Dossier Summary
Skill loadout
7 AbilitiesEvery skill Engineer can equip, with the slot it occupies, its cooldown and its proc coefficient. Skills listed as alternates replace the default for that slot and are unlocked through the challenges underneath.
| Skill | Slot | Cooldown | Proc | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bouncing GrenadesCharges a volley of up to eight grenades, each carrying a full 1.0 proc coefficient. Sprinting is possible mid-charge if you begin the charge first. | Primary | — | 1.0 per grenade, up to 1.0 x 8 | Default |
| Pressure MinesMines take a few seconds to arm to their full 900% damage, signalled by a green circle and a shaft of light. The explosion has no falloff, and mines stick to terrain but not to allies or enemies. | Secondary | 8s | 1.0 | Default |
| Spider MinesNeed no arming, so they hit immediately, and deal 600% when thrown directly onto an enemy — twice what an unarmed pressure mine manages. They seek enemies out rather than waiting to be walked into. | Secondary | 8s | 1.0 | Alternate |
| Bubble ShieldA 15-second dome on a 25-second cooldown. Anything can fire out of it and nothing can fire in, players included. Only one can be active, and enemies that step inside ignore its protection. | Utility | 25s | — | Default |
| Thermal HarpoonsPainting mode marks up to four enemies with up to four harpoons, each taking 0.3 seconds to lock on. A harpoon that loses its target redirects to the nearest one, and cancelling the painting costs no charges. | Utility | 2.5s | 1.0 per Harpoon | Alternate |
| TR12 Gauss Auto-TurretFires about three shots a second for 210% damage per second, with default projectile falloff. One specific item allows a third turret to be placed, and further stacks of it do not add more. | Special | 30s | 1.0 | Default |
| TR58 Carbonizer TurretA laser turret that ticks roughly five times a second for 200% damage per second with no falloff, and applies a burn. It follows Engineer and keeps close to him. | Special | 30s | 0.6 | Alternate |
The proc coefficient scales how strongly on-hit item effects trigger from that skill's damage. Reported by players — Compiled from player reports and community guides; confirm in your own run.
Challenges tied to this survivor
- Engineer: 100% Calculated
- Engineer: Zero Sum
- Engineer: Better With Friends
Reading the loadout
Engineer carries 7 skills across 4 slots (Primary, Secondary ×2, Utility ×2, Special ×2). 3 of them are alternates rather than a default pick, which puts a real choice in the Secondary, Utility, Special slots.
- Cooldown range
- Shortest is 2.5s on Thermal Harpoons; longest is 30s on TR12 Gauss Auto-Turret. That spread sets how often the kit can answer a problem rather than absorb one.
- Proc profile
- Highest proc coefficient is 1.0 on Bouncing Grenades, Pressure Mines, Spider Mines, Thermal Harpoons, TR12 Gauss Auto-Turret. The primary sits at 1.0.
- Unlock work
- 3 challenges are tied to this survivor, listed underneath. Clearing them is what opens the alternates rather than the character itself.
The kit splits into 3 slots built around dealing damage and 4 slots built around repositioning or burst windows. Because the primary sits at a proc coefficient of 1.0, on-hit item effects trigger from your most-used attack rather than from an occasional button.
This breakdown is computed from the table above rather than quoted from a guide, so it moves automatically whenever a listed value changes.
Origin and version history
- Engineer has been on the roster since the base game, which puts the character inside the balance pass that patch 1.21 was written for.
- Patch 1.21 added Laser Cutter (Primary) as a new option for this kit — one of six original survivors that gained a skill in the free half of the Hallowed Concepts release.
- Hallowed Concepts also shipped a skin for Engineer, so the most recent cosmetic change and any mechanical change to this character came from the same release.
Origin and patch attribution are taken from the store listings and the developer's own announcement for patch 1.21.