Hawkins National Laboratory DBD Map Guide
Large map from the Stranger Things realm. Best killers, best survivors, looping tips, and common mistakes for Hawkins National Laboratory in Dead by Daylight.
TL;DR
- Hawkins National Laboratory is a large map in Dead by Daylight from the Stranger Things realm. Added in 2019.
- Killer rating: B. The multi-floor underground lab with central hallway, side rooms, and the upside down portal favors killers with strong indoor control or vertical mobility.
- Survivor rating: A. Strong rotations, line-of-sight breakers, and indoor chase perks give survivors a fighting chance.
- The biggest mistakes survivors make here: running back toward the killer instead of breaking line of sight, and healing in the open central area instead of in the corner rooms.
Map Stats
| Name | Hawkins National Laboratory |
| Realm | Stranger Things |
| Size | Large |
| Layout | Multi-floor underground lab with central hallway, side rooms, and the Upside Down portal |
| Added | 2019 |
| Killer tier | B |
| Survivor tier | A |
Best Killers on Hawkins National Laboratory
These killers thrive on the Hawkins National Laboratory layout because of how the loops are shaped, where the walls break line of sight, and which add-ons or powers interact with the map geometry.
- The Nurse (A) - Indoor lab corridors favor chain blinks; she can punish any window vault.
- The Demogorgon (A) - Portal plays through the central hallway; the lab has multiple flanking routes.
- The Shape (Myers) (A) - Tight indoor rooms build Evil Within fast; the central hallway is a chase map.
- The Huntress (B) - Hatchets in the long rooms; mind the closed walls.
Best Survivors on Hawkins National Laboratory
Pick from these survivor perk shells if you are queuing into Hawkins National Laboratory on either side. The picks below are tuned for indoor rotations, line-of-sight breaking, and chase disruption.
- Nea Karlsson (A) - Urban Evasion in the lab hallways; she breaks line of sight around the central equipment.
- Nancy Wheeler (A) - Inner Strength and Premonition for indoor rotations.
- Steve Harrington (A) - Babysitter for unhook plays; second chance after hook is strong here.
Looping Strategy on Hawkins National Laboratory
The cardinal rule of Hawkins National Laboratory is: never loop back into the open central area. The killer has sight lines from at least two of the three entry points into the central hub, and survivors caught in the open are easy M1 chase targets.
Instead, work the side rooms. Each corner room has a pallet plus a window or breakable wall. The standard playbook is: drop the pallet, take one window vault, then exit through a breakable wall into the adjacent room. This gives your team a free transition while the killer is forced to break the wall or take a long detour around the main hall.
For the totem grove on the outdoor side of the map, hug the trees if you are running Borrowed Time or Self-Care. The killer has to break line of sight through a tree to find you, which gives you the extra 0.5 seconds you need to finish the action.
Common Mistakes
- Running back to the central area after an unhook. The killer can see you from three sides. Always break line of sight into a side room before healing.
- Healing on the second floor with no pallet behind you. The upstairs windows are one-way - killers can see you vaulting down but you cannot see them coming up the stairs.
- Ignoring the totem grove. Hex: Ruin spawns in the grove half the time. A survivor with a map can find and pre-emptively cleanse it within the first 30 seconds.
- Stacking on a gen in the open lobby. The lobby gen is the most-killed generator on the map. Spread out so one chainsaw does not delete the team's progress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hawkins National Laboratory good for solo queue or SWF?
Hawkins National Laboratory is slightly survivor-favored (A tier) which makes it playable in solo queue if you have good rotations. SWF groups can fully exploit the side-room loops described above. If you are solo, prioritize Borrowed Time and Self-Care to mitigate the long hook rotations.
What perks counter the strongest killer picks on Hawkins National Laboratory?
The strongest killer picks here all benefit from indoor control. Counter with Lithe, Dead Hard, or Smash Hit to break chase windows, and any of Kindred, Bond, or Aftercare to maintain team awareness through the central hub.
Where are the best safe-loop pallets on Hawkins National Laboratory?
The corner rooms in each wing have a guaranteed pallet plus a window or breakable wall. The kitchen or break room on the indoor side of the map is the safest 30-second loop in the game. Avoid the central pallets - they are too exposed and the killer can cut you off from the exit door.