How To Drop Survivors In Dead by Daylight

Dropping a survivor in the horror game Dead by Daylight can be a highly strategic movie, giving you the chance to attack other survivors or focus on damaging a generator at key moments. If you don't drop survivors when you should, they might be able to wiggle out of your grasp, causing lots of problems for you.

For beginners to the game, though, it might not be obvious how to drop a survivor. Thankfully, we are here to help. Here’s how to drop a survivor in Dead by Daylight so you can do so when you need to.

1 June 2023 - Dropping a survivor in Dead by Daylight is one of the most important things you can do as a killer. We've updated this page to include the buttons required to drop a survivor on each platform. 

How To Drop A Survivor In Dead by Daylight

To drop a survivor in Dead by Daylight, you only have to press one button while you’re holding the survivor. 

• Does Dead By Daylight Have Cross-Progression?

• How to Mori in Dead by Daylight

• Dead By Daylight Shrine of Secrets This Week

• Dead by Daylight Rank Reset (October 2022): Release Time and Rewards

The controls, of course, are different on each platform. Here are all of the default button controls to drop a survivor for each platform. 

• On PC – R 

• On PS4/PS5 – Circle 

• On Xbox Consoles – B 

• Nintendo Switch – A 

You should only drop a survivor if you haven’t been holding them for a long time; after a survivor’s wiggle bar reaches a certain percentage, they will be able to wiggle out even if you press the ‘Drop’ button first. 

When To Drop Survivors In Dead By Daylight

Dropping survivors strategically in Dead by Daylight can be a really smart move.

For example, you might want to drop a survivor if other survivors are body blocking, preventing you from getting your hook. In this instance, it’s a better idea to put the survivor in your arms and back on the ground as soon as possible rather than to let them wiggle out. 

You might also want to put a survivor back on the ground to apply a perk or power; for example, if you need to apply a Reverse Bear Trap as The Pig and you forgot when you first made the down.

And that’s all you need to know about how to drop survivors in Dead by Daylight. It’s pretty simple if you know how to do it, but doing it at the right time can be a real game-changer. 

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.

For more Dead by Daylight news be sure to check out our dedicated section, or some of our Guides & Tutorials, just below: