You've been there. You’re playing Leatherface—The Cannibal, if you’re being formal—and you hook a survivor in the basement of Killer Shack. You stand there for a second, waiting. Not because you're camping (well, maybe a little), but because you’re looking for those flickering auras across the map. This is the barbeque and chili dbd experience in a nutshell. It’s the quintessential tracking perk that defines how mid-tier killers play the game. Honestly, it’s also one of the most misunderstood perks in the current Dead by Daylight meta.
A lot of people think Barbecue & Chilli is just about the auras. It’s not. It’s about rhythm. When you hook someone and see three auras far away, the game tells you exactly what to do next. You leave. You pressure. You keep the momentum high. But ever since the 6.1.0 update stripped away the bonus Bloodpoints, the community’s relationship with this perk has gotten... complicated.
Why Barbeque and Chili DBD Still Dominates the Meta
Let’s be real for a second. If you aren't running a mobility killer like Blight, Nurse, or Billy, finding your next chase is the hardest part of the game. That’s why barbeque and chili dbd remains a staple. The perk triggers the moment the hook animation finishes. If a survivor is further than 40 meters away from the hook, their aura is revealed to you for 5 seconds (at Tier 3).
Five seconds is an eternity in DBD. It’s enough time to see which generator they are working on, which direction they are crouching, and if they are trying to hide behind a rock.
But there’s a catch. Distorted auras, lockers, and even just standing too close to the hook can negate the effect entirely. I've seen so many killers get tilted because they "saw nothing" and assumed the survivors were all nearby. Sometimes, they're just smart. They know the 40-meter rule. They hop into a locker the second they see their teammate go down. It’s a constant chess match between the killer’s need for info and the survivor’s need for stealth.
The Math Behind the 40-Meter Gap
The 40-meter requirement is the most important part of the barbeque and chili dbd description. It’s designed to discourage camping. Behavior Interactive—the devs—basically built a "go away" mechanic into the perk. If you don't see any auras, it usually means one of three things:
- Everyone is nearby, probably hovering for the save.
- Everyone is in a locker.
- Someone is using Distortion (a Jeff Johansen perk) to eat your tokens.
Actually, Distortion is the biggest hard counter right now. Since Distortion regains tokens in the killer's terror radius, a sneaky survivor can basically stay invisible for the entire match. If you’re running Barbecue and you notice a survivor's aura never shows up, even when you know they're across the map, you’re likely dealing with a Distortion user. This is where the "Expert" part of playing killer comes in. You have to adapt. If the perk fails to give you info, that is info. It tells you someone is close.
Synergy: Making the Perk Actually Work
You can't just slap barbeque and chili dbd on any build and expect a 4K. It needs friends. It needs a reason for you to get across the map quickly.
- The Scourge Hook Combo: Combining Barbecue with Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance is the classic "Sweat Lord" build. You see the aura on a far-off gen, and Pain Res just blew that gen up. You know exactly where to go to harass the person who just lost 25% progress.
- Lethal Pursuer: This is the secret sauce. Lethal Pursuer (a Nemesis perk) adds 2 seconds to every aura-reading effect. This turns Barbecue’s 5 seconds into 7 seconds. Those extra two seconds are huge for seeing which way a survivor is looping or if they’re heading for a totem.
- Deadlock: If you’re using Barbecue to find people, you need time. Deadlock blocks the gen with the most progress, giving you the window you need to finish the chase Barbecue just started for you.
What Most People Get Wrong About the 6.1.0 Nerf
People cried. They really did. When Behavior removed the 100% Bloodpoint bonus from barbeque and chili dbd, half the player base threatened to quit. We used to run it just for the "grind." It was the only way to level up characters without playing for ten hours a day.
But here’s the hot take: the perk is actually better now because the people using it are using it for the strategy, not the currency. Before the nerf, you’d see a Hag or a Trapper running it just for the points, even though it didn’t really fit their kit. Now, it’s a tactical choice. If you see it in a loadout, you know that killer is planning on playing aggressive.
Counter-Play: How Survivors Beat the Chili
If you’re a survivor, you have to be paranoid. The moment someone gets picked up, start counting. One, two, three... If you aren't in a locker by the time they hit the hook, the killer knows your zip code.
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Lockers are your best friend. They completely block aura reading. If you’re mid-gen and see a teammate go down, hop in. Wait five seconds. Hop out. It’s that simple.
Off the Record also works, but only after you’ve been unhooked. The real MVP is Shadowstep (Mikaela’s boon). If you’re sitting in a blue circle, the killer is blind. I’ve seen killers wander around aimlessly because they expected barbeque and chili dbd to hand them a win, only to be met with a void of information.
The Specific Case of Bubba (The Cannibal)
We have to talk about the lore. Barbecue & Chilli is a Bubba perk. In the movies, the Sawyer family literally makes barbecue and chili out of... well, people. In the game, the perk reflects Bubba’s "gatherer" nature.
Interestingly, Bubba is one of the killers who benefits least from it if he camps. And yet, Bubba players are famous for camping. It’s a weird paradox. If you’re playing Bubba and you want to actually win against high-rank teams, you have to use the perk to find your next chainsaw sweep. Pro Bubbas like Otzdarva or Insym have shown time and again that using Barbecue to chain downs is way more effective than sitting in the basement waiting for a trade.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Trial
Stop using it as a crutch. Use it as a compass.
- Check the HUD: Before you hook, look at the survivor icons. If you see two people are currently "in chase" or busy, you know you'll only see one aura.
- The "Look Away" Trick: Some survivors watch the killer's head. If you hook someone and immediately stare at a generator, survivors might think you’re heading there. Use the aura info to go somewhere else first, then double back.
- Vary Your Pathing: Don't walk in a straight line toward the aura you see. Survivors expect that. Approach from an angle to cut off their exit.
- Combine with Mobility: If you're playing a slow killer like Clown or Pig, consider if you actually need Barbecue. Maybe "Friends 'Til the End" or "Discordance" would serve you better for short-range info.
The meta in Dead by Daylight is always shifting. New perks like "Nowhere to Hide" have given Barbecue a run for its money in the info department. But for pure, map-wide awareness, nothing beats the classic smell of barbeque and chili dbd. It tells a story of the match, one hook at a time. Whether you’re the one being seen or the one doing the seeing, it’s the heartbeat of the game’s macro-strategy.
Next time you're in the fog, pay attention to the silence. If you don't see an aura, don't just stand there. Look behind the nearest rock. They’re closer than you think.