A New Strain picks up immediately after Power Gambit. You’ll chase the Baron’s trail from a war-torn monument to an industrial plant, then into a junkyard where a Chimera variant — the Behemoth — waits. Expect mixed combat against infected and armed militia, a short safe zone detour, and a two-phase boss fight. Finish the encounter and drive the blood sample back to Olivia to close the mission.

A New Strain objectives at a glance

  • Investigate the Baron’s activity at the Monument (combat and clues).
  • Secure a suburban Safe Zone (restore power and claim it).
  • Enter the E&F Plant via a side route (clear the courtyard and meet the scientist).
  • Find a gas canister in the plant’s basement and carry it to the junkyard.
  • Survive the militia ambush, lure out the Chimera, and defeat the Behemoth.
  • Return to Olivia with the blood sample.

Investigate the Monument (Baron’s trail)

Travel to the memorial site — you can attempt it at night for bonus XP, but enemies hit harder and punish mistakes. The plaza is thick with infected; prioritize Spitters first (one on a nearby truck, another perched on the monument) before you get pinned by splash damage. Use environmental tools to thin the horde: Molotovs and red gas canisters detonate clusters quickly.

Watch for militia-type zombies with armored fronts; circle and strike from behind to avoid wasted swings. When the area is quiet, sweep for interactions: examine the odd device by the truck, then slide the truck door and loot inside. You should also find an empty gas canister here — it’ll matter soon.

Secure the suburban Safe Zone

Olivia diverts you to claim a nearby hideout. Look for the tapestry-marked apartment exterior and use a van to reach the open window. Inside, barricade entrances, clear the room, and restore power.

  • Follow the blue cable to a locked basement door.
  • Climb through the adjacent vent to enter the basement, clear the infected, and bring power back online.
  • Return upstairs and hit the switch to convert it into a Safe Zone. Rest if needed.

Enter the E&F Plant (skip the front gate)

The main gate is a kill box guarded by the Baron’s riflemen. Hug the facility’s left perimeter instead: climb stacked trailers to a broken white pipe that leads to an upper entry. Whether you go loud or quiet, prioritize guards with assault rifles — their burst damage shreds armor and health.

Drop into the main yard to trigger a cutscene, then clear the remaining soldiers. Push through the double doors to the scientist, who explains a Chimera Infected fled toward the junkyard. To lure it, you’ll need a gas canister plumbed into a device.

Find the gas canister (basement route) and reach the junkyard

Head for the plant’s basement via marked exits and vents. You’ll emerge in a lower level with infected; clear it and ping items with Survivor Sense. Grab a gas canister from the floor space and start the carry.

From the crevice exit, move straight, then left toward the junkyard. Runners patrol the approach; either detour to avoid noise chains or commit to quick eliminations. The yard isn’t far, but you’ll be ambushed by the Baron’s soldiers when you place the canister into the lure device. Take cover, eliminate close pushers first, and use shotguns or rifles to end the fight quickly.

With the site secure, hook the canister to the device to draw out the Chimera.

Tip: Transported canisters can explode if battered. If you keep losing them in vehicles, carry one on foot and keep the path clear.

Behemoth boss strategy (two phases)

The Behemoth plays like earlier Chimera variants but hits harder and adds clutter. Expect:

  • Wide, flailing arm strings.
  • Heavy slams that emit straight shockwaves (dodge — you cannot block them).
  • Thrown junk cars from the arena edges (watch line of sight and avoid parking near them).

Mid-fight, it summons Biter adds and starts chaining a triple ground pound. Stay mobile and bias to its rear quadrant. Use short, safe combos with melee, then disengage; swap to rifles when distance opens up. As you land clean dodges and damage, your Beast Mode meter fills — trigger it to melt a chunk of HP and stabilize the add pressure.

At low health, a finisher prompt appears. Execute it to end the fight, collect the blood sample, and then hitch a car for the long drive back to Olivia at the Monastery to complete the mission.

Rewards for A New Strain

  • +10,000 XP
  • Survivor’s Jacket
  • +500 Old World Money
  • Co-op completion adds a co-op loot box with randomized items

Known issues and workarounds

Some players report the “Clear the junkyard of Baron’s soldiers” objective not progressing after the ambush. Before you assume a hard bug, check these common causes:

  • One or more soldiers may path outside the fence line and get distracted by roaming infected. Sweep the perimeter and elevated spots; use Survivor Sense repeatedly.
  • If no enemies remain and the marker is stuck, fully quit to the dashboard and relaunch. A cold reboot on console can also help the trigger re-evaluate.
  • Avoid straying past the mission boundary while searching — the out-of-area timer can soft-lock the loop.
  • If the gas canister keeps exploding en route, carry it on foot and clear runners ahead rather than transporting it by vehicle.

That’s the entire loop for A New Strain: a crowded opener, a quick safe zone detour, a flanking plant infiltration, a short escort under pressure, and a boss that rewards disciplined dodging. Spend your new Beast Skill points before you push on — the next main quest escalates fast.