If you are on PC, you can set a custom max FOV that exceeds what is possible via the game's in-game settings.

• Open your file explorer.
• Paste C:/users/%username%/documents/DyingLight/out/settings into your address bar, press enter.
• Edit the video.scr in there (with your text editor of choice: Notepad, Visual Studio Code, Vim etc).

There will be two occurrences of ExtraGameFov. You must edit the second occurrence—the one that does not begin with an exclamation mark. You can, for example, settle with ExtraGameFov(65.00).

Why increase my FOV?

With high FOV, it's easier to keep track of the night hunter's location as it runs around. You cannot evade Tackle unless you were looking at the hunter during Tackle's initiation, after all.

[Save file(s) location(s)]:
Epic Games: C:/users/%username%/documents/DyingLight/out/save
Steam: C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam/userdata/[STEAM_USER_ID]/239140/remote/out/save

Firstly, some skills are detrimental to PvP. If you possess them, consider downloading a premade PvP save file (from, say, NexusMods) to remedy this:

• Any skills that increase max HP ("sturdiness" skills, the last skill in the Survivor tree).
  [Reason]: you die quicker from toxins after a revive if your max HP is high. Toxin damage is based off a percentage of your max HP, yet everyone revives with a flat 25 HP regardless of their max HP (25/275 [9%] HP vs 25/100 [25%] HP).
• Vault (Agility tree).
  [Reason]: It can mess up dropkick attempts when a teammate or viral is close to the night hunter.
• The trap skills in the Survivor tree (car traps, electric fence traps etc).
  [Reason]: You cannot change your crossbow/bow ammo type whilst close to a trap you can activate; thus, depending on your respawn location, these abilities may prevent you from changing your bolt type prior to the hunter's approach.

• You will need to use Survivor Sense frequently. Map it to something that's easy to press whilst you parkour and/or fight.
• [KB+Mouse]: On PC, you can easily reassign bindings in Options → Controls → Keybindings.
• [KB+Mouse]: Mousewheel-up and mousewheel-down can be used as bindings.
• [Controller]: On PC, you can use Steam's controller configurator if you want to customize controls. If you're playing Dying Light on Epic Games, you can still make use of Steam's controller configurator if you use GloSsi.

On PC, if you go to Options → Controls → Keybindings and press Q 5 times, you will find the quick-select bindings. These enable you to map a specific button to a specific equipment slot. I personally regard them to be facilitative of deliberacy.

Weapon-wise, the meta loadout is:

• Two crossbows: so you can make use of the double-crossbow-shot technique to deal huge burst damage, as well as perform nice combos (e.g., crossbow slam).
• 1H weapon: so you can deal quick, close-ranged damage to the hunter, or huge damage from a 1H throw. If you have the Dieselpunk DLC, feel free to craft a Flesh Ripper (longest 1H range in BTZ); otherwise, use a khopesh (Premium Oriental Khopesh has the longest khopesh range).
• Heavy 2H weapon: so you can deal huge, close-ranged without losing your weapon.

Item-wise, it is advisable to always use Zaid flares (you get 3 for free whenever you die), a grappling hook and a UV flashlight. For one item slot, you can use whatever you want. Firecrackers distract Horde Spit bombers; flames from a molotov deal alright damage to the night hunter; burning throwing stars deplete the HP of volatile spawns fast.

On Hard and Nightmare, healing is gradual rather than instant. So, on Hard/Nightmare, prior to the night hunter's approach, people will often damage themselves—often by firing an impact bolt at their own feet—then use a medkit.

The hunter will approach, the fight will begin, and the human will be healing mid-fight. This mid-fight healing could save them from death if the night hunter is spammy.

To render it more difficult for the hunter to land GPs, spits and side/rear tackles (these kinds of tackles are undodgeable, by the way), consider backsliding (or sidesliding):

• Dodge backwards (or sideways).
• Close to the end of the dodge animation, press what you would press to slide forward (Forward + Sprint + Crouch). The result: you will slide in the direction you just dodged, and you will quickly traverse a lot of distance.

Tackle is only dodgeable if all of the following conditions are met:

1. You are looking at the hunter.
   It is not enough for it to be in your peripheral vision—it must be close to the center of the screen.
2. You must not be in a falling state.
   Unless, whilst mid-air, you used your grappling hook and cancelled it prior to the tackle—that briefly enables aerial Tackle evasion.
3. The hunter must not be above or below you, if it's really close.

