Rejoice, zombie fans: Dying Light 2 is finally here. The follow-up to developer Techland’s 2015 Dying Light, this game once again merges the undead and parkour. Set in the fictional European city of Villedor, players assume the role of Aiden Caldwell, a member of an outcast group called the Pilgrims. Throughout your journey, you will encounter a number of different factions vying for control of the city. Unsurprisingly, you can choose to support one or the other, with your actions determining how Villedor evolves throughout the campaign.
While you will spend a lot of time running through the city, eventually you’ll need to actually fight some infected or bandits. Unlike the previous game, firearms are more or less non-existent — so if you want to deal ranged damage, you’ll need to get a bow.
Here’s a guide on how you can nab a bow in Dying Light 2 and unlock the blueprint to craft arrows.
How to Get a Bow
Before we begin, it should be noted I haven’t explored everything in the first half of Dying Light 2, so it’s possible you can get one earlier. However, this is the first time I noticed one during my playthrough. The bow first appeared for purchase in the Bazaar after I reached Survivor Rank 3. Upon hitting this rank, the vendor in the church started selling the Sport Bow for several hundred coins. While this weapon won’t instantly kill most enemies, it’s terrific for thinning a horde of infected or taking down slower, more troublesome human adversaries.
If you don’t see the Sport Bow being sold, I recommend checking other vendors in Old Villedor and advancing time to refresh vendors by sleeping. Once you purchase a bow, there’s a very high chance you won’t have any arrows or the ability to buy normal ammo. You can sometimes find the fire or shock arrow blueprints for purchase from a Craftmaster, but the normal arrow blueprint is a little trickier.
How to Get the Arrow Blueprint
As for the arrow blueprint, you will earn this after completing the story mission “Let’s Waltz.” This is a story mission that appears to be unmissable regardless of what choices you make in Old Villedor. Not only will this give a proper introduction to the primary antagonist, Waltz, but you’ll also meet up with a key character I won’t spoil here. If you are solely doing story missions, this should take around eight to 10 hours to reach, depending on your skill level and the difficulty. Upon completing the mission, you will earn the arrow blueprint, which allows you to craft 10 arrows at a time for one feather and 10 scrap. You will also get 50 free arrows, so don’t worry about crafting any right away.
If you are struggling to deal damage with these bows, consider equipping Ranger class armor. These boost the damage of all ranged weapons, allowing you to easily take care of enemies with little effort. That being said, I recommend this strategy for co-op and not so much for playing alone. Bows can be tricky when all the focus is on you — especially when fighting in buildings. You can also upgrade your bow by obtaining the Precise Aim, Power Shot, Parkour Shot, and Serial Shot skills. So if you want to deal death at a distance, get ready to master this weapon.
