How To Drop Items In Dead By Daylight

Dropping Items during a Trial is as straightforward as pressing a button. However, this action is somewhat obscure, as most players don’t have a strong incentive to perform it. As a result, you seldom find forum threads or other sources that advise on this feature.

Luckily, in this article, we’ll show you which button to press to drop an Item in Dead by Daylight. Just make sure you don’t do this by accident, as such slip-ups can become fatal during a Trial.

How to Drop Items in Dead by Daylight

In Dead by Daylight, items are Unlockables that can help survivors escape. A common way of obtaining Items is from chests found throughout a Trial map. Alternatively, you can unlock items through the Bloodweb by investing Bloodpoints in purchasing nodes.

While Common and Uncommon Items spawn in chests regularly, the best way to get rare Items is via the Bloodweb. You could technically find Ultra Rare Items in chests, but their spawn chance is about 2%.

So, why would you want to drop a hard-earned Item?

There are several situations where dropping an Item can benefit survivors and even the killer.

First, there’s no limit on how many items you can have, so dropping them has nothing to do with inventory management.

However, if a survivor drops an item, it might be helpful for others trying to make it through the Trial. When a killer’s hot on your heels, and it’s apparent you won’t make it, there’s no use in holding on to items unless you have the White Ward offering. But, if you’re carrying a crucial item, such as a flashlight, key, or toolbox, you can try and drop them for other survivors to find.

Similarly, you might have an abundance of the same items and might want to share them with others.

Some players even try to appease the killer by dropping an item as a request for mercy. Reportedly, this strategy works in about one in five cases, and the killer will pick up the item, letting the survivor go.

How to Drop Items in Dead by Daylight on PS4

On a PS4 controller, the button for Item dropping is the Circle.

Bear in mind you’ll need to work quickly if you need to drop an Item while running away from the killer, as every second counts during the chase.

How to Drop Items in Dead by Daylight on Xbox

If you want to drop an item on Xbox, you’ll need to press B. The button layout is physically like the PS4 controller.

You’ll need to make sure to keep calm and perform the action quickly if the killer’s chasing you.

How to Drop Items in Dead by Daylight on PC

There’s a significant difference with controls on PC, depending on whether you’re using a controller or the usual keyboard and mouse layout. Players who prefer the controller will face the same challenge, as the button for dropping an item is in the same place as on Xbox and PS4.

On the keyboard, though, the matter becomes much more convenient. Here, you can drop an Item by pressing R, which is great news for PC gamers, as the usual movement’s controlled through the standard WASD layout.

How to Drop Items in Dead by Daylight on Switch

Controls for Nintendo Switch have a similar layout to that found on other controllers, whether you’re using a Joy-Con or a Pro Controller. The only difference here is that the button for dropping items on Switch is A. The letter is different from those on PS4, PC, or Xbox controllers, but the location’s the same.

If you’re playing on the Switch Lite, the controls are the same as on the standard Switch.

Additional FAQs

1. Do You Lose Items in Dead by Daylight?

Survivors can keep or lose items in Dead by Daylight depending on what happens in the Trial. It’s worth mentioning that every item that loses charge is removed from the inventory. Also, any add-ons are used up once the Trial ends, regardless of the outcome.

Those who manage to escape with a charged item keep it in their inventory. Entering the next Trial, Survivors automatically equip that item.

If the killer catches you and you don’t make it out of the Trial, you’ll lose the item as well as any add-ons attached to it. However, there’s a way to avoid losing items upon in-game death.

If you manage to get your hands on a White Ward offering and burn it, you’ll get to keep the last Item you were actively carrying, along with any attached add-ons. They’re rare, though, so don’t count on it in your strategy.

Keep in mind that using the White Ward offering doesn’t work with dropped Items. Items that you drop voluntarily are not protected.

Additionally, killers can unlock the Franklin’s Demise perk. This perk upgrades their basic attack to make survivors drop items when hit. Items remain on the ground for some time – 150 to 90 seconds, depending on the perk tier. After that time has passed, The Entity consumes the item.

The perk unlocks at level 40, and it’s a Teachable perk, which means that all killers can obtain it. The character that starts with Franklin’s Demise is The Cannibal, a killer based on the infamous Leatherface.

2. What Is the Best Tier in Dead by Daylight?

Tiers in Dead by Daylight refer to survivor and killer perk tiers that grant special abilities in Trials. Players equip them in their Loadout prior to every Trial.

Perks that are obtainable through the Bloodweb have three tiers, with the third being the most powerful.

To use the Franklin’s Demise perk at Tier I, the item that survivors drop on impact remains on the ground for 150 seconds. At Tier III, the item will only last for 90 seconds, making it more likely to be lost and less likely for another survivor to pick up.

The purchasable perks shouldn’t be confused for Unique and Teachable perks. Unique perks are reserved only for one character. Each character has three unique perks that will spawn exclusively in their Bloodweb, and these perks will always be Tier I.

To unlock the Unique perks for other characters, the player must purchase their Teachable version from the original Bloodweb, after which they will appear on other character’s Bloodwebs. Teachable perks will also remain on Tier I.

Finally, there’s a particular tiered game mechanic unique to The Doctor, a killer character. It’s called Madness and it affects survivors through the killer’s Carter’s Spark ability. Madness presents challenges for survivors with the effects getting progressively worse with each Tier.

In the case of Madness, the lowest tier may be the best if you’re playing as a survivor, while the highest would be most beneficial for killers.

3. What Is the Dead by Daylight Drop Item Perk?

The perk that makes survivors drop the last equipped item when the killer hits them is called Franklin’s Demise. This perk belongs to The Cannibal killer character and increases the likelihood that survivors will lose their items. However, to enable it, the killer has to take the time to invest in the perk.

One thing worth noting, too, is that Franklin’s Demise is a Teachable perk. This means that players can teach their other unlocked killer characters this perk if they have enough Bloodpoints or iridescent shards to buy it. For those who don’t want to spend the currency, the perk also unlocks as a Teachable at level 40, and if the player unlocks it for all their killers, it can present a serious setback for survivors.

The Franklin’s Demise perk was received with some controversy in the gaming community since many players saw it as a grinding tool that took up a perk slot without contributing much to the gameplay.

4. How Do You Drop Items in a DBD Switch?

You can drop items on a Switch by pressing the A button. On a Switch Lite, the button for this action is also A.

5. How Effective Are Flashlights in Dead by Daylight?

Flashlights can sometimes make the difference between escaping the killer and ending up on a hook. They can blind the killer, stunning them for a couple of seconds. If the killer’s carrying another survivor, they’ll release them.

The default flashlight lasts for eight seconds when used actively and has a beam with a 10-meter reach. The blind duration lasts only two seconds, though, so whether it’s effective depends on your gaming style. If you’re not sold on the default stats, you can improve all flashlight stats with advanced flashlights or by using various add-ons.

Leaving a Present Behind

Whether it’s particularly useful or not, dropping Items is an existing feature in Dead by Daylight. Now that you know how the action’s performed, feel free to experiment with it – who knows, you might make that Nurse leave you alone for a Trial or two.

Did you try dropping Items in Dead by Daylight? Did it help you or other survivors survive the Trial? Let us know in the comments section below.