R.E.P.O. | Monster guide: Headgrab

The Headgrab is a medium-sized goblin-like creature in R.E.P.O. that spends most of its time wandering harmlessly until it spots a semibot or finds a dead teammate's head to wear. Once it puts that head on, it becomes a noticeably faster and more aggressive threat that can zero in on any living semibot nearby without needing line of sight first.

What makes the Headgrab genuinely unsettling is the head-stealing mechanic. A dead teammate is already bad news, but leaving the body unattended gives the Headgrab a power boost that can spiral a bad situation into a worse one fast.

Behavior

The Headgrab roams aimlessly until it spots a semibot, at which point it groans and outstretches its arms as a clear aggression tell. It has a combo attack pattern: it will swipe for 5 damage per hit and may follow up with a dropkick that deals 5 damage on initial contact, then an additional 10 damage when the knocked-back semibot hits a surface, meaning the dropkick alone typically deals 15 damage in total. After landing some attacks, the Headgrab will disengage and run away quickly, fast enough to outpace semibots who have no speed upgrades.

If the Headgrab finds a dead semibot's head on the ground, it will pick it up and wear it. In this powered-up state it attacks faster, sustains its attacks for longer, and actively tracks the nearest living semibot even without needing to spot them visually first, running straight toward them. It can detect players through touch as well as sight and sound, so hiding spots that cover you visually may not be enough if the Headgrab wanders close enough.

Hidden usefulness

The Headgrab's dropkick sends it launching forward, and with some positioning you can bait that lunge into a pit or other hazard. Used deliberately, this turns the Headgrab's own attack into a reliable way to remove it from the map without spending ammo or taking much damage yourself.

Weaknesses

At 150 HP the Headgrab is not durable, and its strength breakpoint of 4 means a single semibot with enough upgrades can pick it up, instantly stunning it. Two semibots with no strength upgrades can also grab it together for the same effect. Stunning it forces it to drop any head it's wearing, which is often the immediate priority. The Headgrab can also be stunned with the Boltzap, Tranq Gun, stun grenades, and other stun weapons. When stunned, its strength breakpoint drops to 0, meaning it can be picked up freely. Without a head, the Headgrab deals low damage and moves at a manageable pace, making it much easier to avoid or escape. It also fits under most hiding spots, so don't rely on those to stay safe.

Strategy

• Watch for the groan and outstretched arms. That's your warning to create distance before it starts its combo.
• When a teammate dies, prioritize recovering their head or killing the Headgrab before it can reach the body and power up.
• If the Headgrab is already wearing a head, stun it first rather than trying to trade hits with it in its buffed state.
• To stun it, grab it with a partner, tumble into it (costs you 5 HP), or use a stun weapon like the Boltzap or Tranq Gun.
• After stunning it the head drops, which lets your team recover the orb and reassess.
• Bait its dropkick toward a pit if one is nearby. It's a clean kill that costs nothing.
• Be aware it can fit under most cover, so don't count on low hiding spots to keep you out of reach.

How to kill

The Headgrab has only 150 HP, so most damaging weapons will finish it off without much trouble. The Gun, Sledge Hammer, and Shotgun all work well, though the source warns against wasting high-damage, low-ammo weapons on a target this fragile if better options exist.

For a clean kill, stun it first by picking it up (4 strength upgrades solo, or two players grabbing it together), which also drops the head. Once stunned, its strength breakpoint drops to 0, so you can freely hold and slam it into walls and floors to deal physics damage until it dies. If a pit is nearby, just throw it in.

If you'd rather not get close, a few hits from any reliable weapon will do the job. The Headgrab's low HP means you don't need to set up anything elaborate. Killing it also causes it to drop the stolen head and leave behind a medium orb worth $3,500 to $4,500, making it worth hunting down rather than just stunning and moving on.