The Flashlight is a gameplay mechanic that is used to provide illumination throughout The Complex. The player can toggle their flashlight (default F key.) Whilst a flashlight helps players navigate, it also disturbs Sleepers, potentially waking them if the light is not quickly turned off.
The brightness and appearance of a flashlight differs depending on the weapon or Long Range Flashlight that the player is holding. As such, different weapons will alert or wake Sleepers at different ranges. The flashlight range does not correspond to the weapon's effective range. If the player is not holding a weapon, they will use their headlamp.
Scouts are the only sleeper not triggered by flashlights.
Conversely, Spitters are most effectively deactivated using the flashlight, at the risk of alerting nearby sleepers.
Flashlight types[ | ]
| Preview | Type | Range | Angle | Color | Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Short range flashlight | ~8 meters | Wide | Yellow | SMG Shotgun Revolver Precision Rifle Combat Shotgun |
 |
The Headlamp | ~11 meters | Tight | Yellow | Toggled by F (default key) when the player has neither equipped a weapon with a Flashlight nor Long Range Flashlight. |
 |
Medium range flashlights #1 | ~13 meters | Medium | White | Bullpup Rifle Heavy Assault Rifle Choke Mod Shotgun HEL Shotgun HEL Gun Scattergun Rifle Double Tap Rifle Slug Shotgun |
  |
Medium range flashlights #2 | ~15 meters | Tight | White (Dark spot in the middle) | Assault Rifle DMR Pistol Carbine HEL Revolver High Caliber Pistol Machine Pistol HEL Autopistol Sawed-off Shotgun Heavy SMG Short Rifle Burst Pistol |
  |
Wide range flashlights | ~16 meters | Wide | White | Techman Veruta XII PDW Techman Arbalist V Burst Cannon |
  |
Extended range flashlights | ~20 meters | Tight | White (Light spot in the middle) | Sniper Burst Rifle HEL Rifle |
  |
Long Range Flashlight | ~25 meters | Wide | White | Toggled when the player equips the Long Range Flashlight. |
| |||||||||||