So, to facilitate evading Tackle:

• Prioritize fighting on the ground, in large, open fields.
• Dodge or backslide frequently, so the hunter has trouble getting behind you with all its speedy tendril-sprinting.
• Generally avoid architecturally complex environments where the hunter can easily jump on a tall structure and tackle you from above.

A little more advice: don't get into the habit of exclusively dodging without ever slicing. Some humans panic so much, they forget to attack—they miss so many chances to slice up the hunter while it is running around close by. Tackle can be evaded even if it was initiated while you were mid-swing.

Let's say:

1. [You evade a tackle]/[interrupt a pounce].
2. The hunter is subsequently pressed into the fence that was right behind you.
3. The hunter quickly turns around whilst sprinting upwards in the air and tackles you.

If a tackle was used in step 1, you will be airborne by the time the second tackle is being done. After evading the first tackle, use your hook on something, immediately cancel that hook, look at the hunter and press/mash jump. This will let you dodge the air-tackle even though you are still in the air.

If a pounce was used in step 1, that air-tackle in step 3 is undodgeable (unless the hunter mistimes something). It will be right above you before you can produce the distance required to make the air-tackle dodgeable.

Now, let's say the hunter doesn't do step 1 and 2—let's say the hunter simply runs up to a fence/climbable, decides to turn and air-sprint in preparation for an air-tackle. Maintain your distance. Either be outside of the tackle range or just be far enough that the air-tackle is dodgeable.

You can throw flares (or any throwable equipment item, actually) quicker by throwing them while holding Sprint + Forward and using the look-behind ability. You can perform this in any one of the following contexts:

• You are sprinting forward across the ground.
• You are airborne due to evasion of the night hunter's Tackle.
• You elevated yourself via Hook, cancelled it and you are consequently airborne.

When should I do this?

• The hunter UV suppressed you, but did not instantly pounce you upon the detonation of the spit—maybe its energy was a bit too low, maybe you were evading its Tackle during the detonation.
• You are in water and you want to quickly throw a flare on top of it. Hook → Cancel → aerial flare backthrow.

You do not have guaranteed safety in water. Near the surface, the hunter can jump and claw, as well as water-tackle you. Near the bottom, the hunter can underwater-tackle you, and now it may even water-GP you.

If you are in a swimming animation, it can't pounce you, but, after it tackles or GPs you—or if you try to revive your teammate—it can briefly pounce you, even though you're in water.

So, basically, if you're fighting an experienced hunter, prioritize being away from water.

Video example(s):
Fokus2EZ - Humbling Drilon on his own stream | Dying Light (0:53)

If a hunter initiates a pounce from within water (underwater tendril + pounce), it can get you even if you're outside of water, and this particular kind of pounce can only be interrupted by UV flashlights.

Consequently, then, if you are UV-suppressed on land, generally ensure you are not within the pounce range + line of sight of any hunter that is submerged or on a pool of water.

Water-pounces make the hunter teleport right to the human. I presume this plays a role in rendering it immune to interruption by flares.

Anyway, even if the water is shallow, the hunter may be able to tendril → crouch to trigger the swim state then proceed to initiate a water pounce.

Video example(s):
(OLD) Dying Light: 1v1 with "Wassub (1:23)"

• Equip crossbow #1.
• Switch to the other crossbow.
• Double-tap M1 (or your right trigger) during the switching animation—when the crossbow is not visible.

You will fire two bolts consecutively.

When should I do this?

• The hunter has successfully tackled your teammate. It stays still for a while.
• The hunter missed a GP or is UV Healing whilst distant.

Open your inventory, double-click one crossbow, click the other (or, basically, just swap their locations in your inventory—which you can do with the keyboard as well). This will reset one or both of them, enabling you to skip its reload animation.

If used alongside the double-crossbow-shot technique, you can do frequent burst damage from a distance.

After you become airborne from evading a tackle—or even after you elevate yourself via hook use—you can fire at the hunter with 1 or 2 crossbow shots, switch to your heavy 2H weapon, then hold Crouch to do the 2H slam. This may kill a high-health hunter.

