The Clown can use his Afterpiece Tonic and Afterpiece Antidote to slow Survivors down or speed himself up, making him a mind-gaming powerhouse when used by a great player. As such, Survivors will need to be smart to outplay a good Clown player, but it's more than possible if you familiarize yourself with this Killer's power and take advantage of your strengths.
Let's take a deeper look into what it takes to counter The Clown in Dead by Daylight, including what to expect when playing against this Killer and what you can do to prepare.
Update 27 March 2023 - This article has been updated to reflect all of the changes to Dead by Daylight that affect the best counters to The Clown.
Dodge The Clown's Bottles

Any good Clown player will try to throw their bottles directly at you when they can. An indirect hit will still create a cloud of purple smoke around the bottle, slowing you down, but a direct impact can also stop actions such as generator repairs and unhooks.
Some Clown players also run the Redhead's Pinky Finger add-on, which inflicts Survivors who are hit directly with bottles with the Exposed status effect, which forces them to go down in one hit. To avoid being caught off-guard by this commonly used (yet Iridescent) add-on, avoid direct hits from The Clown's bottles at all costs, especially if the Killer seems insistent on hitting you with one.
Take Advantage Of The Clown's Yellow Afterpiece Antidote
While The Clown's Afterpiece Antidote will speed him up when he walks through the cloud, it will also speed up any Survivor that runs through it. An experienced Clown player will attempt to throw the Antidote in areas that will benefit him, but if you happen to see a cloud of Afterpiece Antidote at a reasonable time, don't hesitate to run through it. You'll be granted a burst of speed, which can be enough to escape this Killer in most situations!
Split Up And Complete Generators Quickly

To win against The Clown, you should play strategically with your team. It's in your best interest to split up and complete generators as quickly as possible. The Clown is excellent at downing Survivors in 1v1 loop situations but struggles when entire teams remain standing and working consistently. Bringing along a good Survivor build can help you complete generators quickly enough to escape The Clown.
That's all you need to know about how to counter The Clown in Dead by Daylight. If you apply these tips and tricks, you're sure to win more trials and come out on top against even the best Killer players. Good luck out there in the fog!
For more Dead by Daylight news be sure to check out our dedicated section, or some of our Guides & Tutorials, just below:
DBD Guides - Dead By Daylight Killers Tier List | Best Dead By Daylight Survivor Builds | Dead By Daylight Codes | Shrine of Secrets Perks This Week | Best Dead By Daylight Survivor Perks| Best Dead By Daylight Killer Perks | When Is Dead By Daylight Rank Reset | How To Get Bloodpoints Fast | How To Get Bloody Clothes | Does Dead By Daylight Have Bots | Dead By Daylight Roadmap | Dead By Daylight CrossProgression Explained | How To Track Dead By Daylight Stats
DBD Best Builds – The Artist | The Blight | The Cannibal | The Cenobite | The Clown | The Deathslinger | The Demogorgon | The Doctor | The Dredge | The Executioner | The Ghost Face | The Hag | The Hillbilly | The Huntress | The Legion | The Mastermind | The Nemesis | The Nightmare | The Nurse | The Oni | The Onryō | The Pig | The Plague | The Shape| The Spirit| The Trapper| The Trickster| The Twins | The Wraith
Featured image courtesy of Behaviour Interactive.