You're at one generator left. The killer is breathing down your neck, and your best looper just got slapped onto a hook for the second time. One more hook and they’re out of the game, leaving you in a miserable 3v1 that you’ll almost certainly lose. Then, a teammate runs up, screams, and suddenly that "death hook" survivor is back to having another chance. This isn't a glitch. It's Shoulder the Burden, one of the most polarizing perks ever added to Dead by Daylight.
Honestly, when BHVR first dropped this perk with Taurie Cain in late 2024, the community basically lost its mind. People called it a "game-breaker" and an "anti-tunneling nuclear option." Others said it was useless in solo queue because your teammates would just waste the extra life anyway. The truth? It’s a high-risk, high-reward tool that requires a specific kind of "hero" mindset to pull off properly.
How Shoulder the Burden Actually Works
Let’s get the technical stuff out of the way so you don't accidentally throw your match. Most perks in Dead by Daylight give you a passive buff or a quick speed burst. This one is a literal life-trade.
When you stand in front of a hooked survivor and hit the Active Ability button, you don't just unhook them. You take one of their hook stages and put it on yourself. If they were on their second stage (death hook), they go back to first stage. You, however, gain a hook stage instantly.
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But it gets messier.
The moment you use it, you scream—giving away your location—and you suffer from the Exposed status effect. Depending on your perk tier, that vulnerability lasts for 60, 50, or 40 seconds. You’re basically walking around as a one-hit down while the killer knows exactly where you are. It’s stressful. It’s loud. It’s arguably the most "main character" move you can make in the Fog.
Why This Perk Scares Killers (and Some Survivors)
There is a very real reason why killers hate seeing that little yellow pip on the UI. The yellow pip is a special indicator added in Patch 8.4.0 that shows a hook state has been transferred. It’s visible to the killer, which is unusual since they usually can't see specific hook counts for survivors.
For a killer, the most efficient way to win is "tunneling"—getting one person out of the game as fast as possible. Shoulder the Burden completely destroys that math. If a killer spends five minutes trying to eliminate a strong looper, only for a stealthy survivor to "shoulder" that burden, the killer has effectively wasted half the match.
The Solo Queue Nightmare
In a coordinated Team (SWF), this perk is a godsend. You can plan who takes the hit. But in solo queue? It’s a gamble. I’ve seen players use it while they’re already injured, or use it on a teammate who hasn’t even been doing generators. You end up giving your life for someone who might just run into a wall five seconds later.
Best Synergies to Keep You Alive
If you’re going to run this, don't go in naked. You need a build that compensates for the fact that you’re basically inviting the killer to come kill you.
- Calm Spirit: This is a sleeper hit. It suppresses the scream when you use the perk. The killer will still see the hook state change on the UI, but they won't get that immediate "ping" of where you are.
- Vigil: Since you’re going to be Exposed for up to a minute, Vigil is almost mandatory to tick that timer down faster.
- For the People: This is the ultimate "medic" combo. You take their hook stage with Shoulder the Burden, then use For the People to instantly heal them. You’ll be broken and exposed, but your teammate will be fully reset and ready to run.
- Distortion: If the killer has aura-reading perks (which they usually do), Distortion helps you stay hidden while you’re vulnerable.
Common Misconceptions and Nuances
A lot of people think you can just spam this. You can't. It’s a once per trial effect. You also cannot use it if you are already on your death hook. BHVR isn't going to let you "suicide" to save a friend—you have to have a life to give.
One weird quirk that surfaced during the PTB and stayed in the live game is the interaction with other anti-tunnel perks. If you use Shoulder the Burden on a survivor who had Deliverance or Wicked ready but couldn't use it because they were hooked first, you can actually "reset" their opportunity to use those perks later. It adds a layer of strategy that most casual players totally overlook.
The Strategy for Winning with the Burden
Don’t use this early. If everyone is at zero hooks, there is zero reason to expose yourself and gain a hook state. It’s a mid-to-late game tool.
The best time to pull the trigger is when a teammate who is actually "carrying" the team (the one doing the most gens or taking the longest chases) is about to die. By taking their burden, you keep the four-man pressure alive. In Dead by Daylight, the jump from 4 survivors to 3 is the biggest power spike a killer gets. Delaying that as long as possible is usually the difference between an escape and a 4K.
Watch the UI. If you see a teammate on second stage and you haven't been hooked once, you are the prime candidate to make the play. Just make sure you have a window or a pallet nearby. Being Exposed is no joke, and a smart killer will drop everything to come down you the second they see that yellow pip.
Next Steps for Your Loadout:
Try pairing Shoulder the Burden with Vigil and Off the Record. This ensures that if the killer does manage to find and hook you after the trade, you have your own protection ready for when you get rescued. It turns you into a secondary objective that the killer has to deal with, effectively "tanking" the match for your team.