Well, I like to call it this, but I've seen it referred to as "grapple slicing", "auto slicing", "cancel slicing" and "Kaiyoo slicing". Nonetheless:

1. Slice (with a 1H weapon or 2H weapon).
2. After the damage-dealing part of the swing animation, use Hook whilst looking at something that cannot be hooked (water, some fences, big pipes in the Slums, the hunter itself, a teammate etc).

Repeatedly. It's initially difficult to get used to the timing for rapid 1H slicing, but it's doable.

Video example(s):

• Drilon - What 3000 hours of Dying Light PvP looks like... (1:09)
• Drilon - What 3000 hours of Dying Light PvP looks like... (4:20)

When should I do this?

• Against the hunter, if it's right front of you—especially if its movement is limited for some reason (cramped space, missed GP etc). Two heavy-2H swings will easily kill a hunter in anything that isn't a 4v1.
• Against a volatile spawn, if it's near something that cannot be hooked.

1. Tackle (sprint + E).
2. Wait a bit (you can start holding right mouse button now).
3. Throw your weapon (m1).

Faster damage than doing tackle → 2 normal slices. In 1v1, 30 + 136 damage—can kill a hunter mid–UV Heal if timed properly.

When should I do this?

• The hunter missed a GP or tried to UV Heal in front of you.
• The hunter tackled you into a nearby wall and is right in front of you afterwards.
• You interrupted a pounce at a certain angle (say, 45°?). This can result in enough recovery time that the hunter cannot defensively GP you before a Tackle → 1H throw punish.

After you get tackled, if you land on the ground (that is, you do not bounce off a wall/obstacle), you may have to experience a lengthy stand-up animation.

Fortunately, during this stand-up animation, you are immune to GPs. In fact, if a hunter tries to GP you during this stand-up animation, you will not only take 0 damage, but you will basically "teleport into neutral", enabling you to instantly attack the hunter. Some hunters are either really impatient or unaware of this. Punish them with a Tackle → Slice, Tackle → 1H throw or whatever you regard to be most lethal given your present circumstances.

The hunter can animation-lock/combo you. For example, if you are between two objects/cars, the hunter may be able to trap you between them with an infinite GP → Crouch/Claw → Pounce loop.

This works because:

• Successful GPs grant the hunter brief UV invulnerability.
• Crouching speeds up energy recovery (the hunter can claw instead, if it's confident it'll have enough energy).
• The obstacle the hunter is pressed into after the pounce can make the hunter recover quicker and it ensures you are very close to the hunter after it has recovered.

Keeping that in mind, it is generally advisable to avoid fighting the hunter in architecturally complex environments, since it can clearly become unfightable in those.

In the event that you do get locked by GP → Pounce spam, you typically have enough time to do the human's tackle against the hunter after each pounce.

A scenario may arise in which fighting a swimming hunter is necessary (downed teammate; knocked into water whilst afflicted by Horde Spit and surrounded by bombers etc).

Anyway, at the surface of the water, you can jump and slice the hunter—or you can jump and double-crossbow the hunter, optionally crossbow-swapping.

If you are not yet in the water, and the hunter is in the water, you can try to DFA the hunter if it tendrils. The tendril animation is not a swimming animation, even if it is done in the water, thereby rendering the hunter susceptible to getting DFA'd in water.

To increase your movement speed tremendously, you can drink boosters prior to any night hunter(s) joining your session. Optionally, you can subsequently pause, then, once a hunter joins, drink all the same boosters again—and perhaps more.

Generally, each booster has a PvE effect that occurs if you consume it whilst your session is devoid of a night hunter and a PvP effect that occurs if you consume it whilst a night hunter exists in your session. The PvE effect will stack with the PvP effect. Furthermore, boosters that ordinarily not stack with one another (e.g., the night hunter booster and the ordinary speed booster) will stack during PvP.

Notes

• With respect to the night hunter's attacks, any "resistance boosting" (damage-reducing) effects will only reduce Claw damage.
• You can use Hook, kick or jump towards the end of the drinking animation to recover quicker.

If you open your inventory, navigate to any explosive item (such as mines or Kurt's bombs), you can drop them from your inventory, one at a time. Even though you did not use the Use Equipment button to launch them, they can still explode. If you shoot at them—or the night hunter GPs whilst close to them—they can blow up, potentially killing you and the night hunter.

This tactic is often considered cheap to use, though.

