Outlanders are aggressive human NPCs that inhabit the frozen Whisperfrost Frontiers, the third zone of Orbis in Hytale. They are an offshoot of human civilization that long ago isolated itself in the harsh, snowy region of Borea, and centuries of brutal survival have turned them into one of the most dangerous factions you'll encounter in the game. Nearly all of them carry cobalt weaponry and armor, and their settlements are scattered across pine forests and tundra landscapes.
Quick answer: Outlanders are territorial, hostile NPCs found in camps throughout Borea (Zone 3). They come in six archetypes with distinct combat roles, and defeating them can yield Shadoweave Scraps and rare Doomed Outlander weapons. Engaging more than one at a time without ranged weapons or tactical preparation is extremely punishing, even in full cobalt or adamantite gear.
Outlander Lore and Origins
The Outlanders were once part of broader human civilization on Orbis but chose — or were driven — to isolate themselves in the Whisperfrost Frontiers. Their existence is defined by an unending battle for survival against the inhospitable terrain and deadly creatures of Borea. That constant struggle has bred a brutal pragmatism into their culture. They practice dark rituals in well-defended encampments and hidden locations, and these rituals appear to have corrupted many of them over time. Outlanders are deeply connected to the history of Borea, including ancient battlefields and ritual sites found throughout the zone.
Most Outlanders wear distinctive wooden masks. Their leaders don blue armor and carry shields, while their rangers dress in leather armor adorned with small horns believed to come from the bison they hunt. The entire faction is defensive and territorial — they won't chase you across the map, but they will punish you severely for entering their space.
Outlander Archetypes and Roles
Outlanders are not a single enemy type. They operate as a structured tribal society with six distinct archetypes, each filling a specific role within their camps and the surrounding wilderness.
| Archetype | Role | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| Hunter | Ranged scout and provider | Ventures far from settlements to hunt bison. Patrols camp perimeters and lays ambushes with bows. Shockingly accurate at range. |
| Berserker | Standard melee warrior | Found in and around settlements. Can be male or female. Defends villages from players on sight. |
| Marauder | Elite melee leader | Leads Berserkers into battle. Subordinate only to Priests. Has 103 max health, spawns at night, and drops Shadoweave Scraps (guaranteed) plus a 5% chance at a Doomed Outlander Sword or Doomed Outlander Shield. |
| Initiate | Ritual participant | Central to the dark rituals performed within Outlander camps. |
| Priest | Camp leader and magic user | Wields water magic in defense of the tribe. Acts as the highest authority in Outlander encampments. |
| Brute | Heavy combatant | The largest and most dangerous archetype. Carries a skull battle-axe and has a claw-like, blood-stained left hand — possibly a result of the Priests' rituals. |
The Marauder's in-game identifier is Outlander_Marauder, which is useful if you're working with console commands or modding data files. Marauders also have the "Mountable" and "Saved as Memory" traits, and they specifically spawn at night, making nighttime exploration in Borea especially risky.
Outlander Marauder Loot Drops
Defeating an Outlander Marauder can yield up to two items. Shadoweave Scraps drop at a 100% rate in quantities of one to four. The rare drops — a Doomed Outlander Sword or a Doomed Outlander Shield — each have roughly a 5% chance of appearing. These are among the more coveted items from Borea's hostile encounters.
Combat Tactics for Surviving Outlander Encounters
Outlanders are widely considered the most punishing faction in Hytale's early access build. Even players wearing full cobalt armor — the gear tier associated with their zone — report being overwhelmed when fighting two or more Outlanders simultaneously. Players in adamantite armor still describe them as lethal. The core problem is that Outlanders fight in groups, their Hunters are extremely accurate at range, and some players have noted that they make almost no sound, leading to ambushes you don't see coming.
Ranged weapons are essential. Bows and crossbows let you thin out groups before they close the distance. Opening an engagement by picking off one or two enemies from stealth range dramatically shifts the odds. Prioritize Hunters first when possible, since their ranged attacks will chip away at your health while you're trying to deal with melee fighters.
Maces offer strong knockback. Swinging a heavy mace while backing away keeps melee Outlanders at a manageable distance. The battle axe is another strong option — its long reach and wide swing arc let you hit multiple enemies per swipe while kiting backward. The dagger's charged attack can also be useful for burst damage and repositioning, since the charge-stab lets you leap onto rooftops or gain distance quickly.
Traps change the equation. Digging a two-by-two or three-by-three hole about three blocks deep and lining it with metal spikes creates a reliable kill zone. You can knock Outlanders into the pit using a guard strike, or lead them to fall in on their own. Bear traps are effective for locking down individual enemies, especially the melee vanguards, giving you time to deal with archers. Campfires placed strategically also help during prolonged fights.
Guard and guard bash are critical defensive tools. Using the guard bash to break up groups and isolate individual enemies — particularly on staircases and in narrow spaces — makes fights far more manageable. The key principle is to never let Outlanders surround you. Keep moving, take them one at a time, and retreat if they begin to swarm.
Dealing with Death and Item Despawning
Dying to Outlanders is frustrating enough, but the item despawn timer adds another layer of pressure. Dropped items in Hytale despawn after roughly ten minutes in loaded chunks. A loaded chunk has a radius of about 12 chunks on standard settings, with each chunk measuring 32×32×32 blocks. That means your dropped gear can vanish even if you're rushing back, especially if you died deep in Outlander territory, far from a respawn point.
Teleporters help, but they have a limited number of uses — unlike infinite portal systems in other games. Placing a teleporter near an Outlander camp before engaging is a smart precaution. If you die, you'll have a much shorter return trip to recover your items before the timer runs out. It's unclear whether increasing the rendering range affects which chunks count as "loaded" for despawn purposes, so don't rely on settings changes to extend the timer.
Outlander Armor Mod for Players
If you want to wear Outlander-style gear yourself, a community mod called Outlanders Armor Pack adds craftable armor sets modeled after the faction's distinctive look. The mod introduces tier 2 sets — Berserker, Hunter, and Priest — that require cobalt-tier crafting ingredients. Tier 3 upgrades — Marauder, Stalker, and Sorcerer — require adamantite-level materials. Outlander Berserkers, Hunters, and Priests occasionally drop the recipes for their respective armor pieces, so you'll need to farm them to unlock the crafting options.
Outlanders represent Hytale's most demanding PvE challenge in its current early access state. The faction's mix of ranged accuracy, melee aggression, silent approaches, and group tactics means that preparation and positioning matter far more than raw gear level. Many players expect the developers to adjust Outlander balance over time, but for now, the frozen wilds of Borea reward patience and punish recklessness in equal measure.
