The Unknown is Dead by Daylight’s reality-bending killer who fires UVX projectiles to weaken survivors, then teleports to them for instant pressure. It creates hallucinations of itself, forces survivors into a Weakened state, and can teleport across the map. The Unknown excels at ranged attacks, map pressure, and punishing survivors who don’t dispel their Weakened status.
Unknown rewards good aim, strategic hallucination placement, and capitalizing on Weakened survivors. Let’s break down how to master it.
The Unknown’s Power: UVX
Ability: The Unknown fires UVX projectiles that build up weakness on survivors, enabling teleportation and special attacks.
UVX Projectiles (M2)
How it works:
- Hold M2 to charge a UVX projectile
- Release M2 to fire the projectile
- Projectile travels in an arc (like Huntress hatchets)
- Direct hit on a survivor: Applies Weakened status + deals damage
- Miss: Creates a Hallucination at impact location
UVX details:
- You have unlimited projectiles (no reload)
- Charging takes ~1 second
- Projectile speed is moderate (requires aim)
- Direct hits are VERY strong (damage + Weakened)
Key concept: Hit survivors with UVX to weaken them and damage them.
Weakened State
When survivors are hit by UVX or look at The Unknown, they become Weakened.
How Weakened works:
- Survivors have a Weakened meter
- Meter fills when:
- Hit directly by UVX projectile
- Looking at The Unknown (gradual buildup)
- Standing near Hallucinations
- Once meter is full, survivor is WEAKENED
- Weakened survivors:
- Suffer from visual distortion (screen effects)
- Can be teleported to by The Unknown
- Are tracked by Killer Instinct when teleporting
Dispelling Weakened:
- Survivors look at The Unknown for 1.5 seconds to dispel
- Looking directly at you removes Weakened status
- This forces survivors to stare at you (dangerous)
Key concept: Weakened survivors can be teleported to. They must look at you to dispel.
Teleportation to Weakened Survivors (Hold M2 near Hallucination)
How it works:
- When a survivor is Weakened, hold M2 near any Hallucination
- You teleport directly to that Weakened survivor
- You emerge next to them
- They are revealed by Killer Instinct during teleport
Teleportation details:
- You can teleport to ANY Weakened survivor from ANY Hallucination
- Teleporting consumes the Hallucination
- You emerge right next to the survivor (instant pressure)
Key concept: Hit survivors with UVX to Weaken them, then teleport to them from across the map.
Hallucinations
Missed UVX shots create Hallucinations.
How Hallucinations work:
- When you miss a UVX shot, a Hallucination spawns at impact
- Hallucinations look like The Unknown
- They stand motionless
- Survivors near Hallucinations build up Weakened meter
- You can teleport to Weakened survivors from Hallucinations
Hallucination details:
- Last indefinitely (don’t despawn)
- Up to 5 Hallucinations can exist at once
- Oldest Hallucination is destroyed when you create a 6th
- Hallucinations can be used as teleport points
Strategic placement:
- Intentionally miss UVX shots to place Hallucinations
- Place them near gens, loops, high-traffic areas
- Use them as teleport anchors
Key concept: Hallucinations are teleport points. Place them strategically.
Playing Unknown: The Strategy
Unknown’s gameplay loop is:
- Fire UVX at survivors (hit or miss both useful)
- Direct hit: Damage + Weaken survivor
- Miss: Create Hallucination for teleportation
- Wait for survivors to become Weakened
- Teleport to Weakened survivors from Hallucinations
- Attack them immediately after teleporting
- Repeat
Key concept: You’re building Weakened on survivors and teleporting to them.
UVX Projectile Strategy
UVX is Unknown’s primary tool.
When to Fire UVX
At survivors during chases:
- Fire UVX at survivors at loops
- Direct hit: Damage + Weakened
- Miss: Hallucination created (still useful)
To create Hallucinations:
- Intentionally fire UVX at strategic locations
- Create Hallucinations near gens, hooks, loops
- Use them as teleport anchors later
At injured survivors:
- Direct UVX hit can down injured survivors
- Prioritize injured targets
In the open:
- Survivors running in straight lines
- Fire UVX ahead of them (lead shots)
UVX Aim Tips
Lead your shots:
- UVX has travel time (arc trajectory)
- Aim where survivors WILL BE, not where they ARE
- Predict movement
Fire at loops:
- Survivors at loops are predictable
- Fire over/around obstacles
- Hit or miss, both are valuable
Practice trajectory:
- UVX arcs like Huntress hatchets
- Practice the arc in custom games
Weakened State Strategy
Building and exploiting Weakened is key.
