How to Defeat the Bloater

This is a mandatory boss encounter in the bar/arcade along the way while riding the small motorboat on Seattle Day 3 (on the way to The Aquarium). This is a very dangerous infected and can be a very difficult fight if you’re not properly prepared. You already faced one with the help of Joel in Ellie’s flashback mission; however this time, you’ll be on your own. After arriving in the said bar, you’ll still be able to collect supplements and other materials, as well as use the Workbench on the second floor. For the preparation, you should have a full stock of trip mines, molotovs, and a full stock of shotgun ammo. If you have an upgraded melee weapon, it will help as well.

To trigger the boss fight, you have to get the pushcart in the backroom and push it towards the locked door on the second floor where the floor will crumble and take you to the arcade area where the bloater is waiting. The area has a lot of arcade cabinets that you should use to keep the distance.

The bloater has both ranged and melee attacks, which are equally dangerous. If you see it stay in place, it will get a pustule off of its bloated body and will throw it at you. The pustule explodes and will release a poisonous mist in a small area. You have to avoid getting hit by this projectile or lingering within the cloud. If you have a visual on it before it throws its projectile, you can use that chance to lob a molotov at it or land a shot or two.

A good strategy is to run and lay down trip mines. You can then lure the bloater to the trip mine then swerve through different arcade cabinets to avoid getting hit by a devastating shoulder charge by the bloater. Its charge attack can instantly destroy arcade cabinets so don’t stick behind one for too long. If ever the bloater gets within melee range, prepare to quickly evade and run away in the far side of the room.

Be careful of the occasional runner that will join in the fight. Don’t waste your ammo on them; use your upgraded melee weapon to kill them immediately in one hit. Just repeat the hit-and-run tactics. If the bloater steps on all your trip mines and gets incinerated by your molotovs, those should deal enough damage to successfully kill it. If not, some well-placed body shots with your shotgun or rifle should do the trick.