The hunt itself is the point—each drone forces you to explore corners you'd skip.
Across the vast and varied landscape of Horizon Forbidden West, ten mechanical drones drift through the skies of distinct biomes, waiting to be found by those willing to stray from the beaten path. Unlocked after a key story milestone, the survey drone quest asks players not merely to fight, but to observe, climb, and time their movements with care — a meditation on patience and spatial awareness. It is the kind of pursuit that rewards the curious traveler who lingers at the edges of the map, where the world's quieter wonders reside.
- Ten survey drones are scattered across Horizon Forbidden West's most remote biomes, each requiring players to scan the skies, read flight patterns, and physically intercept the machine mid-air.
- The challenge escalates with each location — dangerous predators like Thunderjaws and Slaughterspines guard the intercept zones, turning a navigation puzzle into a test of nerve.
- Specific traversal tools — the Grappleshot, Pullcaster, and gliding — are essential, and one drone is locked entirely behind a Firegleam detonation unlock tied to story progression.
- Each successful capture demands precise positioning atop cliffs, dead trees, ruins, and platforms, with mistimed jumps sending players back to the bottom of structures they just climbed.
- Completing all ten drones pushes players into every corner of the game world, turning a side quest into a comprehensive tour of the map's most overlooked and visually striking terrain.
Horizon Forbidden West hides ten survey drones across its sprawling biomes — mechanical patrols drifting through predictable sky routes, waiting for a patient hunter to intercept them. The quest opens after completing The Eye of the Earth, ensuring players have most of their traversal tools in hand before the search begins. The method is consistent: scan the airspace with Focus mode, track the drone's path, climb to an elevated intercept point, and leap onto its back as it passes.
In the northeast, the Greenswell drone patrols near Plowhorn grazing grounds, intercepted from a wooden cliff platform. Nearby, the Dry Yearn drone is marked by Shellsnappers and a metal ramp climbing the hillside. To the south, Module 367 hovers close to the Tower of Tears — a stone turret tower scaled with the Pullcaster provides the necessary height.
Plainsong's drone sits behind Firegleam-sealed fort walls that must be blasted open before the climb begins. In No Man's Land, Module 024 demands caution — a Thunderjaw patrols the area, and a rock platform offers both cover and a launch point. Along the western coast, the Thornmarsh drone is spotted from a campfire and intercepted from a dead tree reached by Grappleshot.
The snowy Graypeak mountains, patrolled by Slaughterspines, hide another drone accessible from a wooden cliff platform. On the Isle of Spires, Module 863 requires scaling an abandoned building, pulling down a beam with the Pullcaster, and edging along a rooftop pipe before timing a precise jump. Near the Stand of the Sentinels, a fallen tree and a series of grapple points lead to a platform — lowering the ladder before attempting the intercept saves considerable effort if the jump is missed.
Finally, Module 739 hovers north of The Bulwark in the Sheerside Mountains, reached from a Tenakth platform with a glide to close the gap. Together, the ten drones form a quiet pilgrimage through the game's most remote and rewarding terrain — a quest that prizes curiosity and traversal mastery as much as combat.
Horizon Forbidden West spreads across a vast landscape of distinct regions, each with its own character and challenges. Hidden within these biomes are ten survey drones—mechanical sentries that patrol the skies in predictable patterns. Finding them all means traveling to the far edges of the map, climbing impossible terrain, and timing your movements with precision. It's the kind of objective that pulls you away from the main story and into the game's quieter corners, rewarding patience and exploration.
The mechanics are straightforward once you understand the pattern. You arrive at a drone's location, activate your Focus mode to scan the airspace, and watch as the drone appears and begins its flight path. The real challenge comes next: you must position yourself somewhere along that path—usually by climbing to an elevated platform or structure—and then leap onto the drone's back as it passes. Once you've made contact, you wrestle it to the ground and claim it. The game unlocks this quest after you complete The Eye of the Earth, which means you'll have access to most of your traversal tools by the time you start hunting.
The Greenswell drone sits in the northeastern reaches, near where Plowhorns graze. A wooden platform running along the cliffs provides the intercept point. Head south from there and you'll find the Dry Yearn drone, identifiable by the Shellsnappers in the area and a large metal ramp climbing the hillside. The Stillsands drone, Module 367, hovers near the southern edge of the map close to the Tower of Tears. A stone tower with turrets crowning its top gives you the height you need—use your Pullcaster to scale it, then wait for your moment.
Plainsong's drone requires you to have unlocked Firegleam detonation before you attempt it. Head northeast from town to find an abandoned fort sealed by Firegleam barriers. Blast the gate open, climb the walls, and intercept the drone from above. The No Man's Land drone, Module 024, sits in dangerous territory near a patrolling Thunderjaw. A large rock with a wooden platform offers cover and elevation. Stay low, move carefully, and use the rock as your launch point.
The western coastline holds the Thornmarsh drone. Find the campfire in that region and scan the skies—you'll spot the drone patrolling nearby. A tall dead tree, accessed via Grappleshot, gives you the vantage point you need. The Graypeak drone inhabits the snowy mountains between Memorial Grove and the Stand of the Sentinels. Slaughterspines roam the area, so watch your step. A wooden cliff platform provides the intercept.
Isle of Spires, Module 863, sits on an island near the western edge—a late-game location for most players. Start at the Relic Ruins there and head north toward an abandoned building. The path requires scaling the structure, pulling down a yellow beam with your Pullcaster, climbing the resulting pole, and edging along a yellow pipe that extends beyond the roof. Time your jump carefully as the drone passes. The Stand of the Sentinels drone is reached from Tide's Reach settlement. Head east into the forest, find the fallen tree near a metal flower, climb it, and follow the grapple points to a platform. Lower the ladder before attempting your jump—it's a tough intercept, and the ladder saves you from climbing all those trees again if you miss.
Finally, the Sheerside Mountains drone, Module 739, hovers north of The Bulwark near the map's edge. Scan it, locate the large Tenakth platform, and time your jump from there. You may need to glide to close the distance. Collecting all ten drones means you'll have seen every corner of the world, climbed structures you didn't know existed, and learned the rhythm of the game's traversal systems. It's a quest that rewards curiosity as much as skill.
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why would someone spend the time hunting down ten drones scattered across a massive map?
Because the hunt itself is the point. Each drone forces you to explore a region you might have skipped, climb something you didn't think was climbable, and solve a small puzzle of timing and positioning.
So it's not about a reward at the end?
There is a reward, but the real satisfaction comes from the journey. You're learning the map's geography, mastering your tools, and discovering how the game's systems fit together.
Some of these locations sound dangerous—you mentioned a Thunderjaw near one drone.
That's the tension. You're not just climbing and jumping. You're doing it while staying aware of what's hunting you. It forces you to be strategic about timing and positioning.
Does the game give you hints, or are you just wandering around looking up?
You get the location name and general area. After that, it's observation. Look for landmarks, scan with your Focus, watch the flight pattern. The game trusts you to figure it out.
What if you can't reach a drone because you haven't unlocked certain abilities yet?
Then you come back later. Some drones require Firegleam detonation or specific traversal tools. The game gates them naturally through story progression, so you're never completely stuck.