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Dying Light: The Beast Grappling Hook - How It Works, How to Get It

The grappling hook is not handed to you at the start of Dying Light: The Beast, but once you unlock and upgrade it the tool turns cautious climbing into confident traversal and makes crowd control far easier. This guide covers how the hook behaves on The Beast's rural map, gives you a clean quest route to unlock it, breaks down the default controls on PC and console, and walks through the upgrade order and farms that deliver the best results.

How the grappling hook works

The hook lets you pull toward valid anchor points such as beams, ledges, and tree limbs, then swing across gaps. It is less of a Batman zipline than it was in Dying Light 1 because The Beast trades skyscrapers for forests, ridgelines, and low-rise structures, so timed chain-swings matter more than vertical slingshots.

With upgrades unlocked, the hook can latch enemies so you yank them into finishers or knock them off perches.

Player feedback is split early on: some call the base hook clunky, while others say that once it is upgraded it approaches Dying Light 1 freedom. Anchor density in rural terrain and your upgrade level are the deciding factors, so plan to invest in it quickly.

Valid anchors include beams, tower braces, cranes, lodge rafters, and tree branches once the reticle lights up.
Short, repeatable swings make rural traversal smoother; expect to redirect often instead of relying on tall city buildings.

How to unlock the grappling hook - step by step

You cannot loot or craft the grappling hook from the open world. It is awarded during the main quest "Some Like It Dark," which moves the story into the Vale (northeast of Old Town) around level 6. The quest introduces Sven, has you rescue his comrades, and sets up tower climbs that end with him handing you the hook. Equip it immediately from a tool slot.

Push the story until "Some Like It Dark" appears and sends you into the Vale.
Help Sven by defeating the Baron's soldiers and tracking down his missing comrades.
Meet Sven at the new Vale hideout; after the radio tower briefing he hands over the grappling hook.
Equip the hook in a tool slot so you can test it outside the hideout right away.

Controls - how to equip and use it

PC (keyboard and mouse): place the hook in a tool slot and fire it with Middle Mouse; an extra bind called "Grappling Hook (Expert)" defaults to Alt.
Controller (Xbox/PlayStation): assign the hook to a tool slot and press LB/L1 to fire, holding the button to build momentum through a swing.
If nothing happens you are likely not targeting a valid anchor. Nudge the crosshair until the prompt appears, then hold the input to commit to the swing. Forest beams and tower braces are reliable chains.

Upgrade system - turning a nice tool into a must-have

The Beast reintroduces Manual Pages across Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert tiers. Combine lower tiers to craft higher ones, then spend them at the Craftmaster to boost the grappling hook.

Upgrades extend range, raise reel speed, stabilize swings, and unlock enemy latch and knockdown moves. Most players recommend improving quality-of-life stats before focusing on enemy control.

Range expands anchor options and keeps rural gaps safer.
Reel Speed shortens the downtime between swings.
Reliability or Durability prevents drops and keeps momentum flowing.
Enemy Latch or Control upgrades let you yank archers or stagger melee enemies into finishers.

Where to farm Manual Pages

You need a steady supply of Manual Pages to hit Epic or Expert tiers, and the community has already flagged the best spots.

Brick School in Golden Pine (the Vale) is a repeatable hotspot for Expert Manual Pages once it opens in your story progression.
Dark Zones across Castor Woods drop pages when their map tooltip flags them; loop these runs when they are marked.

Movement and combat techniques that actually help

Short chain swings beat dramatic hero arcs. Two quick pulls keep speed up and set you for the next anchor; release near the down-arc to carry momentum.
Read the geometry. Fences, tower braces, crane arms, and lodge rafters are reliable anchors. Tree limbs work, but you may need to feather aim to get the lock.
Enemy control after upgrades is potent. Pull light enemies into a stagger -> finisher or yank snipers off rooftops when traversal feels picky.
Mind stamina rhythms. Stamina regenerates while gliding, so pace your swings to avoid drops; boosters help, but smart anchor selection matters more.

Co-op and progression expectations

Co-op unlocks early and campaign progression is designed to be shared, but occasional mismatches can stop rewards from syncing. If a teammate misses the hook, replay "Some Like It Dark" in that player's save.
No cross-play exists between console and PC at launch. Everyone in the squad needs to be on the same platform, with Steam and Epic being the lone exception when linked.

Troubleshooting the feels inconsistent complaint

If the hook feels unreliable, it usually comes down to one of three causes.

Under-upgraded: rushing Range then Speed changes target acquisition dramatically and makes the tool feel closer to community praise.
Anchor density: rural set dressing looks hookable but often is not. Sweep across edges, beams, and branches to find consistent anchor lines.
Input habits: hold the input to commit to a swing or reel. Tapping alone cancels momentum.

Quick summary for skimmers

Unlock: story reward from "Some Like It Dark" in the Vale around level 6. Equip it immediately from a tool slot.
Controls: PC uses Middle Mouse (Expert bind Alt); console uses LB/L1. Rebind if needed.
Upgrades: farm Manual Pages and prioritize Range -> Speed -> Reliability -> Enemy Latch. Run Brick School and Dark Zones flagged for page drops.
Co-op: progression is meant to be shared, but rerun the quest in each save if a reward desync occurs. No console-to-PC cross-play at launch.

Fast route to the grappling hook

1) Push the story until "Some Like It Dark" starts

Stay on the main quests until "Some Like It Dark" pushes you into the Vale. The region is tougher, so bring medkits and ranged tools.

Sven's questline leading into Some Like It Dark in the Vale hideout. — Follow Sven's lead into the Vale so the questline tees up the grappling hook reward.

2) Help Sven clear the Vale encounters

Defeat the Baron's soldiers, track Sven's missing comrades, and finish the tower prep. These beats set up the hook handoff.

3) Collect the hook at the Vale hideout

After the tower briefing, Sven gives you the grappling hook as a story reward. There is no crafting step; it goes straight to your inventory.

Aiden equipping the grappling hook tool slot inside the Vale hideout. — Equip the hook in a tool slot so you can try swings outside the hideout immediately.

4) Equip and practice fast swings

Put the hook in a tool slot, test the default inputs, and practice short swings on beams or trees near the hideout before tackling longer routes.

FAQs

What mission unlocks the grappling hook?

"Some Like It Dark." The mission sends you into the Vale, introduces Sven, and rewards the hook during the tower-climb setup.

What is the default button?

PC uses Middle Mouse for Use Accessory with an Expert bind on Alt. Consoles map it to LB/L1. All bindings can be remapped.

Where should I farm upgrade materials?

Brick School in Golden Pine (the Vale) is the standout Expert Manual Page farm. Dark Zones also drop pages whenever the map tooltip flags them.

Why does it feel weaker than Dying Light 1?

The rural map has fewer tall anchors and needs timed chain-swings. Once you upgrade Range and Speed and learn anchor lines, the hook flows much better.

Does everyone in co-op get it at the same time?

That is the intent, but edge-case desyncs happen. If someone misses the reward, replay "Some Like It Dark" in their world to force the unlock.