Almost everything you do makes noise. Guards who hear it will either come and look, or come running.
Two kinds of noise
| Type | Guards will... | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Searching | Walk over to investigate | Footsteps, voices, bullet impacts, thrown rocks, takedown struggles |
| Hunting | Run straight at it, ready to fight | Gunfire, melee hits, blocks, reloads, dry-fire clicks |
How far noise carries
| Source | Heard up to |
|---|---|
| Pistol or sniper shot | 80 m |
| Assault rifle shot | 60 m |
| Thrown rock landing | 25 m |
| Axe hitting a tree | 17 m |
| Angry goose | 12 m |
| Sprinting | 8 m |
| Stealth kill | 8 m |
| Bow shot, reloading | 7 m |
| Placing a building piece | 6 m |
| Jumping, landing, mantling, swimming | 5 m |
| Running | 4 m |
| Opening a chest | 4 m |
| Crouch-sprinting | 2.5 m |
| Crouch-walking, crawling | 0.5–1.5 m |
| Brushing through foliage | 0.5–5 m |
Masking your noise
Background noise covers your own. Rain, strong wind, rivers and busy base areas all raise the ambient level, so guards nearby can't pick you out as easily. The HUD noise meter shows both your noise and the ambient level, so you can tell when you're covered.
TipMoving through a storm or along a river is the quietest way to approach an outpost.