Infection

Humans win by lasting until the timer ends, or by finishing a server-specific objective when one exists. Infected win by converting the entire human team before time runs out. Because deaths swap sides, the match is decided by who keeps groups intact, not who pads kills.

Positioning. Aim helps most early when humans can thin pushes and punish predictable routes, but Infection is mostly decided by spacing, angles, and whether the team can retreat without splitting. Late game, buying seconds with knockback and line control matters more than raw damage.

Stay with the pack, hold one clear angle, and back up before you are forced into a desperation fight. Do not chase a lone infected into tunnels or corners. One death in the wrong spot is how a stable defense turns into an infected spawn inside your rotation.

Stop trickling. Scout for the side route, ladder, or drop that lets multiple infected arrive together, then commit as a wave. Even a single conversion often collapses the hold because humans lose coverage and have to turn to deal with a new threat from inside their space.

Often, yes. The best setups use kits to shape roles, not to replace fighting. Humans tend to get defensive or utility tools like limited blocks, knockback items, or small heals, while infected get mobility or durability that keeps them in range and prevents humans from resetting for free.