How Dead By Daylight’s Unknown Killer Fits into the Meta

Dead by Daylight‘s newest Killer, The Unknown, is easily one of the freakiest, but its place in the meta is only just developing. While its aesthetic is solely its own, The Unknown competes with the many other killers in Dead by Daylight when it comes to strength and utility. It does have an interesting set of tools, some of which are unique, while others have some similarities to other killers. The Unknown and its powers are some of the most bizarre in Dead by Daylight, although hopefully they don’t turn out to be too obtuse.

As the killer of Dead by Daylight‘s analog-horror-themed Chapter 31, The Unknown is awash in tropes of that genre. Between its uncanny appearance, history of mysterious disappearances, and the creepy voices from its hallucinations, The Unknown would fit into many an online horror story. While its antics may be more silly than creepy to some due to those same stereotypes, there’s no questioning its otherworldly nature. Except for The Dredge, it’s easily the most mysterious Killer in the Fog, and its backstory emphasizes that, mostly by not addressing it. Dead by Daylight truly went in a pure horror direction with The Unknown.

Dead by Daylight’s Unknown is an Enigma With Bizarre Abilities

UVX is One of Dead by Daylight’s More Complicated Projectiles

The UVX is the signature power of Dead by Daylight‘s Unknown, and it works differently compared to other projectiles. It has a blast radius, giving it a small amount of leeway. However, it requires a short charge time, and also only Weakens on hit rather than dealing damage, meaning that it requires at least two hits to remove a health state. That alone makes it more unwieldy than most Killer projectiles, such as Huntress’ instant damage on-hit, or Trickster’s ability to pelt the opponent with knives. UVX can be useful, but it’s admittedly a little clunky to use.

The Unknown’s Hallucinations Provide Good Mobility Options

The Unknown’s other power, its hallucinations, grant it some well-appreciated mobility. As one of Dead by Daylight Chapter 31’s terrifying additions, The Unknown passively generates hallucinations on the map. In addition to eerily speaking to Survivors, the hallucinations also act as points that The Unknown can teleport to. The teleportation itself is extremely quick, moreso than other characters such as Sadako and the Dredge, giving The Unknown a powerful mobility option. Only four hallucinations can exist at a time, and survivors can dispel them, which is a significant weakness. It has counterplay, but The Unknown’s hallucinations could set up some nasty ambushes.

The Unknown Has a Few Tricks in Dead by Daylight

There are some solid synergies that can help The Unknown. Its hallucinations pair well with Discordance, which is already one of Dead by Daylight‘s better Killer perks, letting the player know where a generator is being worked on in order to set up an ambush. In terms of its own add-ons, Iridescent OSS report gives every hallucination a red stain and terror radius, further confusing survivors about its real location. Other good options include the B-Movie Poster, which applies the Broken status to Survivors following UVX damage, and Captured by the Dark, which weakens every Survivor at the Trial’s start. Basically, most good Unknown builds will resemble a horror story in action.

The Unknown definitely isn’t a weak killer, but it likely won’t be redefining the game’s power level anytime soon. While Dead by Daylight‘s Unknown is chilling, its UVX is not as efficient as it could be, although it’s not without its strengths. Its teleports and hallucinations feel much stronger, especially combined with add-ons. However, the limited amount of hallucinations combined with Survivors ability to dispel them is a downside. Overall, The Unknown feels like a solid upper mid-tier killer that can do some damage in a Dead by Daylight match.

Dead by Daylight

Dead by Daylight is an asymmetrical multiplayer horror game in which one player takes on the role of a Killer and the others play as “Survivors.” The Killer must hunt the Survivors, while the Survivors must escape.

Released

June 14, 2016

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer

Engine

Unreal Engine 4

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language

How Long To Beat

N/A

X|S Enhanced

Yes

File Size Xbox Series

63 GB (November 2023)

Platforms That Support Crossplay

PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S

Number of Players

5

PS Plus Availability

Extra & Premium