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In Dead By Daylight, a match consists of four survivors and a killer. Once 3 out of the 4 survivors in a match have died or disconnected, the hatch will open.
There isn’t anything survivors need to do to allow the hatch to become usable. All you need to do is be the last survivor alive.
You’ll be able to tell that the hatch is now available by looking at the bottom left of the screen. If there’s a hatch icon next to the generator icon, then the hatch has become an option for escape.
Make sure you find it as quickly as possible, or the killer will have the opportunity to close it!
What Is The Hatch For?
The hands of a survivor coming out of the hatch.
Dead by Daylight is all about balance.
Maintaining a balanced game ensures that both survivors and killers have equal chances of emerging victorious.
For the most part, killers have some pretty big advantages.
They can roam the map freely and have no concerns about being hurt or killed. They also have the power of The Entity on their side, providing them with the ability to see things that survivors cannot.
In exchange, the game provides survivors opportunities to outwit the killer.
These typically come in the form of perks and items, but also include the use of the hatch.
When things are looking bleak and only one survivor remains, the hatch appears on the map. This prop allows the final survivor an extra chance to escape – if they can find it before the killer does.
How To Open The Hatch
Jane Romero with information about the Skeleton Key.
There are two ways for the hatch to become usable:
When one survivor is left, or
With keys
The first is the automatic process that occurs when only one survivor is left on the map. Once the third survivor has been sacrificed, the hatch will open up.
Listen for the sound that emanates from the hatch and try to find the source before the killer does.
If the killer closes the hatch, that method of escape will no longer be an option unless you have a key.
Keys represent the second way that the hatch can be opened and used.
Normally, you would have to try to escape through the exit gates if the killer has closed the hatch. This can really make things difficult because the killer knows you only have two options for escape.
However, using a Dull Key or a Skeleton Key can allow you to open a hatch that has previously been closed.
Odds are, the killer won’t expect you to use this method. So it’s a great choice for making a sneaky escape!
How To Close The Hatch
Closing the hatch is much simpler than opening it.
When only one survivor remains, the hatch opens and can be found by either that survivor or the killer. The killer is at an advantage at this time because they can roam the map freely without danger.
Should the killer find the hatch first, they can easily close it.
This will push the remaining survivor to the exit gates, forcing them to try to escape before the killer can reach them.
The collapse will also begin once the hatch has been closed, meaning the remaining survivor will have to escape within the time limit or be destroyed by The Entity.
Where Does The Hatch Spawn On The Map?
While the map for a given match is being generated, the location of the hatch will be chosen at random.
For the players, that means the hatch does exist on the map as soon as the match begins, but it cannot be interacted with until it has been triggered.
That said, there are items that can either influence where the hatch spawns or track the location of the hatch.
Perks & Items That Can Affect The Hatch
Name
Type
Effects
Left Behind
Perk
See hatch aura from up to 32 metres away when you are the last survivor alive.
Clairvoyance
Perk
After cleansing a totem, gain the ability to see the aura of the hatch for up to 10 seconds within 64 metres.
Sole Survivor
Perk
Increases the hatch opening speed by 50%.
Skeleton Key
Item – Ultra Rare
Read auras for up to 30 seconds.
Consume to open a closed hatch if charges remain.
Dull Key
Item – Very Rare
See Auras for up to 5 seconds.
Consume to open a closed hatch if charges remain.
Vigo’s Blueprint
Item – Common
Increases the chances that the hatch will spawn inside of a map’s main building (If it has one).
Annotated Blueprint
Item – Common
Increases the chances that the hatch will spawn close to a “killer shack” if the map has one.
Rainbow Map
Item – Ultra Rare
Capable of tracking the location of the hatch when a player is within 8 metres.
Map + Black Silk Cord
Item + Add-On – Rare
Black Silk Cord allows the Map to track the location of the hatch.
Kahlia Meeuwsen is a real-world introvert, but a video game extrovert. While not actively working on her writing career, she loves playing Pokémon, survival games, watching a good anime, or digging into any form of horror she can get her hands on.
