How to use Fog Vial in Dead by Daylight

By Ambar Jimenez | 2025-07-11 09:49:49
Dead by Daylight's latest Public Test Build (PTB) update, 9.1.0, has introduced a significant new survivor item: the Fog Vial. This item has sparked considerable discussion within the Dead by Daylight community due to its unique features and potential impact on gameplay.

Features of the Fog Vial

According to the developers, the Fog Vial offers several key functionalities aimed at creating confusion and breaking line of sight for survivors:
  • Fog Cloud Generation: When used, the Fog Vial creates a fog cloud that expands outward from the point of activation. This cloud dissipates after a set duration, which varies slightly depending on the specific variant of the Fog Vial. For example:
    • Vigo's Fog Vial (Rare): Lasts 12 seconds.
    • Artisan's Fog Vial (Uncommon): Lasts 10 seconds.
    • Apprentice's Fog Vial (Common): Lasts 8 seconds.
  • Stealth Benefits within Fog:
    • Scratch marks do not appear within the fog cloud, making it harder for killers to track movement.
    • Audio is muffled for anyone inside the fog cloud, affecting both survivor and killer sound cues.
    • Auras of players within the fog cloud are undetectable, countering various killer aura-reading perks and add-ons.
  • Rechargeable: Unlike many other survivor items that have limited charges, the Fog Vial has a cooldown period after each use and then recharges over time. This cooldown also varies by vial variant:
    • Vigo's Fog Vial: 60 seconds recharge.
    • Artisan's Fog Vial: 65 seconds recharge.
    • Apprentice's Fog Vial: 70 seconds recharge.

Fog Vial Add-ons

The Fog Vial comes with a set of five add-ons that further enhance its capabilities:
  • Potent Extract (Visceral): Significantly decreases visibility and muffles sounds even more intensely within the fog cloud.
  • Mushroom Formula (Very Rare): Increases the maximum fog cloud size by 2 meters.
  • Oily Sap (Rare): Increases the fog cloud duration by 2 seconds.
  • Reactive Compound (Uncommon): Decreases the fog cloud expansion time by 1 second, making it deploy faster.
  • Volcanic Stone (Common): Decreases the Fog Vial's cooldown time by 5 seconds.

How to Use the Dead by Daylight Fog Vial

Using the Fog Vial is straightforward, similar to other survivor items:

  • Equip: Players must equip the Fog Vial in their loadout before a match.
  • Activate: During a trial, locate the item on the HUD and press the dedicated "Use Item" button (on console or PC) to activate it.
  • Impact on Killers and Community Reception

    The introduction of the Fog Vial has ignited a heated debate within the Dead by Daylight community, with opinions sharply divided on its potential impact on killer performance.

    Concerns from some players include:

    • No Downside: Many argue that the rechargeable nature of the Fog Vial, combined withits powerful effects, gives survivors a "technically no downside" item.It can be used repeatedly without consuming limited charges.
    • Counters Aura Perks: The ability to render auras undetectable directly counters a wide range of killer perks and add-ons that rely on aura reading for tracking andinformation.
    • Comparison to Void Crystal: With the Potent Extract (Iridescent) add-on, players have compared the Fog Vial's effects to the "Void Crystal," apowerful, limited-time item from the 2024 "Haunted by Daylight" event.The Void Crystal provided extreme visibility blocking, suppressedscratch marks, and granted invisibility, but it was a one-time use itemthat could not be brought back if lost. The Fog Vial, with its rechargefeature, eliminates this single-use restriction, leading some to view it as a potentially "busted" or "get out of jail free card" for survivors, especially in critical chase situations.
    • Frustration for Killers: Killers, particularly those who rely on visual tracking, sound cues, or aura reading, could find themselves heavily disadvantaged, as the FogVial simultaneously obscures vision, muffles audio, suppresses scratchmarks, and blocks auras. This can lead to disorienting and frustratingchase scenarios.

    Arguments from other players (or for the item's necessity) include:

    • Needed Survivor Tool: Some players highlight that this is the first new survivor item in along time, suggesting that survivors were "nearly at a loss due to alack of more usable items" while new killers and their unique powerswere frequently introduced.
    • Situational Use:Without the Iridescent add-on, the base Fog Vial's visibility obscuringmight not be as extreme, requiring more strategic use to break line ofsight effectively. It might be more useful for disengaging from adistant killer or breaking line of sight at complex loops rather than adirect "get out of jail free" card in a committed chase.
    • Accessibility Concerns: Some players have raised concerns about the visual opacity of the fog,especially with the Potent Extract add-on, potentially causing eyestrain or accessibility issues for some users on both sides.

    Ultimately, the Fog Vial is a new tool designed to enhance survivor evasion andprovide confusion. Its impact on the meta will likely be a subject ofongoing balance adjustments as it transitions from the PTB to liveservers.

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