Dossier Summary
Skill loadout
8 AbilitiesEvery skill Mercenary 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laser SwordA three-hit combo at 0.42 seconds per swing, followed by a 0.64-second recovery that no amount of attack speed removes entirely. Using another skill during that recovery cancels it and keeps the third hit's hitbox active as the skill moves you. | Primary | — | 1.0 | Default |
| WhirlwindA spinning attack on a 2.5-second cooldown that counts as two hits. | Secondary | 2.5s | 1.0 x 2 | Default |
| Rising ThunderThe alternate secondary, on the same 2.5-second cooldown. | Secondary | 2.5s | 1.0 | Alternate |
| Blinding AssaultUp to three dashes, each granting roughly 0.3 seconds of invulnerability plus about 0.3 seconds lingering afterwards — 1.8 seconds across a full sequence. After striking an enemy you have about 2.66 seconds to dash again. | Utility | 8s | 1.0 | Default |
| Focused AssaultThe alternate dash, on an 8-second cooldown. Documented mechanics list no further detail for this skill. | Utility | 8s | 1.0 | Alternate |
| EviscerateLasts 1.3 seconds and grants invulnerability during it plus 0.6 seconds after. The hit count rises with attack speed while the duration does not, and with no enemy in range it is simply a forward dash. | Special | 6s | 1.0 x 7+ | Default |
| Slicing WindsDeals eight hits of 100% to up to three enemies for 2,400% total, before the Exposed proc is counted. | Special | 6s | 1.0 x 8 | Alternate |
| Cybernetic EnhancementsGrants a second jump, and additional jumps from items reuse the same front-flip animation — a trait unique to this survivor. | Passive | — | — | Default |
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
- Mercenary: Demon of the Skies
- Mercenary: Flash of Blades
- Mercenary: Ethereal
Reading the loadout
Mercenary carries 8 skills across 5 slots (Primary, Secondary ×2, Utility ×2, Special ×2, Passive). 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 Whirlwind; longest is 8s on Blinding Assault. That spread sets how often the kit can answer a problem rather than absorb one.
- Proc profile
- Highest proc coefficient is 1.0 on Laser Sword, Whirlwind, Rising Thunder, Blinding Assault, Focused Assault, Eviscerate, Slicing Winds. 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
- Mercenary has been on the roster since the base game, which puts the character inside the balance pass that patch 1.21 was written for.
- Hallowed Concepts also shipped a skin for Mercenary, 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.