Building Weakened
Direct UVX hits:
- Fastest way to Weaken survivors
- Hit them directly
Survivors looking at you:
- Survivors who look at you build Weakened
- They’re forced to look away or become Weakened
Hallucinations:
- Survivors near Hallucinations build Weakened
- Place Hallucinations in high-traffic areas
Exploiting Weakened
Teleport to Weakened survivors:
- Once survivor is Weakened, teleport from any Hallucination
- You appear right next to them
- Instant pressure
Track with Killer Instinct:
- Weakened survivors are revealed during teleport
- You know exactly where they are
Force dispelling:
- Weakened survivors MUST look at you to dispel
- When they look at you, they’re vulnerable
- Chase them while they’re looking
Hallucination Placement Strategy
Hallucinations are your teleport network.
Where to Place Hallucinations
Near generators:
- Place Hallucinations near gens with progress
- Teleport to Weakened survivors working on those gens
At loops:
- Place Hallucinations at strong loops
- Teleport to survivors looping those areas
At hooks:
- Place Hallucinations near hooks
- Teleport to rescuers
High-traffic areas:
- Pathways between gens
- Center of the map
- Common survivor routes
Don’t place randomly:
- Hallucinations should be strategic
- Think about where you’ll want to teleport
Early Game Strategy
Unknown’s early game is about creating Hallucinations and building Weakened.
Opening sequence:
- Fire UVX at strategic locations - Create Hallucinations near gens
- Find survivors - Patrol gens
- Hit them with UVX - Direct hit to Weaken + Damage
- Create more Hallucinations - Build teleport network
- Teleport to Weakened survivors - Pressure across the map
Goal: Build a network of 4-5 Hallucinations and get survivors Weakened.
Mid-Game Strategy
Mid-game is where Unknown dominates with teleportation.
UVX spam:
- Fire UVX constantly
- Hit survivors or create Hallucinations
- Both are valuable
Teleportation pressure:
- Multiple survivors are Weakened
- Teleport to whoever is in the worst position
- Constant map pressure
Hallucination maintenance:
- Keep 4-5 Hallucinations active
- Replace old ones in bad locations
Force dispelling:
- When survivors try to dispel Weakened, chase them
- They’re vulnerable while looking at you
Endgame Strategy
Unknown is strong endgame with teleportation.
Hallucinations at exit gates:
- Place Hallucinations near gates
- Teleport to Weakened survivors at gates
UVX at gates:
- Fire UVX at survivors opening gates
- Direct hit damages them
Weakened tracking:
- Weakened survivors are revealed
- You know where everyone is
Best Perks for Unknown
Unknown wants perks that capitalize on ranged attacks and teleportation.
Top Tier Perks
Hex: Ruin - Gens not being repaired regress at 200% speed. Unknown applies pressure with teleportation, so Ruin gets value.
Lethal Pursuer - See all survivors at the start for 9 seconds. Find them and fire UVX immediately.
Barbecue & Chili (BBQ) - See survivors’ auras after hooking. Shows you where to teleport next.
Corrupt Intervention - Blocks the 3 farthest gens for 120 seconds. Gives you time to create Hallucinations.
Strong Perks
Pop Goes the Weasel - After hooking, kick a gen to regress it by 30%. Unknown can teleport to gens.
Deadlock - Blocks the gen with most progress for 30 seconds when a gen completes. Buys you time.
Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance - Hooking on scourge hooks regresses the gen with most progress.
I’m All Ears - See survivors’ auras for 6 seconds when they fast vault. Helps line up UVX shots.
Sloppy Butcher - Survivors heal slower. Keeps them injured longer.
Sample Builds
Slowdown Build (Best for Unknown):
- Hex: Ruin
- Corrupt Intervention
- Deadlock
- Lethal Pursuer
Information Build:
- Lethal Pursuer
- Barbecue & Chili
- I’m All Ears
- Pop Goes the Weasel
Beginner Build:
- Corrupt Intervention
- Lethal Pursuer
- Barbecue & Chili
- NOED
Best Add-Ons
Unknown’s add-ons modify UVX projectiles, Weakened buildup, and Hallucinations.
Top Tier Add-Ons
Iridescent UVX (Pink - Ultra Rare) - Survivors who dispel Weakened scream and reveal their location. Punishes dispelling. Very strong.
Compound UVX (Purple - Very Rare) - Considerably increases Weakened buildup speed. Survivors become Weakened much faster.
Accelerated UVX (Purple - Very Rare) - Considerably increases UVX projectile speed. Easier to hit survivors.
Strong Add-Ons
Unstable UVX (Green - Rare) - Moderately increases Weakened buildup speed. Budget version of Compound UVX.
Precise UVX (Green - Rare) - Moderately increases UVX projectile speed. Budget version of Accelerated UVX.
Enhanced UVX (Yellow - Uncommon) - Slightly increases Weakened buildup speed.
