Updated
Release week v1.1Alpha v1.24Abyssal Escape Tier List
All five killers in Abyssal Escape, ranked for the first week after release. The Deity (X) and No More Innocence are on top. Fleetway is the strongest pick for skilled players. 2017X and Furnace are good but have a weak stretch you need to play around.
Strong in any lobby and easy to get value from.
Top-tier in skilled hands, harder for new players.
Struggles in most matches right now.
Killer comparison
| Killer | Tier | Tracking | Mobility | Damage | Ease of use | Skill ceiling | Unlock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Deity (X)Trapper and trickster | S | Free starter killer | |||||
| No More InnocenceDeceiver with a Phase 3 transformation | S | Unlocked with rings | |||||
| Fleetway Super SonicAerial rushdown | A | Unlocked with rings | |||||
| 2017XRushdown with a Phase 3 transformation | B | Unlocked with rings | |||||
| FurnaceResource killer (Heat) | B | Unlocked with rings (one of the cheaper killers, per the tester preview) |
Ease of use: more pips means easier to pick up. Ring prices for each killer haven't been confirmed yet.
The Deity (X)
Trapper and trickster · X, Crimson X. Skins: Alternate, 2011X, The Disaster X (TDX) · Free starter killer
Why S tier: The free starter is also the most consistent killer at release. Hide and Seek gives map-wide information and free damage, rings give both area denial and fast travel, and Peekaboo is hard to read. One release-day reviewer called X “the best killer in the game by far”, and the starter-killer gameplay we reviewed ends in a full server wipe.
Key abilities: Hide and Seek, Ring Trap, Peekaboo, Flight.
Quick counter: Don't walk through rings to save time. 50 damage is half your health bar.
No More Innocence
Deceiver with a Phase 3 transformation · NMI · Unlocked with rings
Why S tier: NMI has the best information in the game while the TVs are up, and then switches to a direct kit with a dependable grab and a teleport. The tester who previewed the game called NMI their favorite, and a release-day reviewer who disliked most of the roster recommended NMI as the one killer worth buying.
Key abilities: Screen Transportation, Deceit, Hallucination, Tormenting Dash, Spring Trickery, Yokai Sight.
Quick counter: When the map turns grey, NMI is the killer. Watch nearby TV screens, since he has to crawl out of one before he can reach you.
Full No More Innocence guide: abilities, counters and tips →
Fleetway Super Sonic
Aerial rushdown · Fleetway · Unlocked with rings
Why A tier: Opinions split the hardest on Fleetway. The tester preview calls Fleetway “very, very powerful” and there are release-day videos titled “Fleetway Is OVERPOWERED” and “Fleetway Server Wipes”. One reviewer gave Fleetway 0/10 because the Laser is a single shot that has to be aimed while standing still. A good player wins with Fleetway. A new player can't hit anything. That puts Fleetway at the top of A.
Key abilities: Flight, Laser, Grab, Speed buff.
Quick counter: When Fleetway is flying, he can see you. Break line of sight instead of standing in open ground.
Full Fleetway Super Sonic guide: abilities, counters and tips →
2017X
Rushdown with a Phase 3 transformation · Phase 3: Beast Form / Broken Face · Unlocked with rings
Why B tier: 2017X is fun and has two kits, but the base form has little verticality and Obsession does less than it sounds like. Beast Form is a real threat, and the tester preview expects 2017X to be viable. Release-day reviews found the base kit hard to get kills with, so 2017X is weaker than the top three for most of the round.
Key abilities: Top Speed, Spin Dash, Obsession, Ground Slam M1, Impatience (passive), Roar / Savage Jump / Vicious Grab.
Quick counter: Use height. The base form has very little verticality.
Furnace
Resource killer (Heat) · Unlocked with rings (one of the cheaper killers, per the tester preview)
Why B tier: Furnace has the weakest early game of the five. Without Heat he is, in one reviewer's words, “just a weak M1 killer”, and charging Heat early leaves him standing still where survivors can stun him. In Phase 3 the free Heat regen turns him into a real threat. Expect Furnace to move up if early-game Heat is buffed.
