Dead by Daylight how to find the hatch – Our tips on how to open, close and locate it

Wondering how to find the hatch in Dead by Daylight? If you’re playing as a Survivor in Behaviour Interactive’s asymmetrical survival horror game, escape at all costs is your aim. But what if the Killer has sacrificed your teammates, leaving you as the last one left? Despite the odds, you’re not doomed in a situation like this, and there’s one additional way to escape if the Killer is closing in: the hatch.

Here, we’re going to explain how to find the hatch in Dead by Daylight. Though it might be your best shot at salvation, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to find. We’ve covered plenty of other mechanics for the game though. If you’re just starting out and wondering how to repair generators, unlock Killers or drop items, or want an overview of all the basics with a Dead by Daylight beginners guide, we can help.

What is the hatch in Dead by Daylight?

Let’s first quickly explain what the hatch actually is. The hatch is an alternate escape route that comes into play during the endgame of a match. Once three Survivors have either escaped or been sacrificed to The Entity, the hatch will open somewhere on the map. By finding and interacting with it, the last remaining Survivor can escape the level, even if the main gates aren’t unlocked.

Our top tips for finding the hatch in Dead by Daylight

While the hatch spawn location is random, there are a few spots on every map it frequently appears. There are also a handful of specific abilities players can use to manipulate the spawn location.

The Annotated Blueprint and Vigo’s Blueprint are the primary offerings you’ll need to burn if you want to influence the hatch location. By Burning the Annotated Blueprint, the hatch spawn will move to a location nearby to the Killer’s Shack. By burning Vigo’s Blueprint, it’ll move to a central location at the map’s primary landmark. If you don’t have either of these though, your best bet is to learn the common spawn locations.

Dead by Daylight Hatch spawn locations

Although hatch spawns aren’t fixed until a match begins, there are some spots where it’ll most commonly appear. Here’s a breakdown of where you should be looking first on every map with such spawns. For simplicity, we’ve broken this down by the maps for each respective Realm.

Autohaven Wreckers Realm

• Azarov’s Resting Place – The hatch tends to spawn near generators or around the edge of the map.
• Blood Lodge – The hatch commonly appears in the Lodge at the southern part of the map.
• Wretched Shop – The hatch can often be found behind the shop, nearby to some barrels.

Coldwind Farm Realm

• Fractured Cowshed – Check north of the blimp crash site. This is most often where the hatch will appear.
• Rancid Abattoir – The hatch tends to spawn in the room with the hanging pigs.
• Rotten Fields – Try checking in the fields near the exit.
• The Thompson House – Have a look on the porch near the back of the house, this is where the hatch is usually found.
• Torment Creek – This hatch often appears near the wrecked building.

Crotus Prenn Asylum Realm

• Disturbed Ward – You can sometimes find the hatch on this map nearby to a bonfire.
• Father Campbell’s Chapel – The hatch here mostly spawns inside the small shack.

Gideon Meat Plant Realm

• The Game – this hatch is usually found at the bottom of the stairs leading to the lowest level.

Haddonfield Realm

• Lampkin Lane – the hatch for this map is usually found on the road, either near the centre or at one of the two ends.

Hawkins National Laboratory Realm

• The Underground Complex – This hatch is almost always found somewhere on the lowest level.

MacMillan Estate Realm

• Coal Tower – Check the two-storey wheel house next to the coal tower itself for the hatch.
• Ironworks of Misery – The hatch often spawns on the ground floor of the main building, between the two pipes.
• Shelter Woods – The hatch tends to spawn either right next to the cabin or right out near the edges of the map.
• Suffocation Pit – The hatch usually spawns near the ramp behind the large house.

Ormond Realm

• Mount Ormond Resort – You’ll often find the hatch near a generator on this map.

Red Forest Realm

• Mother’s Dwelling – The hatches here usually spawn at the base of one of the many tall trees.

Springwood Realm

• Badham Preschool – You’ll frequently find the hatch near the exit on the road or in the boiler room.

There are more maps beyond the ones on this list, however there are no reliable spots on them to find the hatch in. However, there are still some general patterns you can follow. Hatches most commonly spawn either at the centre of a map, near its edge, or next to a generator. You can also deduce its rough location by sound.

As we’ve found in our playthroughs, players nearby to an open hatch can pick up on a sound cue – a gust of wind and clanging metal – which indicate proximity to the hatch. If you hear this sound, check around the local area of the map using the advice above, and if the hatch is still open, chances are you’ll be able to make use of it and escape.

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Did you know?

Perks in-game can also help with finding the hatch. William Overbeck’s “Left Behind” perk for example can show you the aura of the hatch when you’re within 24 meters of it and are the only remaining Survivor in a Trial.

The hatch mechanics explained – how do you open it and close it?

Lastly, it’s worth going over the particular mechanics of the hatch, as they’ll work differently depending on what team you’re on.

If you’re the Killer, then your job is pretty simple. Once only the last Survivor remains within the Trials, the hatch will open automatically on the map, regardless of whether the exit gates are also open or not. If you know where it is, you should head for it as soon as possible. Killers can close the lid of the hatch. At this point, it locks, preventing escape in most cases.

If you’re a survivor, you’ll likewise want to sprint for the hatch as soon as it opens. If the Killer manages to close it before you, it might be game over. There is one workaround though if you’ve got the right items, though sadly there are no perks that will get you out of this sticky situation. If you have the Skeleton Key item or the Dull Key item on you, and it still has charges, you can manually re-open the hatch even after the Killer has closed it. Be careful though, as this isn’t an immediate process, and the Killer can grab you while you’re unlocking the hatch.

That covers how to find the hatch in Dead by Daylight. Now that you’re clued in on what the hatch is, it’s spawn locations, and how to open and close it, why not read up on some more gameplay tips and tricks? There’s still more than just our earlier suggestions – whether you’re after an overview of Dead by Daylight multiplayer, the best Survivor Perks, or Dead by Daylight Prestige, or want to know how to get Bloody Clothes, we can help out.

What is the hatch in Dead by Daylight?

The hatch is a small metal door that spawns somewhat randomly on the map. It can be used as an alternate escape route by the last remaining Survivor in a match.

How many times can you open the hatch?

The hatch can open up to two times in a match. It will open automatically when only one Survivor remains, and it can be opened again manually with a key if the Killer proceeds to close it.