One of the biggest additions in Grounded 2 is Buggies, which are effectively bug mounts. Each Buggy brings its unique physical traits to the table, meaning some critters are better at certain tasks than others. They say dogs are man’s best friend, but you’ll constantly have a creepy crawlie next to you in Brookhollow Park, and you’ll be thankful for it—even if you’re a bug hater like I am.
Right now, in early access, there are only two Buggies, so I’ll go over how you can get them both. However, there are more coming later in the early access development period, so I’ll list those too.
All Buggies in Grounded 2
Currently, you can only get a red soldier ant and an orb weaver spider buggy in Grounded 2. You unlock both of these Buggies through main missions, but you’ll have to perform a few extra steps to actually hatch them and turn them into rideable mounts.
As revealed in the Grounded 2 roadmap for early access, we’ll be seeing more Buggies (and handy new features) in the future:
- Fall update: Hotpouch for Buggies
- Winter update: Ladybug Buggy, PEEP.R on Buggies
- Summer update: Water Buggies
- Future plans: More new Buggies, alongside Buggy mutations, customisation, and progression
How to get the red soldier ant buggy
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The first Buggy you’ll gain access to is the red soldier ant during the Egg Hunt quest, where you’ll be guided through the mount system, how hatcheries work, and the ant itself. Here’s how it goes:
- Progress through the main missions until you reach the Egg Hunt quest.
- Follow the Egg Hunt objectives to unlock the Hatchery bundle for 500 Real Science points at the Science Shop in any Ranger Outpost.
- Craft a hatchery and an ant nest at your base, requiring the following materials:
- Hatchery: 6x weed stems, 1x acorn top and 6x acorn shell, 5x mite fuzz
- Ant Nest: 6x weed stems, 6x clover leaf, 3x crude rope, 1x acorn shell
- Enter the Hatchery Anthill near the Ranger Outpost: Snackbar and head down into the facility at the bottom to find the red soldier ant egg location.
- Carry the egg back to your hatchery and incubate it. This also requires the following materials to create a saddle: 2x grub hide, 3x sprig, 1x acorn shell.
- Wait 12 in-game hours for the egg to incubate.
- Return to the hatchery to hatch the egg, unlocking the red soldier ant Buggy.
The red soldier ant Buggy is great for getting around Brookhollow Park quickly, though it’s also good at hauling items. While it can fight, it’s not that strong at all, and you’d be better off attacking with your own weapons instead. The red soldier ant mount can perform the following unique actions:
- Haul building materials like grass planks and weed stems
- Chew through branch barricades
How to get the orb weaver spider buggy
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The second Buggy you can unlock is the orb weaver spider, which is an instant no-go for an arachnophobe like myself. You need to complete the Networking mission to unlock the orb weaver mount, which is effectively the end of the story, at least in early access.
- Progress through the main missions until you reach the Networking quest.
- Complete the Networking quest by entering the Network Centre in the Statue and beating the boss.
- Return the optical disk you’ll get to the Ranger Station at any Ranger Outpost.
- Purchase the Orb Weaver Buggy bundle for 5,000 Real Science points at the Science Shop.
- Craft a spider nest at your base, requiring: 6x weed stems, 6x pine needles, 6x web fibre, and 4x silk robe (made at a spinning wheel).
- Get an orb weaver egg from the nest under the Headless BURG.L at the centre of the map, between the Snackbar and Ceremony regions.
- Carry the egg back to your hatchery and incubate it. This also requires the following materials to create a saddle: 3x blueberry leather, 4x red ant mandibles, 3x acorn shells.
- Wait 12 in-game hours for the orb weaver egg to incubate.
- Return to the hatchery to hatch the egg, unlocking the orb weaver Buggy.
The orb weaver Buggy is more combat-focused than the red soldier ant, though I still don’t think it really competes with your own weapons once you’ve got a solid build. The orb weaver mount can perform the following unique actions:
- Walk across spider webs without being slowed
- Roar to intimidate enemies, often avoiding combat
- Web throw to wind up enemies
Can Buggies die in Grounded 2?
Thankfully, your Buggies can’t permanently die in Grounded 2. When their health is fully depleted, they’ll be downed, and you’ll have to revive them, just like another player. If you fail to revive them in time, they’ll be sent back to their nest in your base, where they’ll slowly recover over the next few minutes.
You won’t be able to summon them until they’re healthy again, and you can view their progress in the summon menu (hold “T” on PC). It’s not that big of a deal, though, since you can have multiple Buggies on speed dial. If one falls in combat, simply call up another for the time being.
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