Video example(s):

• yRodrigoow - PvP no Dying Light (33:28)

If the hunter successfully tackles you, you can prevent yourself from being knocked back if you open your inventory just as you are about to be launched. It seems you have to open your inventory just as it begins unfolding its arms.

On the hunter's end, it will look you did get knocked away then you teleported back to your original position. On your end, it'll look like you never moved from the starting position.

This is another tactic some people regard to be cheap.

Video example(s):

• Vuhltra - Dying Light: Tobthe105 (ACTUAL) 1v1 (7:42)

There are two ways to intentionally perform a super jump.

• Method A: you climb a ramp-like object then quickly side-dodge. Some examples of what you can do this with: the front of a car, some of the ramps you can find on rooftops and even a region of some rooftop in Old Town.
• Method B: on some rooftops on Old Town, you can find some gray, metallic protrusion beside a fence. If you stand between the fence and this gray thing, crouch, then side-dodge, you can super jump.

In the following GIF, method B is illustrated at the upper-right. The other 3 recordings illustrate method A.

Video example(s):

• Drilon - What 3000 hours of Dying Light PvP looks like... (0:11)

When should I do this?

• You want to DFA the hunter, and you expect it to be here soon—and, ideally, sufficiently distracted/stunned.
• You are out of Hook stamina and you would like to quickly get on top of a building.
• You want to elevate yourself to fire at the night hunter, but no tall structures are close enough.

You can hook near the bottom of the water. Loot the "underwater algae" item, quickly look up and hook (as soon as the looting animation begins).

When should I do this?

I actually don't really use this, but, theoretically, it could facilitate escaping underwater toxins or reaching teammates downed in water.

Be aware, the more humans there are in a session, the stronger the hunter gets—for balance reasons: its UV resistance increases (far less energy depleted as it is shined with UV), its damage resistance increases and its ability-recharge speed increases.

Fantazilite's DL1 PvP Tables

	1v1	2v1	3v1	4v1
1H	60	48	37	30
1H throw	136	109	85	68
Heavy 2H	120	96	75	60
Bolt	35	28	22	17
Burn/impact	10	8	6	5
Spit Recharge	80s	50s	40s	30s

With this in mind, do not separate from your teammates; avoid trying to kill the hunter by yourself during a team battle, if it's a tough hunter and you intend to maximize your chance of winning the match.

Fortunately for you, the hunter's damage against humans does not vary based off human count:

• Ground Pound does 20% of the humans' HP, as does one claw.
• Tackle does approx 33% of the humans' HP.

The night hunter booster, resistance boosters and Grandma's Eggnog can reduce claw damage—Tackle, Ground Pound damage and toxin damage will remain unaffected.

If you are downed in a team fight, to delay the death timer, open your inventory then repeatedly switch between Blueprints and Inventory. I like to put my mouse on Blueprints then repeatedly spam M1 then Q. If your game is freezing as you do this, it's working.

One caveat: audio cuts out and it becomes difficult to hear what is going on with your teammates as you do this. You may have to periodically stop doing this and close your inventory to get an idea of what's going on with your teammates.

If you get tackled while your teammate is beside you, your teammate will get knocked down for a long time. Unfortunately, this knockdown (as would a knockdown from a nearby explosion) actually renders your teammate UV-suppressed until they get up. In fact, a hunter could pounce them immediately after tackling you and, if you don't UV for them in time, they will die.

Try to save them if you can. The stagger from the tackle is actually lengthy enough that a full-energy hunter could pounce them before your UV flashlight is usable, but, if the hunter is unaware of the UV suppression from the tackle shockwave or has low energy, you can protect your teammate from the pounce.

Even if the hunter is not missing, it has to briefly stay still in order to attack your teammate(s). Try to punish it during these animations.

Ground Pound does not provide any damage resistance, so go ahead and hit it with the double-crossbow-shot technique any time during a successful GP against your teammate—or, better yet, throw your 1H weapon where you think the hunter will be during an anticipated GP.

Now, during Tackle, the hunter has 75% damage resistance, so you actually want to wait 'til after your teammate has been launched, then you can fire your bolts at the hunter. If you choose to weapon-throw instead, and you are somewhat distant, you may have to weapon-throw early, since the travel speed of thrown weapons is slow. Punishing successful tackles with a 1H throw is particularly lethal—109 damage in 2v1.