Season 27's hunter meta is all about S+ Dream Witch (35/35, 75% pick/ban) and Breaking Wheel's wild 80% speed boost. Heads up—Season 39 drops September 17, 2025, with 165% healing efficiency and 10-15% faster chair saves, pushing Geisha into the spotlight after those November 20 buffs. Persona builds like 36/129 deliver 15-20% win rate bumps on counters.
Introduction to S27 Hunter Meta
Season 27 scores hunters on a 35-point scale—S+/S hit 35/35 or 34/35, shining in camp resistance, chase power, and map control. A-tier sits at 28-33. Asian servers see +15% rescue success, tilting things toward control hunters, while global play cranks cipher speeds by +12%. Dream Witch owns 75% pick/ban rates from IJL Fall; Breaking Wheel? 80% Execution speed and instant pallet smashes.
Track your stats through replays. Main just 2-3 S-tiers to lock down 65% of escapes. Geisha's buffs hit November 20, 2025, at 08:00 UTC+8—bumping her to 2.95m normal attacks and 3.21m charged ones. Hunters ban Seer and Priestess; survivors prioritize Dream Witch (75%) and Breaking Wheel in Legendary matches (2 bans per side).
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S+ Tier Hunters: Must-Picks
Breaking Wheel (35/35) and Dream Witch (35/35) dominate. Dream Witch's Energy Charge lasts 14s with 20% faster nail speed and a quick 5s switch cooldown. Breaking Wheel gets banned in Legendary—80% speed on Red Church, spike traps everywhere.
Dream Witch has ruled 75% pick/ban since Season 4 Asian tourneys, especially with Lakeside Village rotations.
Execution mode: 80% speed, pallets gone in a flash.
Spike traps at chokepoints? Pure damage dealers.
Her followers plus Shadow leave zero safe decoding spots.
IJL data backs it: +65% escape prevention. (Editor note: These two feel unstoppable—I've seen pros sweat just hearing the ban phase.)
S Tier Hunters: High Viability
Sculptor (34/35 after nerfs), Geisha (33/35 post-buffs), Shadow (35/35). Sculptor rules Hieroglyphic Graveyard with top-down cipher lockdown. Geisha's butterfly teleport now recovers in 0.66s on miss or 0.95s on hit—post-November 20, 2025 tweaks. Shadow pairs brutally with Dream Witch for map denial, earning Legendary bans.
Sculptor's sculptures? Wisdom (horizontal block), Agility (vertical), Nobility (homing), plus Bonbon AOE.
Sculptor: Watch camera shifts and audio cues to counter kiting.
Geisha: Eye contact kills dashes; nail that mid-air Swallowtail.
Shadow: Area denial on multi-level maps, dragging chases past 20s.
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A Tier: Situational Powerhouses
Axe Boy (28/35), Disciple (26/35), Naiad (30/35), Bloody Queen (33/35), Opera (33/35). Naiad's Humidity ticks 5%/s damage decay after 10s, 40s cooldown on Surging Tides. Bloody Queen's mirrors make chases unkiteable—though recharge lags behind Geisha. Opera's mid-air mobility shines on multi-story spots, often banned. Axe Boy speeds through Peaceful Pines or Arms Factory; Disciple's Swoop Paralysis nails 2-hit elims against Forward stuns.
Naiad: Stack Humidity on small maps (18m range).
Bloody Queen: Time those mirrors to lock chases against stuns.
Opera owns vertical pursuits; Disciple teleports wreck item plays.
Data shows +12-15% boosts on Asian rescue-heavy servers. Solid picks when maps align—just not everyday carries.
Meta Shifts & Patch Impact
Season 39 launches September 17, 2025: healing efficiency at 165% (down from 250%), chairs 10-15% faster, +9 points for 3+ escapes rewarding aggressive rushes. November 20 hotfix elevates Geisha from C to A. IJL Fall (November 15-16) saw 75% Dream Witch bans, 80% Mechanic bans.
Rush ciphers—49% progress timing pairs with fast chairs.
Prioritize utility personas over pure healing.
Eye patches every 2-3 months; metas flip fast.
Aggressive play scraps draw points, dings -8 on losses. (From my grinding sessions: these changes punish passive hunters hard.)
Map-Specific Hunter Rankings
Big maps like Lakeside Village or Moon River? Dream Witch and Geisha snag +15-20% wins with Persona 129. Tight spots—Red Church, Arms Factory—go to Breaking Wheel and Sculptor. Dream Witch shreds Mechanic remotes; Breaking Wheel turns corridor pallets inescapable.
Large maps: Dream Witch followers blanket coverage, Geisha teleports close gaps.
Small maps: Breaking Wheel spikes shred pallets, Sculptor sculptures trap.
Key builds: Persona 129 for 0.5s dash immunity, 60s kiting edge.
Asian servers amp rescues by +15%. Map knowledge wins games.
Counters & Pro Tips
Vs. Dream Witch: Group up for leech removal, Seer owls stretch chases 20s+. Geisha? Eye contact and audio cues break her flow. Hunters ban Mechanic (80% in Asia) and Priestess; S-tier comps block 65% escapes.
Rescues: One max rescuer, pre-plan routes, under 80% early saves, grab Tide Turner.
Builds: Persona 36 (50% HP/speed, 20s invincibility, 90% rescue vs. duos).
Persona 129: Flywheel + Knee Jerk for 20-30% vault speed against Breaking Wheel.
Pros main 2-3 like Dream Witch or Sculptor—nets 15-20% win boosts. Practice those replays.
FAQ
What is the strongest hunter in Season 27?
Dream Witch (35/35, 75% pick/ban) with multi-pressure; Breaking Wheel's speed, immunity, and traps right behind.
How has the meta changed in S27?
Healing at 165%, chairs 10-15% faster since September 17, 2025; Geisha's November 20 buffs cement her aggressive edge.
Which hunters are S+ tier?
Breaking Wheel and Dream Witch (both 35/35)—75-80% tournament presence.
Best counters to top S27 hunters?
Dream Witch: Seer owls and leech removal; Geisha: eye contact; Breaking Wheel: Persona 129 immunity.
Top banned hunters in Season 27?
Survivors ban Dream Witch (75%), Breaking Wheel; hunters hit Seer/Mechanic (80% Asia).
Best builds for S27 ranked?
Persona 36 for rescues (20s invincibility); 129 for kiting (0.5s immunity, 15-20% on large maps).
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