Abyssal Escape 2017x Guide: Every Phase, Move, and Combo for the Ultimate Killer

If you've queued into Abyssal Escape and watched a cracked blue blur tear across the map, you already know why players are obsessed with 2017x. This rushdown killer rewards aggression like nothing else in the roster, and once you understand his boost bar and phase transitions, he becomes one of the most dominant picks in the game. This guide follows the recorded 2017X explanation, including the buff values the creator reads out. Those values describe that build; an attempted grab-and-M1 follow-up is not a guaranteed down in every situation.

Player experience backs that up. Community footage of high-level lobbies shows 2017x snowballing entire rounds once his third phase activates — and the gap between an average 2017x player and a great one comes down to three things: managing the boost bar, choosing the right Obsession target, and landing his grab combo instead of whiffing it.

Why Abyssal Escape 2017x Is a Top-Tier Rushdown Killer

Most killers in asymmetric horror games want to control space. 2017x wants to erase it. His kit is built around closing distance faster than survivors can rotate, which means every second they spend committing to a task is a second you're gaining ground.

Compare his general playstyle to a typical stalker archetype:

The tradeoff is real: 2017x has almost no zoning tools, so if you miss your engages, you get punished. He's a killer who wins by momentum, not by patience.

The Boost Bar: His Signature Passive

The boost bar sits at the bottom of your screen and acts as his movement engine. When it's full, activating it launches you forward at top speed and keeps the momentum going until you stop. Critically, you can attack during the boost, which is what makes his pressure so brutal.

Actionable tips for the boost bar:

• Save a full bar for the moment a survivor breaks line of sight — that's when they assume they're safe.
• Never burn a full bar to cross empty ground. Use it to enter a loop, not to reach it.
• Cancel the boost early by stopping your input if you're about to overshoot a corner; overshooting is the single most common mistake new players make.
• Pair boost entry with Spin Dash so survivors have to guess whether you're coming at them or through them.

2017x Abilities: The Full Phase 1 Kit

His first phase provides Top Speed, Spin Dash, and the targeted Obsession ability. Together they define how the rest of the match flows.

Spin Dash

Spin Dash curls him into a ball and turns him into a projectile. Hitting a survivor deals damage; hitting a wall bounces you, which is both a recovery tool and a repositioning trick in tight corridors.

Obsession

Obsession is where 2017x becomes genuinely scary. Hover over a survivor, activate the ability, and you publicly declare them your "best buddy." It sounds like a joke, but the numbers are not.

The key insight most players miss: Obsession isn't just a stat stick, it's a focus tool. Because the buffs only apply while you're near your declared target, you're incentivized to ignore distractions and finish the chase. If you spread damage across three survivors, you're playing 2017x wrong.

Phase 2 and Phase 3: Upgrades and Beast Form

The recorded creator uses the names The Broken Face when introducing the character, Broken Phase for Phase 2, and I Am Sonic for the Phase 3 passive or transformation. Another tester overview calls the later transformation Beast Form or Broken Face. Keep the source labels visible rather than assuming each label has one unambiguous meaning across every account.

A recent quality-of-life update added a phase indicator at the top of the screen, showing exactly which form you're in. It's a small change, but it matters when choosing how to use the tools available in the current phase. It does not mean a player can manually force a clock-based transition.

The tester overview additionally reports a 35-damage ranged M1 and an Impatience passive that speeds up ability execution in Beast Form. Those are sourced test-build details, not newly measured values.

Roar

Roar applies a debuff to nearby survivors: they slow down, their screen blurs, and you get a tracking indicator on them for a short window. It's your answer to survivors who break line of sight or hide behind geometry.

Savage Jump

Savage Jump opens a green radius that expands over time. You then aim anywhere inside that radius and launch yourself there. It's the strongest gap-closer in his kit and the reason he can contest elevated objectives that other killers simply can't reach.

Vicious Grab

The grab is the payoff. You seize a survivor, slam them Broly-style, and throw them — and because you can chain an M1 immediately after the throw, you can convert a single grab into a full down. Player experience suggests this move alone can down multiple survivors if they're stacked, which is why it's worth practicing the timing before relying on it in public matches.

Best Combos and Playstyle Tips for Abyssal Escape 2017x

Once you're in Phase 3, your job is to chain tools instead of using them one at a time. Here are the highest-value sequences reported by the community:

Additional tips that separate good 2017x play from great play:

• Roar before you commit, not after. The slow makes your jump land more reliably.
• Water is a death sentence for survivors. If they fall in, they can't do much except go down — don't waste cooldowns chasing them there.
• Pick your Obsession target based on who's doing tasks, not who's closest. A slowed-down objective runner is worth more than an easy hit on a looper.
• Track your phase indicator constantly. Players frequently waste Phase 3 tools while still in Phase 2 and wonder why nothing fires.

Common Mistakes and Known Issues

Even a top-tier killer has rough edges. These are the problems players run into most often:

On the technical side, community reports mention a lingering collision issue in certain areas where players can get stuck near terrain, and occasional hit-registration quirks during very fast boost entries. These are worth knowing about so you don't blame your own inputs.

For patch notes, teasers, and official announcements about 2017x and the rest of the roster, the official Abyssal Escape X account is the most reliable place to check, and it links directly to their community Discord.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Abyssal Escape 2017x worth learning for new players? Yes, with a caveat. His kit is easy to understand but hard to master because his power comes from chaining moves. Start by practicing the boost bar and Spin Dash in casual rounds before you worry about Phase 3 combos.

What does Obsession actually do in Abyssal Escape 2017x? Obsession marks one survivor as your "best buddy." While you stay near them, you get 30% cooldown reduction, 30% stun time reduction, and a 25% movement speed boost. It's the strongest self-buff in his kit.

How do I unlock Phase 3 as 2017x? Phase progression happens naturally as the match develops. Watch the phase indicator at the top of your screen — it tells you exactly when you've shifted into the "I Am Sonic" form and unlocked Roar, Savage Jump, and Vicious Grab.

What's the best combo for Abyssal Escape 2017x? The most reliable conversion is Vicious Grab into an immediate M1 after the throw. If you want area pressure instead, use Savage Jump to land in a group, Roar to slow them, and follow up with M1s on whoever's lowest.

Does 2017x have any real weaknesses? He lacks ranged pressure and zoning tools, so survivors who chain loops and keep distance can stall him. His stun reduction helps, but coordinated teams that bait his boost and punish the recovery can absolutely slow him down.

Get the boost bar timing down, commit to one Obsession target per chase, and practice the grab-to-M1 conversion — that's the entire recipe. Do those three things consistently and Abyssal Escape 2017x will carry rounds that other killers simply can't close.