http://dbd.game/killswitch
A Critical Analysis of Persistent Issues in DBD – And What Could Actually Help
Introduction
Dead by Daylight has seen impressive development over the years, and while many things have improved → new content, graphical updates, matchmaking refinements… a number of core issues remain untouched. This thread will highlight some of the most pressing topics still affecting the game today, paired with a realistic evaluation of how likely we are to see changes in each area based on current developer behavior and historic precedent.
Each point concludes with a "likelihood of change" rating from 1 to 10, where:
- 1 = No realistic chance
- 5 = Possible in the mid-term (1–2 years)
- 10 = Highly likely to be addressed very soon
1. Cheat Protection and the Lack of Serious Anti-Cheat
Despite the popularity of DBD, the game still lacks a serious, effective anti-cheat system. Server-side validation is practically nonexistent, and the minimal systems in place do little to prevent blatant abuse. Most bans still require manual reports with video proof submitted via ticket, and even then, enforcement is wildly inconsistent.
Cheaters continue to teleport, insta-hook, fly across maps, and ruin games for years on the same account. Unless a high-profile streamer draws attention to it, these issues typically go unpunished.
Likelihood of improvement: 2/10— Nothing substantial has changed since 2017, and unless a dramatic cheating wave forces BHVR into action, it’s unlikely they’ll prioritize meaningful infrastructure updates. The "child refusing to go to bed until forced" analogy applies here.
2. Queue Filtering Options (Crossplay, Anonymous Mode)
While DBD technically allows you to disable crossplay, the implementation is so flawed it may as well not exist. You only get matched with other players who have also disabled crossplay, which means that even Steam-only matches become unreachable if those players disabled crossplay on their end. It’s like being told you can use the express lane at a supermarket, but only if every other shopper makes the exact same choice.
Similarly, Anonymous Mode is frequently misused. While it serves a purpose for streamers, it also shields trolls, griefers, and rage-quitters from scrutiny. Anonymous players can still view profiles and use in-game chat, even though they hide their own identity. This asymmetric visibility is unfair.
Suggested changes:
- Add full queue filters for anonymous players (or a separate anonymous queue)
- Prevent anonymous players from accessing chat or inspecting others’ profiles
- Rebuild the crossplay toggle to actually function sensibly and transparently
Likelihood of improvement: 4/10— BHVR is aware of the issues but hasn’t made a single serious change. Changes here would require moderate UI/backend adjustments but seem perpetually sidelined in favor of new cosmetics.
3. Killer Opt-Out / Soft Ban System
It’s no secret that some killers (especially at launch) are wildly unbalanced. Whether due to their power, design flaws, or simply personal aversions (like players with emetophobia dreading The Plague), sometimes you just don’t want to play against a specific killer.
Suggestion: Allow survivors to "soft-ban" one killer per match search. The queue then prioritizes matches without that killer for the first 2–3 minutes. If no match is found within that window, the filter is lifted automatically.
This small quality-of-life change would reduce frustration and prevent players from quitting the game altogether when their "kryptonite" appears repeatedly.
Likelihood of improvement: 3/10— Innovative? Yes. Realistic? Not with the current priorities. BHVR struggles with even basic matchmaking refinements. Giving players more control seems counter to their current design direction.
4. Ghoul (New Killer) Balance State
The Ghoul is one of the most criticized releases in recent memory. With high mobility, fast chase potential, low counterplay, and free access to anti-tunnel perks, he’s a nightmare for most survivor players.
Even among killer mains, many agree the Ghoul is neither fun nor fair to play against. And yet, despite overwhelming consensus, no serious nerfs have arrived. Worse: some are still asking for buffs.
Likelihood of improvement: 7/10— Pressure is mounting, and BHVR has a track record of issuing mid-season nerfs under public pressure. Still, the delay in addressing this shows how reactive (rather than proactive) the balancing process remains.
Final Thoughts
This post represents a personal cross-section of issues that have persisted in DBD for years – in some cases since launch – and where current structures offer little reason for optimism. However, while criticism is essential, improvement only happens when more voices are heard and taken seriously.
So: if you’re reading this and share the frustration – or have additional ideas on how to improve the game – feel free to contribute. Whether it’s something as small as a UI tweak or a major structural overhaul, I encourage everyone to post their own ideas, along with a realistic likelihood rating (1–10) based on current development trends and BHVR’s track record.
Together, we might not fix the game overnight – but we can at least show clearly where the problems lie and what a better version of DBD could look like.
Comments
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What you mean by "free access to anti tunnel perks"? Also the ghoul was nerfed pretty substantially with the last patch, he goes on a long cooldown after breaking a pallet along with other nerfs such as a range decrease and removing him being able to hit over most waist-high objects. The only real serious issue is his kidnap tech still remains unfixed.
