Dead Island 2 has all sorts of wondrously horrifying weapons for players to use in their Zombie-slaying adventures across Hell-A. There are weapons meant for Maiming, ones for Headhunting, Frenzy weapons that excel in Attack Speed, and even weapons that Bulldoze through groups of the undead.
But, many players are sleeping on Curveballs, as these things are exceedingly useful, especially for quickly inflicting Status Effects/Ailments later on in the game. There are 13 unique Curveballs that players can collect in Dead Island 2, and all of them do something entirely different from the rest, so let's go over where each one is found in-game.
All Curveball Locations
While at first, it may seem like most of the Curveballs in Dead Island 2 are naturally obtained as players go through the Story Quests, as this is how the Shuriken, Chem Bomb, Pipe Bomb, Electric Star, and Molotov Cocktail are obtained, that's not entirely true. Many of the Curveballs are specifically only rewarded as prizes for completing certain Side Quests or only appear at specific Trader NPCs after some prerequisite has been completed.
So, without further ado, let's go over every Curveball, what each one does, and where it's located, in the order that players are most likely to find them:
Curveball Name | Effect | Location |
|---|---|---|
Meat Bait | Explodes on Contact into a pile of blood and meat. Lures basic Zombies such as Shamblers, Runners, and Walkers. | In Bel-Air, the NPC Trader Carlos offers this for free as soon as his shop is accessible. |
Shuriken | Throws three Shurikens, with each one, on Contact, dealing Physical Damage. | After the loading screen into the Halperin Hotel region of the map, Shuriken will be sticking out of a car directly in front of the player, with a Zombie carcass directly below it. |
Chem Bomb | A Contact explosive that immediately Extinguishes Flames, and inflicts Traumatized and Soggy Ailments on all Zombies in AoE. | On the way to the third floor of Halperin Hotel to eventually fight Becki the Bride, players will crouch underneath a tunnel of luggage before encountering a hallway with fire blocking off a portion of it. Chem Bomb should be on the ground right after the tunnel. |
Pipe Bomb | Timed Trigger explosive that deals damage to all in AoE. | At the checkpoint leading from Beverly Hills to Monarch Studios in an open orange case on the left. |
Electric Star | Shuriken with electronics strapped onto it that deals Shock Damage on Contact and inflicts the Electrified Ailment. | After finishing Michael Anders and the Holy Grail Story Quest in Monarch Studios and heading to Beverly Hills from this exit, the Electric Star will be stuck into the Danger Warning poster on the gate leading into the Water Treatment Plant. Alternatively, if players miss it here, it will also be bought from the same NPC as the Flashbang Curveball for $1,500. |
Molotov Cocktail | Alcohol bottle filled with fuel and a flaming rag as a 'wick'. Shatters on Contact flinging flaming fuel everywhere in AoE. Deals Fire Damage and inflicts the Ignited Ailment. | Found in Brentwood Sewers at the top of the stairs on a table right before entering the Filtration Access and Servicing Room office (will be labeled on map). |
Caustic-X Bomb | An explosive device on Timed Trigger that flings Caustic-X chemical in AoE on explosion, dealing Caustic Damage and the Melting Ailment to all Zombies in AoE. | Reward from completing The Rav-ages of Caustix X Side Quest in Halperin Hotel. |
Sticky Bomb | Explosive Device with a Proximity Trigger that Sticks to whatever it first makes Contact with before exploding (if Zombies are near) or after a long delay if nothing has triggered it in that time period. | Purchasable from NPC Trader Dougie at Serling Hotel in Ocean Avenue for $1,500. |
Military Grenade | Contact explosive that deals high damage on contact in AoE explosion radius. | Automatically gained as a reward from Boz Makes a Bang Side Quest in Monarch Studios. Warning: Must have completed The Rav-ages of Caustic-X Side Quest before this becomes available. |
Flashbang | Military Flashbang on a Timed Trigger that inflicts the Traumatized Ailment on all Zombies in AoE. All those in the center of the blast (excluding Apex Zombies) will also be Counterable as well. | Finish the Cremains of the Day Side Quest in Venice Beach (in the Military Compound where Rodriguez is found) then buy from NPC Trader W.O. Rodriguez for $2,500. |
Nail Bomb | Explosive on a Timed Trigger that's filled with shrapnel. Explodes outward with shrapnel, dealing Bleed Damage to all Zombies in AoE and inflicting the Bleeding Ailment as well. | Found on the dresser near the front door of the only accessible apartment on the second floor of the Thalia Residences on Ocean Avenue (AKA where the 'Mushroom Club' group members are encountered). |
Bait Bomb | Explosive on Timed Trigger inside a jar filled with Bait. Initial Contact serves the same purpose as Meat Bait, Luring all nearby basic Zombies. Then, after a short delay, the explosive in the middle of the meat puddle will Explode. | Purchasable from NPC Trader Dougie at Serling Hotel in Ocean Avenue for $3,500. Warning: Only appears in Dougie's shop after completing the 21st Story Quest, The Search for Truth. |
Electric Bomb | Electrical Contact explosive that deals Shock Damage and inflicts the Electrified Ailment to all Zombies in AoE. | Obtained from Jo's Secret Stash in Venice Beach AKA at the end of Jo's Rainy Day Stash Lost & Found Side Quest. |
Dead Island 2 is now available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.