Overloading Worm

The Overloading Worm is a returning elite boss enemy in Risk of Rain 2. It infamously serves as "The Reminder" to the player, passively taunting them with its presence due to typically being the "one to end all" - their long-fought survival.

Behavior
The Overloading Worm is a very late-game enemy, generally not spawning before the difficulty is essentially 'laughing at' ("HAHAHAHA...") the player, or upon approaching the last stage of the second loop in a run on Rainstorm or Monsoon, and the further stages that follow. Unlike other Overloading Elite enemies, it lacks a regenerating shield, but instead has substantially more vitality.

This burrowing giant behaves much like the normal Magma Worm, but with significantly more health and damage capabilities, and being attuned to lightning as opposed to fire. It is typically first seen in the Abyssal Depths as an enemy spawn, or generally on or after Stage 8, but it may be summoned earlier on if players interact with two or more Shrines of the Mountain between Stages 6 - 7.

While the embers behave similarly to the Magma Worm's own, the voltaic embers it spawns summon down vicious lightning strikes that will quickly eradicate anyone within the radius of those powerful bolts. In addition to this, it seems to take to the skies more frequently than the Magma Worm, allowing more effective spacing, but this can prove fatal if the worm ends up burrowing directly onto or next to unsuspecting players.

It is highly-advised to use any ranged means to take care of the worm as soon as an opportunity presents itself, as it will serve as a fatal distraction when exploring any level it is occupying. If summoned as a boss, the same ranged-only strategy should be used, as much like the Magma Worm, close-quarters fighting can be very painful. This is especially true for players who are playing as either Mercenary or Loader due to their melee-centric abilities, and going toe-to-toe with the Overloading Worm is most certainly going to end in the player's demise.

While the Magma Worm can be seemingly engaged in melee range, the Overloading Worm's impact and burrow damage is astronomically higher when it connects the player - most likely resulting in fatal damage being suffered. Players who are melee-centric Survivors should invest in powerful ranged equipment before venturing into the later stages after the first loop; the Royal Capacitor or the Preon Accumulator can be of great use for this.