Dossier Summary
Skill loadout
8 AbilitiesEvery skill Loader 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KnuckleboomA melee primary with a full 1.0 proc coefficient. | Primary | — | 1.0 | Default |
| Grapple FistPulls you to the target and deals no damage, which makes it a positioning tool rather than an attack. | Secondary | 5s | — | Default |
| Spiked FistAn alternate secondary that adds damage to the pull. Documented mechanics list only its cooldown and proc coefficient. | Secondary | 5s | 1.0 | Alternate |
| Charged GauntletA chargeable punch that adds 30% base damage for every metre per second of current velocity, so momentum converts straight into damage. Charge speed scales with attack speed. | Utility | 5s | 1.0 | Default |
| Thunder GauntletCharges much faster, fires itself when fully charged, and its lightning cone deals 900% damage. The cone does not inherit the velocity bonus that the punch itself receives. | Utility | 5s | 1.0 | Alternate |
| M551 PylonDeploys a pylon that sits inactive for 1.65 seconds, then zaps 14 times at up to six enemies per zap. Up to three can be active, and critical chance is rolled once at spawn and applies to the whole lifespan. | Special | 20s | 0.5 | Default |
| ThunderslamA slam with roughly a 15-metre radius on an 8-second cooldown. | Special | 8s | 1 | Alternate |
| Scrap BarrierGrants a barrier worth 5% of maximum health plus current shields. Charged Gauntlet triggers it per enemy hit; Knuckleboom and Thunder Gauntlet do not add more for multi-hits. | 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
- Loader: Swing By
- Loader: Earthshatter
- Loader: The Thunderdome
Reading the loadout
Loader 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 5s on Grapple Fist; longest is 20s on M551 Pylon. That spread sets how often the kit can answer a problem rather than absorb one.
- Proc profile
- Highest proc coefficient is 1.0 on Knuckleboom, Spiked Fist, Charged Gauntlet, Thunder Gauntlet, Thunderslam. 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
- Loader 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 Loader, 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.