The Overloading Worm shares its attack patterns with the Magma Worm but replaces fireballs with electric orbs. Both stances alternate during the fight.
Launches into the air and rains electric orbs on landing. Each orb impact spawns a secondary projectile that also detonates on landing, dealing damage in a 2m blast radius with no falloff. The screen turns bright blue. This is the most dangerous phase.
Snakes fast along the ground dealing direct contact damage. Designed to give short-range survivors a window to deal damage. Still extremely dangerous up close due to the worm's sheer size and speed. No electric projectiles in this phase.
Each orb that lands in the Leaping Stance spawns a secondary projectile on impact. That secondary also detonates on landing with a 2m blast radius and no damage falloff. A single orb impact is actually two separate damage instances at close range. Stay moving and maintain distance during the leaping phase.
The Overloading Worm has the highest spawn cost of any monster in the game. Before looping it is extremely unlikely to appear.
| Stage | Stage # | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Abyssal Depths | Stage 4 | Base game. Teleporter boss or natural spawn at very high difficulty. |
| Helminth Hatchery | Stage 5 | SotS DLC. Worms double-weighted as teleporter boss. ~23.33% natural spawn at 60+ min Monsoon. |
| Sky Meadow | Stage 5 | Base game. ~5.7% natural spawn at 60+ min single-player Monsoon. |
| Rallypoint Delta | Stage 3 | Base game. Possible teleporter boss at high difficulty. |
| Bulwark's Ambry | Hidden Realm | Artifact unlock stage. Can appear as boss. |
Helminth Hatchery (SotS DLC, Stage 5) has roughly a 23.33% chance of naturally spawning an Overloading Worm when you arrive before looping on single-player Monsoon with 60+ minutes elapsed. This is approximately four times the chance of Sky Meadow (~5.7%). Both Magma Worms and Overloading Worms are double-weighted as the teleporter boss there.
When the Overloading Worm is the teleporter boss, there is a 15% chance it replaces the standard Uncommon drop with the Charged Perforator.
10% chance on hit to call down a lightning strike dealing 500% damage (+500% per stack). The strike hits at the enemy's position.
The fight plays like a harder Magma Worm with significantly higher HP and the added threat of electric orb secondary projectiles. Distance is the most important factor.
Stay at maximum range at all times. The worm's leaping phase rains electric orbs that each spawn secondary projectiles on landing. Up close you can take multiple damage instances from a single orb. At distance, many orbs miss entirely. Use high ground when possible to avoid grounded contact damage.
Keep moving during the leaping phase. Electric orbs target your current position. Constant lateral movement causes most orbs to land behind you. Stopping to attack is the biggest mistake players make during this phase.
Use the grounded phase window. When the worm snakes along the ground it temporarily stops raining orbs. Ranged survivors can unload during this phase while maintaining safe distance.
High ground helps significantly. Many electric orbs that would hit you at ground level miss entirely if you are elevated. Stages like Sky Meadow and Helminth Hatchery have platforms ideal for maintaining a height advantage.
Shrine of the Mountain increases spawn chance. Activating a Shrine of the Mountain adds additional bosses to the teleporter event pool and can trigger an Overloading Worm. Useful for the Rolling Thunder challenge.
Elite items and challenges do not apply. The Overloading Worm is not an elite enemy despite its name. Items that grant bonuses for killing elites, and challenges requiring killing specific elite types, are not completed by killing it.
Because distance is the key mechanic, ranged survivors with strong mobility or flight have a significant advantage. Melee survivors need to play especially carefully.
Highest single-target DPS at range. Weak points on the worm body allow guaranteed crit hits. Can stay completely out of electric orb range.
Attacks while sprinting means constant repositioning without losing DPS. Laser Glaive hits the worm repeatedly as it moves. Arrow Rain works well during grounded phase.
Ion Surge flight keeps her above the electric orb zone entirely. Charged Nano-Bomb 2000% burst and Snap Freeze execute are powerful. Permanent flight negates the grounded phase threat.
Diablo Strike deals enormous burst from orbit. Defensive Microbots shoots down electric orbs passively. Shock Beacons stun-lock the worm during grounded stance.
Melee range puts him directly in contact damage and near-constant electric orb fallout. I-frames help but the sustained damage of the worm outpaces what Eviscerate windows provide.
Strong burst and barrier generation help. The grapple hook keeps her mobile. Still requires close range which is the worm's most dangerous zone. Better than Mercenary but needs care.
Solid ranged damage and Phase Blast burst from safe distance. The Rolling Thunder challenge requires killing the worm as Commando specifically - see the challenge section below.
The Overloading Worm is tied to one of Commando's alternate skill unlocks. Completing Rolling Thunder unlocks Phase Blast, Commando's close-range shotgun secondary.
Play as Commando. Other survivors cannot complete this challenge.
Kill an Overloading Worm with the final hit. Drone kills do not count. In multiplayer, only the player landing the killing blow completes it.
Best approach: Monsoon difficulty at Helminth Hatchery or with Shrine of the Mountain active to maximize spawn chance.
Artifact of Swarms doubles monster count, which doubles your chance of landing the killing blow over any competing damage sources.
Trophy Hunter's Tricorn equipment can also complete this challenge when the equipment kill blow is landed on the worm.
The Overloading Worm can spawn in Abyssal Depths (Stage 4), Sky Meadow (Stage 5), Helminth Hatchery (Stage 5, SotS DLC), Rallypoint Delta (Stage 3), and Bulwark's Ambry. It appears as a teleporter boss or natural spawn at very high difficulties after at least 60 minutes have passed.
If the Overloading Worm is the teleporter boss, there is a 15% chance its Uncommon item drop is replaced by the Charged Perforator, a Legendary boss item. The Charged Perforator grants a 10% chance on hit to call a lightning strike dealing 500% damage.
No. Despite the name, the Overloading Worm is not an Overloading Elite Magma Worm. It is a separate unique monster species. Items that interact with Elite monsters have no effect on it, and challenges tied to killing Elite monsters cannot be completed by killing it.
Complete the Rolling Thunder challenge by landing the killing blow on an Overloading Worm as Commando. Drone kills do not count. Play on Monsoon at Helminth Hatchery for the highest natural spawn chance (~23%), or use Shrine of the Mountain to increase teleporter boss spawns. The Artifact of Swarms doubles the chance of landing the killing blow.
It is the rarest monster in Risk of Rain 2. Its spawn cost is 5 times that of a Magma Worm, making it extremely unlikely before looping. Even at 60+ minutes on single-player Monsoon, the chance is only about 5.7% on Sky Meadow and roughly 23.33% on Helminth Hatchery.