Refined UVX (Yellow - Uncommon) - Slightly increases UVX projectile speed.
Avoid These Add-Ons
Degraded UVX - Slightly decreases UVX projectile speed. You WANT faster projectiles, not slower. Avoid.
Sample Add-On Combos
Fast Weakened Build: Compound UVX + Unstable UVX (very fast Weakened buildup)
Accuracy Build: Accelerated UVX + Precise UVX (very fast projectiles, easy hits)
Anti-Dispel Build: Iridescent UVX + Compound UVX (punish dispelling + fast Weakened)
Budget Build: Unstable UVX + Precise UVX (decent Weakened + decent speed)
Playing Against Good Survivors
Good survivors make Unknown work harder.
They dispel Weakened quickly: Survivors look at you to remove Weakened. Counter by chasing them while they’re looking (they’re vulnerable).
They dodge UVX: Good aim required. Lead your shots and predict movement.
They avoid Hallucinations: Survivors stay away from Hallucinations. Counter by placing them in unavoidable locations.
They split on gens: Unknown has good mobility. Teleport between gens constantly.
They’re in a SWF: Comms let them coordinate. Counter by applying constant pressure with teleports.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Not creating Hallucinations strategically: Place Hallucinations near gens, loops, hooks. Not randomly.
Missing UVX shots constantly: Practice your aim. Leading shots is key.
Not teleporting enough: Teleport to Weakened survivors frequently. It’s your map pressure.
Ignoring Weakened survivors: If someone is Weakened, teleport to them. Don’t wait.
Not tracking Killer Instinct: Weakened survivors are revealed during teleport. Use this to find them.
Chasing survivors trying to dispel: When survivors look at you to dispel, they’re vulnerable. Chase them.
Having too few Hallucinations: Maintain 4-5 Hallucinations for good teleport coverage.
Map-Specific Tips
Indoor Maps (The Game, Lery’s, Midwich, RPD) - Strong for Unknown. Tight corridors make UVX easier to hit. Hallucinations work well indoors.
Open Maps (Coldwind, MacMillan, Autohaven) - Decent for Unknown. UVX works at range. Hallucinations provide good coverage.
Large Maps (Mother’s Dwelling, Red Forest) - Still good for Unknown. Teleportation covers huge maps.
Multi-Level Maps (The Game, Midwich) - Great for Unknown. Hallucinations work on all floors.
Why Play Unknown?
Pros:
- Ranged attack (UVX)
- Map pressure (teleportation)
- Unique Weakened mechanic
- Good on most maps
- Hallucinations provide tactical options
- Satisfying when you land shots
Cons:
- Requires good aim
- UVX has arc trajectory (learning curve)
- Survivors can dispel Weakened
- Hallucination management required
- Some survivors find screen effects annoying
Advanced Tips
UVX leading: Projectiles have travel time. Aim where survivors WILL BE.
Strategic Hallucinations: Place them near gens, hooks, loops. Not randomly.
Teleport constantly: Teleport to Weakened survivors frequently. Maximum pressure.
Chase during dispelling: When survivors look at you to dispel, chase them. They’re vulnerable.
Maintain 5 Hallucinations: Always have maximum Hallucinations for best coverage.
UVX at loops: Fire over loops. Hit or miss, both are valuable.
Track Weakened meters: Check who’s close to being Weakened. Prioritize them.
Iridescent UVX dominance: With Iri UVX, dispelling reveals survivors. They can’t safely dispel.
Compound UVX speed: With Compound UVX, survivors become Weakened VERY fast. Multiple teleport opportunities.
Learning Curve and Practice
Unknown has a moderate to high learning curve due to aim requirements.
Hours 0-10: Learning UVX aim. Understanding Weakened. Placing Hallucinations.
Hours 10-30: UVX aim improving. Teleporting effectively. Winning matches.
Hours 30-60: Comfortable with Unknown. Landing shots consistently. Dominating most matches.
Hours 60+: Unknown main. Perfect UVX aim. Unstoppable teleportation pressure.
Practice tips:
- Practice UVX aim (arc trajectory like Huntress)
- Place Hallucinations strategically (gens, loops, hooks)
- Teleport to Weakened survivors constantly
- Lead your shots (predict survivor movement)
- Watch Unknown streamers
Final Thoughts
The Unknown is one of Dead by Daylight’s most unique killers with its reality-bending powers and teleportation mechanics. It rewards good aim, strategic Hallucination placement, and capitalizing on Weakened survivors.
Unknown dominates with ranged UVX attacks and cross-map teleportation. Master your aim, place Hallucinations strategically, and embrace the reality-warping chaos.
Practice your projectiles, teleport constantly, and dominate with the Unknown.
Good luck, and may your reality always bend in your favor.
Last Updated: Patch 9.3.0 - November 2025