What Does Corruption Do?

This guide explains that Corruption in Horizon Zero Dawn causes enemies to attack anything in sight. Read on to learn more about what Corruption improves and how it helps in combat.

What Does Corruption Do?

Corruption is basically a status effect that causes enemies to become frenzied and attack humans and machines, whether friend or foe. This applies to both machine and human enemies, making Corruption Arrows extremely valuable in combat situations.

A single Corruption Arrow is enough to inflict smaller enemies with Corruption, but multiple Corruption Arrows will be needed when dealing with larger machines and elite human enemies. Corruption Arrows are crafted with x10 Ridge-Wood, x5 Metal Shards, and x2 Metalburn.

How Corruption Helps in Combat

Makes Fights With Multiple Enemies Easier

Inflicting Corruption on enemies allows you to turn enemies into allies in a fight. You can let them deal with other foes while you focus on bigger targets, or you can corrupt an enemy from afar as a distraction to avoid combat entirely.

The variety of tactics you can employ with Corruption makes this a great ammo type to have. It's particularly useful when there's a machine surrounded by human enemies. If you inflict Corruption on the machine, it should be able to take out a lot of the group, giving you a much easier time to clear out the rest.

List of Enemies

Improves War Bows

Corruption Arrows can only be used with War Bows. These bows aren't for dealing damage, but for firing elemental arrows at machines that cause different effects depending on the type of ammo used. By equipping modifications that improve your Corruption, it will take fewer arrows to corrupt an enemy.

Since this weapon can be used from afar, you can safely fire it at machines in groups and just watch as they start fighting each other.

List of War Bows

Horizon Zero Dawn Related Guides

Beginner's Guide: Tips and Tricks for Getting Started