Fire Arrows

Specialized arrows used to burn or stun mechanical creatures.

Last updated 16 October 2026

In the post-apocalyptic United States of the 31st century, hunters rely on specialized ammunition to combat the robotic machines that dominate the Earth. Among these tools are arrows designed with specific utility, capable of burning or stunning enemies when used against mechanical creatures.

Aloy, the game's protagonist, utilizes a variety of arrow types as part of her ranged arsenal alongside a spear and stealth tactics. These projectiles allow players to dismantle a machine's offensive capabilities by tearing off specific components and disabling weapons. The ability to craft different ammunition types is central to the gameplay loop, enabling hunters to adapt their strategy based on the vulnerabilities of their targets.

Quick Facts

Type: Consumable Ammunition

Lore & Background

The world of Horizon Zero Dawn features large robotic machines that coexist with primitive human tribes, though a phenomenon known as the "Derangement" has caused them to become aggressive. To survive this hostile environment, humans have developed combat techniques that exploit machine weaknesses.

The game's setting draws inspiration from non-fiction books by Jared Diamond and futuristic fiction like Princess Mononoke, resulting in a world where ancient technology and tribal life intersect. For instance, some arrows are designed to burn enemies, while others can stun them or help dismantle offensive capabilities by targeting specific components. This versatility is crucial as machines are categorized into classes like Acquisition, Combat, Recon, and Transport, each with unique behaviors and susceptibilities.

Reader's Guide

Players controlling Aloy can craft ammunition using natural resources and machine parts collected during exploration. The game rewards skilful play, such as stealth takedowns or headshots, with bonus experience points. The Focus device is essential here, scanning targets to reveal their level and nature of loot, which helps determine if burning damage will be effective. When facing larger machines, tearing off components with specialized arrows can disable weapons before delivering a finishing blow.

Did You Know?

Horizon Zero Dawn was Guerrilla Games' first new intellectual property since Killzone in 2004.
The game uses the Decima engine, which was originally developed for Killzone: Shadow Fall and modified for this title.
Anthropologists were consulted to inform the world's decay while robotics experts helped design realistic machine models.
Aloy wears a Focus, an earpiece that scans machines to identify their location, susceptibilities, and level.
The game was released on PlayStation 4 in February 2017 before being ported to Windows in 2020.