Surge

Surge is a tangle of six yellow and white scribbles that looks like a mouth and two eyes, constantly shifting like an electric shockwave. It is the storm of The Outdoors: hostile, fatal and added on August 10, 2025, and it also appears in the Trick Or Treat vision.

Reading the warning

One or two lightning strikes that briefly turn the sky lime are the warning. Then a burst of lightning turns the sky yellow, uncovered players get a fuzzy yellow vignette, and Surge descends from hundreds of studs up and moves toward players, or circles them erratically if it cannot reach them. Uncovered players near it take 40 damage per tick. After about 10 seconds it can no longer damage anyone and ascends to despawn.

Taking cover

Get into a toolshed or any roofed area: a cabin, a large cave or an unlocked crypt. The game checks spots around each player for walls and overhead cover, so a roof matters more than distance. Hide is not present in The Outdoors, so enter the shelter right away instead of waiting for Surge to arrive. Surge runs on a timer, not on doors, and appears more often if you stall. Watch for the Groundskeeper near a shed's grass.