There are various factors that make Days Gone stand out. But, what fans anticipated most was definitely all the hordes. Ever since people got to experience the Old Sawmill horde in the gameplay demo of the game showcased at E3 back in 2016, everyone was very eager to be able to go face to face against them in-game.
Days Gone sure didn't disappoint when it was revealed that there would be a total of 40 hordes to takedown as part of the Horde Killer storyline. It even becomes possible, after update 1.60, to reset all hordes and jobs so fans could redo them as many times as they wished. Bend Studio also released free DLC for the game with a few horde-related challenges for gamers that felt like they needed an extra level of difficulty.
Updated on October 20, 2021 by Ashely Claudino: Days Gone's map is huge and its Freaker-filled world is quite dangerous. However, there are areas that are definitely more intimidating and require more caution when approached. The southern region of the map is absolutely riddled with hordes of Freakers and there are nests all over the place. Consequently, Deacon must carefully pick which hordes to clear out first to avoid being overwhelmed. We've updated this guide to give players some pointers on how they should approach the region and which hordes they should be on the lookout for when riding around the Highway 97 region of the game.
All Highway 97 Horde Locations
There is a total of 13 hordes in the Highway 97 region. This is the region of the map with the most amount of hordes. It is quite dangerous to wander around without clearing them out beforehand, especially since they are all large hordes.
Follow our guide and we'll let you know exactly where to find each and everyone one of the hordes in the region.
#1 - Beaver Marsh Rest Stop Horde
- Horde size - 130 Swarmers
You will find the Beaver Marsh Rest Stop horde south of the Santiam Tunnel Nero Checkpoint and east of the Cascade Lakes Railway Ambush Camp.
#2 - Mt. Scott Ski Resort Horde
- Horde size - 125 Swarmers
If you've already found the first horde you won't have any trouble finding this next one. Head east of Beaver Marsh Rest Stop horde and you'll come across the Mt. Scott Ski Resort horde.
#3 - Sagebrush Point Horde
- Horde size - 125 Swarmers
To find this horde go to the snowy part on the northeastern corner of the Highway 97 region.
#4 - Beasley Lake Horde
- Horde size - 125 Swarmers
Also on the northeastern corner of the region's map, you encounter the Beasley Lake horde near the Sagebrush Point horde, simply go slightly further east.
#5 - Cascade Lakes Rail Line Horde
- Horde size - 125 Swarmers
During the day, the horde rests inside a cave, across the small river, north of Chemul gas station.
#6 - Chemult Station Horde
- Horde size - 125 Swarmers
The Chemult Station horde game's main story, therefore it is required that you defeat the horde. During the game's campaign, the horde actually contains 300 Swarmers, opposed to the 125 Swarmers it'll contain if you face it any other time. You can encounter the horde by going to Chemult Station.
#7 - Groose Gardens Horde
- Horde size - 125 Swarmers
There is a large house south of Chemult Station. The horde rests there during the day.
#8 - Chemult Community College Horde
- Horde size - 125 Swarmers
Due to the infestation zone near the horde, it can be extremely difficult to take the horde down without planning ahead or clearing the nests beforehand. The horde is at Chemult Community College, beside the Nero checkpoint.
#9 - Rum Rye Gulch Horde
- Horde size - 125 Swarmers
During the day, the horde rests inside a cave, south of Chemult Community College.
#10 - Juniper Ridge Horde
- Horde size - 125 Swarmers
Further down west, on the same dirt road where you found the Rum Rye Gulch horde, is where you'll find the Juniper Ridge Horde.
#11 - Friendship Ridge Horde
- Horde size - 125 Swarmers
The horde is inside a warehouse, northwest of the Bare Bay Ambush Camp.
#12 - Lobert Draw Ridge Horde
- Horde size - 300 Swarmers
If you've completed the Pillette Bridge Nero Checkpoint, fast-travel to the location, the horde is very close by, just south of the checkpoint.
#13 - Solomon Hill Horde
- Horde size - 125 Swarmers
This last horde is close to the Rimview Ranch horde, it can be found north of the Aspen Butte Ambush Camp.
How To Encounter These Hordes
Highway 97 is without a doubt the most dangerous region in Days Gone so it's important that players think before they act here. There are some hordes that should be tackled first to make it a little bit easier.
Firstly, taking down the smaller hordes located in quieter areas is the key to success. This way players will gain trust with the camps on the southern part of the map and unlock better weapons to defeat the more complicated hordes in the game later.
Rum Rye Gulch horde and Juniper Ridge horde are extremely close together so when fighting it's important that players are careful regarding which direction they're running because they don't want to accidentally merge them together.
Chemult Community College horde isn't bigger in size however it is right in the middle of an infestation zone and that can turn ugly very fast. Players can wait for nightfall and for them to move to another area and take care of it then, however, since Freakers also come out of their nests at night, they might merge with the horde or come after Deacon. A good way to take care of the nests is to drive by and throw a Molotov cocktail and then race away. This way you don't have to deal with the horde and the Freakers will also start scattering around the area before it's time for the big fight.
Days Gone is currently available on PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows.