10 Predator: Hunting Grounds Tips for Playing as the Predator and Fireteam

Predator fans are taking to the jungles this weekend now that Predator: Hunting Grounds is out, a game where players either take control of the Predator or one of four human Fireteam members while completing objectives and trying to outlive their opponents. The basic gameplay loop quickly becomes apparent after doing the tutorial or trying a game or two to get the feel of how a Hunting Grounds match works, but there are some things that you can only start to pick up on after a couple of games. To help expedite that process, we’ve pieced together a few hints and tips for playing as both sides.

Tutorials can only help so much in games, but in the case of Hunting Grounds, the tutorial really doesn’t help too much at all if you’re looking to get an in-depth look at both sides. It shows you how to play the Predator which is much more involved than playing as soldiers, and if you want to know more about specific mechanics, you’ll have to go into the game’s “Extras” section and read some walls of text.

Or, you can just check out our 10 tips – five each for the Predator and the Fireteam – below to help you out after you’ve learned the basics of things like muddying up as the Fireteam and ambushing soldiers as the Predator.

Predator: Leave the Trees Every Now and Then

As the Predator, you’re at home in the trees by using the nifty Predkour system to jump from limb to limb. Combine that with your stealth abilities and you’re not an easy target, but you are an obvious one.

The game pushes the Predators into the trees in the tutorial and advises them to play there as much as possible for good reason. The Fireteam can’t get up there and can’t come close to matching your mobility, but since everyone has likely played the tutorial, everyone knows to look to the canopies to find Predators jumping around and glimmering through the air.

That’s why you need to hop out of a tree every now and then and go on foot. Think of how much time you spend looking upward as the Fireteam players and you’ll realize that their blindspots are often the areas that are right around them. Being on the ground is the best way to set traps, and it’s your only option if you want to melee them.

Predator: Don’t Spam Melee Attacks

On the subject of melee attacks, one big takeaway from the game’s trial event was that the Predator’s melee options could be pretty overwhelming for a Fireteam in the right circumstances. A lot of that had to do with the Combistick weapon, but that tool has thankfully been locked behind a high level which means players won’t start with it.

Still, Predator players will likely try to translate their gameplay experience from the trial into the full game and come down from the trees to only swing their melee weapons without even utilizing the other equipment options. If you want to win as the Predator, that’s not the way to do it.

Fireteam players are already learning how to deal with this tactic by bunny-hopping backwards and parrying melee attacks, so even if melee-only assaults work now, they won’t for much longer. Utilize the rest of your abilities and try to keep an eye on the Fireteam’s movements when they’re trying to parry you. Chances are they’ll spam their counters and mess up too which will then leave them wide open for an attack.

Predator: Don’t Leave Your Abilities On All the Time

It can be tempting to leave your Predator Vision ability on for much of the game as well as your stealth ability that keeps you hidden from the Fireteam, but you’ll quickly find that’s not the way to go about a hunt. Doing so will drain your resources fast and leave you unprepared when you actually get into a fight.

Some of the Predator’s perks can mitigate the usage of its energy bar to keep your resources high, but having multiple abilities active at once will still deplete them quickly. Things like your Plasma Caster pull on the same resource bar – especially when you charge it up – so you’ll run out in no time if you aren’t careful.

To better conserve your resources, flash the vision ability on and off while you’re hunting to make sure you stay on top of your targets. Use stealth during your approach and your escape when you’re out in the open, but if you’re in a spot where something’s obstructing the Fireteam’s vision of you, turn it off to recharge your energy.

Predator: Feast on Animals to Regain Health

The Predator comes with a few healing stims to get it back into the fight if it takes too much damage, but once you’re out, you’re out. It’s a pain to have to use one for a smaller amount of damage, so instead of doing that, look for wildlife in the jungle to feast on.

Things like wild boar will roam the jungle while the Fireteam, Predators, and AI do battle. They’re timid and they’ll run, but hopefully as the Predator you’ve got the resources to track down a pig.

Look for them in the jungle using your Predator Vision, kill them, and approach their bodies. You’ll be prompted to feast on them which requires you to be locked in an animation for a short time, but it’ll save you a stim and can help top off your health since the Fireteam probably isn’t going to be following you into the dense jungle anyway.

