what does the key do?

[Elevna]

im really confused as to what the key does. people say its to open the trap door, but the trap door opens anyway when there is 1 person left.

[thebean]

The hatch will appear when there is enough gens done... so if you find it during the match and you got a key... out you go.

Edit: it also only opens for a short period of time... i think about 30 seconds.. so if others want to leave too they need to be near by or they gonna be left behind.

[Darkheart]

It opens the trap door since it appears depending on a survivor to gens complete ratio and also a few other things depending on the addons

[Yoghurt shot]

The difference is that you can open it before you are the last one standing.

[Yoghurt shot]

By the way- how many gens should be repaired to make the hatch appear? Maybe someone know?

[Koalalala]

1 Survivor needs 2 on
2 survivors need 3 on
3 need 4
4 need 5

[MettbrötchenMaid]

More gens than survivors who are currently alive. That means if all 4 survivors want to leave through the hatch they need to repair all 5 gens.

[Besteck]

number of alive survivors +1 gens have to be repaired for it to appear

[Xgpmcnp]

It depends on the key. Broken won't open the hatch and it's the most common key, but addons to it adds powerful effects.

[Tom Faulty]

The Hatch spawns when there is a generator done for each survivor alive + 1, so if you have three survivors alive and have finished four generators, the hatch is available and you can use the Dull Key or Skeleton Key to escape through it. It will remain open for 30 seconds and the other survivors can escape as well.

Keys also specialize in aura reading with add-ons you can equip on it.

[FrenziedRoach]

People are overcomplicating the explanation, so let me break it down

- Broken Key, marginally useful with addins for aura reading
- other two keys, can open the hatch

However, hatch will not even appear in the world until the following

(Gens Complete) + (Survivors Exit/Dead) = 5

Until the above formula is 5, you will never see the hatch in game.

[Yoghurt shot]

Thanks!!

[simension]

Just to add some more key info: there is an achievement where all 4 survs need to exit through the hatch at the same time. This is only possible with a purple/red key and all 5 gens done.

Have witnesses it two times so far, that two survs are leaving the match, with one gen still to do and the third surv left behind... so keys can be good for surprises ;-).

[Isuzu]

3 kinds of key:
1) Broken. Just has an effect with addons, and depends on the addons. Short use duration with addons
2) Dull key. Acts the same with addons, but can open the hatch, which spawns when (Survivors alive +1) generators are repaired. Then you can locate and open it, but as far as i know it closes after about 30 secouds again.
3) Skeleton key. Same as above, but 30 seconds of use. So some use the key with some addons,like you dont lose it on death as its pretty rare.