Key abilities: Charge Heat, Thruster Flight, Claw Slash, Scorched Earth, Heat regen.
Quick counter: Stun Furnace while he is charging Heat. That cancels the charge.
Survivor abilities: quick take
Abilities depend more on your team and play style than killers do, so this is a short list of notes rather than a ranking. New players start with Weak Punch and Healing Box, and everything else is bought with rings.
| Ability | Release-week verdict |
|---|---|
| Healing Box | Starter. Called overtuned by one reviewer because of how short its cooldown is, though another found the self-heal weak and it has a bug where heals sometimes fail. Strong for the team, weaker solo. |
| Weak Punch | Starter. A close-range stun, roughly 3–4 seconds per one release-day video. It works, but alone it doesn't buy much distance. |
| Slide | Mobility that doesn't empty your stamina. Reviewers prefer it to Heroic Boost for getting away. |
| Heroic Boost | A speed burst that can carry a teammate, but it drains your stamina and some players hit a bug where they get stuck. Situational. |
| Phantom Reflex | A parry. Blocks the hit and gives you speed, and three parries in a row stun the killer. High skill, high reward. |
| Arm Cannon / Fireball | Ranged stuns. Good for revealing the real Deity during Peekaboo. Don't pair two stuns, because both durations are halved. |
The full match walkthrough is in the beginner guide.
FAQ
Who is the best killer in Abyssal Escape?
Right now it's The Deity (X), the free starter, with No More Innocence just as strong for players who can manage the TVs. Both are S tier on this list.
Who is the worst killer in Abyssal Escape?
No killer is unplayable. Furnace has the weakest early game because he has to charge Heat while standing still, but he gets much stronger once Phase 3 refills his Heat automatically.
Is Fleetway overpowered?
In skilled hands, yes. Flight shows every survivor and the Grab-into-wall combo hits hard. Fleetway's Laser is a single aimed shot, though, so new players struggle. That puts Fleetway at the top of A tier.
Which killer should I buy first?
The Deity is free, so learn on him. With your first rings, No More Innocence is the strongest buy. Furnace is reported to be one of the cheaper killers if you want a second pick.
Change log
- October 18, 2026, Release week v1.1 (game v1.24): The v1.24 patch raised every killer's M1 from 20 to 35 damage (Beast Form 2017X to 40) and made M1 hitboxes bigger. Because it buffs all five killers equally, the order stays the same for now. The killer who gains the most is probably Furnace, whose early game was mostly M1s before he has Heat. We'll watch whether that's enough to move him up.
- October 18, 2026, Release week v1: First ranking for the release build. S: The Deity, No More Innocence. A: Fleetway. B: 2017X, Furnace.
Sources
We haven't copied any of these. They are where each fact on this page comes from, so you can check them yourself.
- Game testerAverageX (game tester), “Everything You Need To Know About Abyssal Escape BEFORE It Releases!”· October 11, 2026
- Gameplay videosnoop, “DEITY IS A GREAT STARTER KILLER IN ABYSSAL ESCAPE” (gameplay)· October 14, 2026
- Gameplay videoMorVAINbb, release-day killer and survivor review· October 17, 2026
- Gameplay videosomeguynameddust, “Is Abyssal Escape good?” (release-day review)· October 17, 2026
- Gameplay videoCinoss, “Fleetway Is OVERPOWERED In Abyssal Escape” (gameplay)· October 17, 2026
- Gameplay videoGalictictism, “Abyssal Escape is Underwhelming... (For now)” (release-day review)· October 17, 2026
- Gameplay videoKoi Fish, “Abyssal Escape SUCKS As Survivor”· October 18, 2026
- OfficialDeveloper Denzee's “v1.24 (Alpha)” patch notes, posted in the official Discord (screenshot shared on r/OutcomeMemories)· October 18, 2026