There’s nothing more demoralizing as a Dead by Daylight killer than loading into a match, getting one good hook, and turning around to see three generators already popped. Survivor teams are faster than ever at coordinating gen rushes, and if you don’t have the right slowdown perks in your build, you can lose a match before you even get your first down. If you’ve been looking for a reliable, low-effort slowdown perk that works for almost every killer, you’ve probably come across advice to pick up the Deadlock perk. This guide breaks down exactly how to get deadlock perk dbd, what makes it so valuable, and how to use it to win more matches.
How to Get Deadlock Perk DBD: Exact Unlock Requirements
Deadlock is a teachable perk originally tied to The Cenobite, better known to most players as Pinhead from the Hellraiser franchise. Teachable perks are unique to specific killers or survivors, and once unlocked, they can appear in the bloodweb of every other character in your roster. There are two separate ways to unlock this perk permanently, depending on whether you own the Hellraiser DLC or not.
If you do own the Cenobite DLC, you simply need to level up The Cenobite through his bloodweb. The tier 1 version of Deadlock becomes available as a teachable at level 30, tier 2 at level 35, and tier 3 at level 40. Once you unlock the teachable version from his bloodweb, it will start appearing as a purchasable perk in the bloodweb of every other killer you own, no extra steps required. A lot of new players who are researching how to get Deadlock Perk DBD assume they have to buy the Cenobite DLC to access it, but that’s not the case at all.
If you don’t own the Hellraiser DLC, you can unlock Deadlock for free through the Shrine of Secrets. The Shrine of Secrets is a rotating in-game store that features four teachable perks every week, available for purchase with iridescent shards, the free currency you earn from playing matches. When Deadlock appears in the shrine, you can buy the tier 3 version directly for 2000 iridescent shards, and it will be unlocked for all your killers immediately, no DLC purchase required.
Key Factors to Speed Up Unlocking the Deadlock Perk
Grinding for new perks can feel tedious, especially if you’re trying to build a meta killer build fast. There are several simple changes you can make to your play routine that cut your grind time drastically, without forcing you to play more hours than you normally would. These tips work whether you’re leveling The Cenobite directly or saving up shards for the Shrine of Secrets.
- Prioritize bloodpoint gains during match play by focusing on killer objectives like hooking survivors, breaking pallets, and using your power regularly to hit the 8000 max bloodpoint cap every single game
- Save your iridescent shards exclusively for Shrine of Secrets purchases if you don’t own The Cenobite DLC, instead of spending them on cosmetics, charm packs, or other non-essential in-game items
- Use bloodpoint offerings and event bonuses whenever possible to double or triple your bloodpoint earnings per match, cutting your total grind time in half or more
- Level up The Cenobite first if you do own the DLC, as unlocking his teachable Deadlock perk early makes it available for all your other killers immediately, instead of waiting for it to show up in the shrine
You don’t need to reach prestige levels to unlock teachable perks, so don’t waste extra bloodpoints prestiging The Cenobite if your only goal is to get Deadlock fast. You can stop leveling him as soon as you unlock the tier 3 teachable at level 40, and move back to playing your main killer. The Shrine of Secrets resets every Tuesday at 11AM EST, so make a habit of checking it weekly to see if Deadlock is available, so you don’t miss your chance to grab it early.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Grinding for the Deadlock Perk
Even if you follow all the grinding tips, it’s easy to slow down your progress by making simple, common mistakes that most new DBD players make. These mistakes add hours of unnecessary grind time, and many players don’t even realize they’re doing anything wrong until they’ve already wasted hundreds of thousands of bloodpoints or thousands of iridescent shards.
The first big mistake is spreading your bloodpoints across multiple killers at once when you’re trying to unlock Deadlock fast. If you own the Cenobite DLC, focus all your bloodpoints on leveling him exclusively until you unlock the teachable perk. You can skip buying add-ons, offerings, and cosmetics you don’t want in his bloodweb, only unlocking the nodes you need to reach the next level and the teachable perk nodes themselves. This cuts the total bloodpoints you need to spend by almost 30% in most cases.
Another common mistake is wasting iridescent shards on non-perk purchases when you’re waiting for Deadlock to show up in the shrine. It’s easy to see a cool survivor outfit or charm and blow 1000 shards on it, but that sets you back weeks of grinding if you only earn 50-100 shards per match. Make a rule that you won’t spend shards on anything else until you’ve bought Deadlock, and you’ll get it much faster.
Don’t waste your rare perk offerings on low-level killers if you’re trying to get Deadlock on your main killer as fast as possible. Perk offerings that increase the chance of specific perks showing up in your bloodweb only work once the teachable version of the perk is already unlocked, so save them for after you’ve added Deadlock to your shared perk pool.
How to Use the Deadlock Perk Effectively After Unlocking It
Once you’ve figured out how to get Deadlock Perk DBD and added it to your build, you’ll notice an immediate difference in how long matches last. The perk’s effect is simple: every time a survivor completes a generator, Deadlock automatically blocks the generator with the highest remaining progress for 30/35/40 seconds, depending on the perk tier. Survivors can’t repair, damage, or interact with the blocked generator at all during that time, which gives you extra breathing room to apply pressure across the map.
Deadlock works best on killers that can apply map pressure quickly, like Nurse, Blight, or Wesker, because you can use the 40 seconds of blocked gen time to chase survivors without worrying about another gen popping while you’re occupied. It’s also a fantastic perk for new killers who are still learning how to manage multiple gens at once, because it eliminates the need to track every gen’s progress manually. The perk activates automatically, so you don’t have to do any extra work to get its benefit.
To get the most value out of Deadlock, pair it with other slowdown perks like Pop Goes the Weasel, Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance, or Corrupt Intervention. This stack of slowdown perks makes it almost impossible for even coordinated survivor teams to pull off a fast gen rush, even if they’re running all the fastest repair perks available. You can also adjust your playstyle to capitalize on Deadlock’s effect: when you see the notification that a gen is blocked, head to that location first, because survivors will often loiter nearby waiting for the block to end.
You can track when Deadlock activates by the distinct audio cue and the white aura around the blocked generator, so you don’t have to guess which gen is out of commission. If you’re playing a trapper or Hag, you can even set up traps or phantasm traps around the blocked gen to catch unsuspecting survivors who try to wait out the block nearby. This turns a simple slowdown perk into a free down opportunity more often than you might think.
At the end of the day, the Deadlock perk is one of the most accessible, high-value slowdown perks you can add to your killer kit right now. It works for every killer in the roster, requires zero extra effort to use, and can turn almost any losing match around if you use its effect correctly. Whether you’re a new player still building up your perk library or a veteran looking to shake up your meta builds, it’s well worth the small amount of grind to unlock. Now that you know how to get deadlock perk dbd, you can start planning your grind this week, and you’ll be shutting down gen rushes before you know it.