Playing Civilians

Source scope: includes pre-release official descriptions. Released mechanics have not been independently playtested by this wiki.

Civilians are tasked with locating surviving residents, warning them about Michael, and guiding them toward possible randomized escapes. The direct answer: share resident and objective state early, then adapt to the items and routes that actually appear.

1. Locate a resident or point of interest.
2. Use the available conversation to warn them about the threat.
3. Tell the team whether the interaction created a police-call option, a hiding instruction, or a companion.
4. Reassess the safest next action with the group.

The official overview says successful conversations can permit requests for additional police calls, commands to find secure hiding places, or companionship. It does not establish exact triggers or timings.

Official material says lootable containers can hold weapons, distractions, and key items used to unlock and access possible escape routes. It also says their locations can change by match. Call out what you actually found; do not promise a fixed spawn or timer.

An escape sequence generates noise that alerts Michael to the Civilian’s exact location. Treat that as a published consequence, not a published distance or duration. For the patch-aware explanation, use Escapes, Police, and Objectives.

For party setup problems, go to Cross-Play and Party Help.

The January 21 introduction names Thomas Armitage, Jennifer Aarons, Tanya Harrison, Rachel Calahan and Marcus Navarro. It is a selection of character introductions, not a complete released roster or an unlock list. Biography does not establish a combat advantage.

1. Tell teammates which resident you contacted and what response you received.
2. If a route needs an item, report the exact prompt rather than assuming another match’s solution.
3. If someone is already warning residents, consider scouting the next visible objective.
4. After a failure, record the prompt and outcome; one failed interaction does not establish a universal rule.

For the underlying sequence, read Escapes, Police, and Objectives.