Eight killers, not a settled ladder
October 2026 roster guides list eight killers: The Slasher, The Stalker, The Killer, The Hidden, The Masked, The Abysswalker, The Veil, and The Cure. Community aliases show up constantly: Jason for The Slasher, Michael Myers for The Stalker, Jeff for The Killer, and Jacket for The Masked. A few pages also describe a Hunter with stillness invisibility and a leap. Those tools are also described on The Hidden, and the eight-killer counts do not add a ninth shop slot. Check the in-game roster before you hunt for a Hunter unlock.
Strength lists from September and October 2026 do not agree. One September board puts The Cure, The Veil, and The Abysswalker on top. Another September board puts The Cure and The Hidden on top and The Veil lower. An October 9 board puts The Veil first and calls The Cure and The Stalker weak. This site does not average those letters into a fake consensus. The learning order only says who to practice first.
What each kit is for
- The Slasher — Lake of Mist is 80% translucence, a large haste, and stealth that lingers 4 seconds after you decloak, on a 60 second cooldown after May 16, 2026. Decloaking applies a heavy slow, and the power disables vaulting, breaking, and attacking while it is up. Pursuit was nerfed that day to 21.25 studs per second and is the pallet-pressure tool.
- The Stalker — Stalk, then Hunt Mode. Roundups describe a 0-stud detection radius until the power comes online, then a timed chase. Early game is weak if nobody sits in your stalk.
- The Killer — Frenzy for speed and vaults. September 2026 notes describe an animation overhaul. Keep survivors injured if your build is about denying heals, which is how aggressive guides play this kit.
- The Hidden — Leap and Mark. January 2026 patch roundups put Leap at 25 seconds and Mark at 17. A May 16 note says the shrink of the detection radius while standing still was removed. One September ranking still quotes a 45-stud intent radius. Read the current radius in a match.
- The Masked — Random masks, described as seven options on about a 30 second timer, with a 115% move speed in one ranking. Mask names in public lists include Panther, Rat, Lizard, Tiger, Swan, and Duck, plus a chainsaw-style instant down. The names conflict, so use the icon you rolled.
- The Abysswalker — Added July 18, 2025. Base speed became 19.55 studs per second (115%) on November 29, 2025. On May 16, 2026 the lunge became 25 studs per second for 0.5 seconds, Dark Severance's cooldown became 30 seconds, and Abyssal Burst's slow became 4 seconds. Burst is the map-wide slow. Dark Severance is the multi-target slash. Guides say the slash is telegraphed and that crouch can avoid it.
- The Veil — Spears that pass through walls. September 2026 changed voice lines, the outro, and collision. Do not copy spear cooldowns from guides written before that pass.
- The Cure — Zone, injection, and converted survivors. Full numbers are on The Cure guide. Widely 15,000 Screws since May 16, 2026.
Shared killer habits
Patrol generators, kick the ones that stop regressing because someone touched them, and break pallets you are handed. Personal perks such as the Slasher's Excitement, Brutal Strength, and Off-Screen are part of that killer's level or loadout path. Off-Screen is listed at a 6/8/10% move-speed bonus outside a chase.