Predator: Destroy Crates to Block Resources

Just as the Predator can regain health through methods other than using the resources you came into the battle with, the Fireteam can as well. They’ll be able to pick up things like health packs and other items within enemy bases, and if they do so, they’ll stay healthy and well-armed throughout the match.

That was one of the main complaints from Predators during the trial after they saw how easy it was for the Fireteam to stay stocked up, but there’s a way to prevent it. Look for crates and other containers that’ll be highlighted in your Predator Vision mode. You can destroy those, thus preventing the Fireteam from acquiring their contents.

The Plasma Caster is the best option for this since it’s long-range and doesn’t punish you much for missing. In a best case scenario, your charged-up Plasma Caster shot will destroy the resources and anyone nearby who happened to be looking for them.

Fireteam: Look for Resources Marked On Map

If the Predator’s out there looking for your resources to destroy them before you can acquire them, you better make sure you get their first. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to your surroundings and the mini-map as the Fireteam to make sure you’re not missing out on anything.

Look around enemy bases to find health packs and ammo crates scattered about. Pick those up once you’re running low and you’ll be able to stay prepared throughout a match without having to worry about using your own resources in the first stage of an objective.

Also keep an eye out for orange dots on your map that indicate where you can find weapon lockers. Open those and you’ll find a more powerful weapon than the one you came in with such as a grenade launcher, minigun, or a better shotgun.

Fireteam: Parry the Predator

After playing as the Fireteam a few times and dealing with a barrage of melee attacks, you’ll probably find yourself thinking “wow, that sure was annoying.” You’re absolutely right, but you’ve got the equipment to stop it from happening.

That’s where the parry comes in, the counterattack in the Fireteam’s kit that’ll leave the Predator standing there wondering what happened. Time your melee attack with the Predator’s and you’ll deflect their blow and send them scurrying back up into the trees once they realize they need a new plan.

The steps required to parry the Predator are simple, but the timing takes a bit to get used to. Be sure to consult our parrying guide to make sure you’re doing it correctly.

Fireteam: Use the Buddy System

Fireteams can fit four human players assuming you’ve got a full team which means there’s not reason not to use the buddy system. Four players are better than just two, but two players traveling together is still a huge improvement over going solo.

Stick together as four as much as possible, and if you absolutely have to split off to do something like searching for an objective, try to stick to pairs to make sure you’re safe. Having the numbers on your side means that even if one person is getting attacked and is hopefully parrying the Predator using our guide, the other person has ample time to unload on the hunter while they’re focused elsewhere.

If the Predator backs off, it’s a fair trade for everyone since you and the Predator will probably just back off to heal up anyway. If the Predator goes for an execution, you can bring it close to death and will be able to call in reinforcements later anyway.

Fireteam: Buildings Are Your Friends

The Predator is to the trees as the Fireteam is to the buildings. That means that if the Predator is around you while you’re trying to complete an objective, one of your best options is to take refuge in a building and limit the options the Predator has for attack.

Many objectives call for players to sit around something to wait for a process to finish before they can continue. Waves of enemies will come after you while the Predator looks on from somewhere, but by being in a building, the hunter’s options are severely limited. Predators don’t thrive in closed spaces since it inhibits their mobility, so they likely won’t come in to melee anyone.

Just watch out for Plasma Caster splash damage and the Predator’s player-controlled Smart Disc attack and you should be relatively safe while in a building.

Fireteam: Don’t Be Flashy

Fireteam members aren’t exactly equipped with the same mobility and prowess as the Predator, so you obviously can’t compete with them there. Your limited mobility options mean your best bet is playing it straightforward as a human character would.

Flashiness encompasses many things including but not limited to going out on your own and sliding around everywhere like an action hero. Even if the Predator is near death, it’s still way more powerful than a single person, so chasing it into the jungle is basically following it into its home and asking for a quick death.

Sliding also doesn’t help much at all and doesn’t make you look as cool as you think. You barely move anywhere sliding in Hunting Grounds, so just stand up, keep moving, and stick with your team.