto and semi-auto modes. Sees cloaked enemies and their remaining health, and has night vision and bonus health.
• Firebug: fire weapons, best against groups. Gets fire resistance (to both your own and enemy fire) and faster reloads.
• Support: shotguns (double-barrel, pump-action, auto). Welds doors better, throws stronger grenades and gains bullet penetration with levels.
• Demolitionist: explosives such as the RPG-7, great against crowds. Explosive resistance and extra explosive ammo.
• Gunslinger: pistols and revolvers, focused on headshots, able to stumble big ZEDs with the right pistol. Bullet resistance, extra speed and reduced recoil.

The waves

There are three game lengths: four, seven or ten waves. Money per wave depends on length and difficulty. In a four-wave match you face fewer ZEDs but each kill pays slightly more, so you can always restock. A four-wave match is a good quick session if you still want experience and the boss.

Between waves you have a timed break shown in the upper left corner. Use it to look for ammo and weapons and above all to go to the trader. After a wave ends a glowing arrow points to where the trader is, so follow it.

The timer in the upper left and the trader arrow.

The number of ZEDs depends on player count and difficulty, so more teammates means more ZEDs. When a wave starts a counter shows how many are left. When only five remain, they become enraged and charge the remaining players, so do not let big ZEDs be among the final five.

The remaining-ZED counter during a wave.

What is a ZED?

Not zombies. The name "ZED" comes from the British pronunciation of the letter Z, and the Z stands for zombies, but they are in fact failed attempts of secret government research. They are all clones: the Clot is the base and the others branch from it after further experiments. The exceptions are the Bloat and the bosses. The guide does not list them one by one because other guides cover that; see the bestiary and the newcomer guide to classes, etiquette and bestiary.

A group of ZEDs.

Why it was written

The author, writing their first guide, remembered struggling to find a simple introduction and wanted to bring more people to Killing Floor 2.