Other than that though I agree with your other points
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Thanks for your input, and you're right, the Ghoul did receive some targeted nerfs recently. However, the core issue many players still face isn’t so much about hitboxes or vault reach, but how little counterplay remains in practical chase situations.
When I referenced “free access to anti-tunnel perks,” I meant that the Ghoul, unlike other killers, can bypass several survivor protection mechanics without perk investment. He can instantly injure through Off The Record, Dead Hard, or Deliverance setups – not because of skill or decision-making, but because his core mechanic invalidates them outright in many cases.
And yes, the kidnap tech (which still works in various broken forms) further exacerbates the issue, even post-patch. The problem is less about numbers and more about structure: he skips survivor defenses by default, not by outplaying them.
Appreciate the civil disagreement though → that's what productive feedback looks like.
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- I agree with this section, but you didn't explore the server issue further, which is significant. Many don't realize that hits are still handled on The Killer's end, even with Server-Side Hit Validation (SSHV). SSHV only seems to "validate" hits at the 250-ms or higher mark, which is exceptionally generous and subject to abuse. And some killers exploit this. Not to mention the myriad fairness issues with a network philosophy they call "Favor The Killer." The game needs to move to Server-Side Hit Authority and full server support, so hits are handled by the neutral server. They also need to increase the tick rate. I would say 1/10 because the developers have previously acknowledged the frustrations of Survivors with fake hits and latency, but are more concerned and sympathetic with The Killer. A lack of awareness by the majority also doesn't help; some prolific streamers believe the game is full server authority.
- I like these ideas, but a more straightforward solution, perhaps even a temporary one, is to conceal the names until the end of the match; the names can be revealed simultaneously as The Killer's perks.
- As the developers focus on the symptoms rather than the problems, there's rarely a resolution, just more band-aids, so I don't anticipate they will do much here. So I agree with your assessment on this happening.
- They are too modest with balance changes; they knew what they were doing with The Ghoul launch and ignored PTB feedback. It gave the impression that it was P2W DLC despite their pronounced protestations.
I'm not too optimistic about the Survivor experience in the future. Survivors have been pretty stale for years; nothing new or innovative has happened since Boon Totems, which was an exciting addition. Invocation is lackluster, too. Each new killer has more powers, mechanics, and gimmicks. The developers also give the impression that there is too much reluctance to try new innovative approaches, and so far, the anti-mechanics are unimaginative.
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Good insights overall, especially your note on the illusion of server-side hit validation. Many still believe hits are fully handled server-side, when in reality it's only partial and biased in favor of the killer. Your 1/10 rating seems justified given how little has changed in that area over the years.
The temporary name concealment idea is solid → low effort, high impact, and it would instantly reduce some of the toxicity around name abuse. That’s a practical QoL change the game could actually implement.
You also nailed it with the "symptom over cause" issue. Band-aid patches dominate while deeper structural flaws remain untouched… and once the noise dies down, so does the attention.
And yes, the Ghoul launch made it painfully clear: performance and visuals took priority over balance, even with clear PTB feedback. They knew the problems but released anyway.
The survivor stagnation is a concern I share as well. Survivors haven’t seen meaningful design innovation in a long time, while killer kits keep getting more complex and dominant. Eventually that imbalance becomes more than just design… it becomes population shift.
Appreciate the contribution → sharp points and well argued.
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A killer softban would definitely be interesting, but I also fear that it could hurt those that want to play more unpopular killers too much with longer queue times.
I still just wish we'd get more and faster balancing of killers. Honestly Blight and Nurse still being the way they are is quite ridiculous in my opinion.
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Absolutely fair point…a killer softban system would need careful balancing to avoid excessively punishing players who enjoy lesser-picked killers. A possible middle ground could be limiting it to solo queue players only, or making it a time-gated preference rather than a hard ban.
And of course, for SWFs, you’d need additional logic… maybe only the group leader can select a softban, or the option gets disabled entirely in premade teams. The idea isn’t to create unfair matchmaking, but simply to offer solo players a small tool to protect their own match quality, especially when certain killers are overwhelmingly dominant or unpleasant to face.
Completely agree on the need for faster killer balancing as well. The fact that Nurse and Blight have remained virtually untouched while others get redesigned from scratch speaks volumes about where the balancing effort has been prioritized.
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my main point of frustration with the game is the fact that it progressively dumps on skill overall with an excuse that BHVR wants to help newer players.
Latest example being Kaneki upon release (literally 0 skill floor upon release while being a high mobility beast of a killer), Brutal zoning Blight, aura reading Nurse, further basekit changes to survivors to counter already very weak strats and 2v8 design.
Like why didn't BHVR improve matchmaking, tutorial system, advertise guides and instead chose to make it easier for new players while the actual new players won't benefit from it at all, while veteran players will be able to abuse it at max?
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