<p>This study investigated the transient unloading effects in deep-buried tunnels influenced by joint location using discrete element modeling. Attention was focused on the evolution of stress, deformation characteristics, fracture propagation, and energy transformation of the surrounding rock. It was found that stress concentration at joint tips was pronounced during transient unloading, with stress rapidly migrating towards the tunnel periphery. The radial and tangential stresses initially decreased, rebounded and then stabilized. The closer the joint was to the free surface, the sparser the stress distribution around the tunnel and the weaker the load-bearing capacity of the surrounding rock. Conversely, when the joint was farther from the free surface, the stress distribution became denser, enhancing the load-bearing capacity. The number of damage fractures induced by transient unloading decreased and eventually stabilized as the distance from the initial fracture to the free face increased, with a significant influence distance observed at approximately 0.5 times the tunnel span. The released elastic strain energy from the jointed surrounding rock increased with the distance between the joint and the tunnel, and markedly exceeded that from intact surrounding rock. The energy dissipation pattern was complex, exhibiting more pronounced fluctuations when the joint was located beneath the tunnel floor.</p>