Start with the job you want your character to do
For a team recommendation supported by the September GRAVHOUNDS playtest, pick Zane for knockback support or Dozer for defensive mines. Those choices come from a firsthand comparison of how their abilities helped a cooperative team. They give you a useful starting decision without presenting an old playtest as a current, universal tier list.
In IGN's September 30 hands-on preview, Scott White favored Dozer and Zane for their abilities. His examples were practical: mines breaking up an approaching wave and knockback helping teammates and turrets keep firing.
Choose Dozer for a defensive minefield role
Dozer's distinctive contribution in that preview was placing bone-shaped mines. The reviewer described their usefulness against incoming bugs, making Dozer a supported recommendation if you like preparing a defensive area for the team.
That recommendation is about a documented role in the September build. The source does not provide a complete damage comparison, mine cooldown, maximum number of active mines or a fixed placement pattern for every mission. Think about where the team is defending rather than treating one account of a successful minefield as a guaranteed solution.
Choose Zane for knockback support
Zane's Bark pushes nearby enemies away. IGN's team-play example paired that displacement with fire from teammates and turrets, supporting a recommendation for players who want to help manage pressure during a fight.
There is also a solo player-experience example: Gohjoe selected Zane for a combat-oriented run while noting a mining drawback. That helps explain the appeal of the choice, but it does not establish that Zane outperforms every other character when played alone.
The developer later changed Bark to deal a small amount of damage in addition to its knockback. That makes an older description of it as displacement alone incomplete for the October demo.
Reconsider old rankings after the demo changes
The same IGN playtest preview was disappointed with Finn's older Play Dead behavior. Do not carry that judgment directly into an October demo ranking: the developer's October changelog says Play Dead was reworked to provide invulnerability and stronger healing while down, followed by a temporal bubble affecting nearby enemies when getting up.
The demo roster includes Selene, Zane, Dozer and Finn. The sources support discussing their known roles, but they do not provide a controlled comparison of all four after those changes. Likewise, the developer's report that Zane accounted for about 30% of playtest character choices measures popularity, not winning strength.
Use Zane and Dozer as evidence-backed starting recommendations for the roles above. Reassess your choice against the version you are playing and the work your crew needs done, rather than assuming those recommendations settle every later balance question.
FAQ
Who is the best-supported pick for team crowd control?
Zane has a documented knockback role that helped an IGN playtest team combine his ability with turret and teammate fire.
Which character fits a minefield defense role?
Dozer. The September hands-on comparison specifically described his bone-shaped mines helping against approaching enemies.
Is Finn definitely the weakest character?
That is not established. His Play Dead ability changed after the September preview, so the old criticism cannot serve as a current lowest-tier verdict.