How to get over the fear of playing killer?

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I'm a survivor main and I'd like to expand my horizons on playing killer!

I bought some DLCs with cool hunters (The Trickster, Ghostface, Pyramid Head I regret buying him since I heard he's a pretty difficult hunter)

And wanted to try them out one day but I tried being a killer once today (as trapper with no perks) and my heart was pounding so fast I couldn't even calm down in the match 😭 But in the end, (Image shown below)

It went pretty well! its just that the anxiety/adrenaline that overwhelms me whenever I play killer :( so I'd like to know how to overcome such fear?

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Comments

  • Starrseed
    Starrseed Member Posts: 1,755
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    I know what you mean but I woulnd call it fear but playing killer gives me definitely more stress baseline and and I can't play to much games in a row because of that. I don't have that with survivor and I never had that with any other game except for maybe carrying the flag on wow pvp and being hunted but that's like 2 minutes at max but playing killer is like that all game every game

  • svtore
    svtore Member Posts: 12
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    Yeah, the match I faced as trapper I had a Leon who kept on tea-bagging me and it kind of hurt but I paid no mind to it and ignored him, I was quite proud that I managed to have a 4k despite all gens done!

    Thank you!!

  • jmwjmw27
    jmwjmw27 Member Posts: 264
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    I used to be pretty anxious on killer when I first started several years ago too, here's what helped me, maybe it will help you:

    • Familiarity. The more I got accustomed to the killer role, the easier it got for me. I can still get anxious sometimes but it's not nearly as bad as it was when I started. What really helps is experiencing killer in a stress-free environment - playing against bots might help (those weren't in the game for me), but I utilized KYF games and youtube videos. By playing in a KYF with people I knew, there was no stress in playing the role and I could de-stress by talking to them on call as I played. I also got more accustomed to how killer works by watching others play the role. These helped me get familiar with the killer role and might help you.
    • Mindset. This might not be an issue for you, but for me it was something I needed to work on. It's different for everyone, but try to give yourself a reasonable, non-stressful goal starting out that you can accomplish without stressing yourself out. Instead of worrying about winning, or getting X amount of hooks, try going in with the goal of getting better with a certain killer's power, or learning how certain killer interactions work. Maybe you can try getting the hang of Pyramid Head's power, or have a goal to learn the best places to put trails to torment survivors. Something small that doesn't depend on winning the match can reduce your anxiety if you're stressed about performing well. If you're able to, the best goal to have is simply to have fun, but that's not a realistic expectation for everyone - killer can be stressful!

    Best of luck learning the killer role. It can be a blast to play sometimes and I hope you enjoy it!

  • edgarpoop
    edgarpoop Member Posts: 8,071
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    Just keep at it. Understand that mistakes are part of the game even at the highest levels of play. Nobody is ever going to be perfect and everyone has bad games. Your focus should be on your own gameplay and the things you're trying to improve.

  • HugTheHag
    HugTheHag Member Posts: 3,138
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    Hello ! I started playing killer a few months ago, and I'm not sure there's an universal way of destressing when playing killer, but I can tell you what worked for me. =)

    I'm a very non competitive person at heart, DbD is even the only pvp game I play regularly. Because of that, I have a very casual mindset. I'm playing to have fun, and for me that means that everyone is (hopefully) having fun.

    That means I play very fair, maybe a bit too much. (Once again, not telling you how to play, just how it works for me). I might be losing a few more kills than I could get, but it keeps me in a level where people are playing chill and for fun more than anything.

    When faced with some BM (which is much rarer for me than apparently is the norm), like a survivor teabagging a little after a pallet stun, I usually headbang or spin in return. It makes it so that it's not them making fun of me anymore, it's us memeing together. It's dumb, but it works to make me feel better. A lot of the time, it makes them realize I'm chill, and they stop being agressive. =)

    Hope you get good next games ! Also Ghostface is very fun <3

  • Ryuhi
    Ryuhi Member Posts: 3,728
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    Practice KYF with bots, watch some high level play of different killers to get ideas for applications for their abilities, and get comfortable with everything mechanically.

    You may still run into other roadblocks, but now that we have the ability to practice in KYF mode with bots, building up muscle memory and cursory tactics is considerably easier and goes a long way to being more comfortable in the role.

  • BillsHere101
    BillsHere101 Member Posts: 247
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    play survivor. its much more chill and you dont have to deal with hacking survivors or swf squad

  • Murgleïs
    Murgleïs Member Posts: 1,046
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    Hide end game chat, disable comment section on steam and play with survivors as if they are NPC.

  • Vampwire
    Vampwire Member Posts: 704
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    Don't listen to these guys saying it gets worse as u climb up. You do face better survivors with a lot of different strategies, but those are the matches that are going to teach u how to get better and possibly help u more with survivor since you can recognize these situations. You'll be able to see the mistakes that survivors make that lead you to a fast victory. You'll understand a killers power better and how to play against it.

    I'm a pretty experienced killer, and I won't lie sometimes those moments where you're just about to get that one survivor you don't like right before they escape are really thrilling and can bring out a lot of emotion. It can make u salty cus u got so many things running through you. You might want to gloat or tell them how bad they are. Just remind urself its a game. Win or lose there will be a thousand different matches to have. Don't let one squad of shitters ruin your day because they stacked everything they could in their favor. That reaction only fans the flames of their behavior because they'll want to take it out on the next guy or stroke their ego once the game is over. If they're obnoxious just say "gg <3" and leave.

    I hope you have fun. It's a long journey but a very valuable one for this game. Experience with both sides will help you see the game differently instead of pigeon holing yourself into the survivor main vs killer main brain disease people have in this community.

  • OrangeBear
    OrangeBear Member Posts: 2,382
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    After 1,900 hrs i never got over the fear of playing killer. The thing i found was that i am simply uncomfortable with the idea of playing an asymmetrical game where everybody pretends it's fair and balanced and treats each other accordingly. I just wanted a casual, reverse horror game but that is not what DBD is. It's a competitive asymmetrical game that is full of DLC and grinding.

    At this point i don't play the game regularly. I think if you are scared of playing the killer mode there is probably a valid reason for that.

  • Fred_krueger
    Fred_krueger Member Posts: 163
    edited December 2022
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    Youve picked a bad time to start. Killer is terrible right now. Gen and healing speeds are ridiculous.

    The devs are clueless. Add 10 seconds to gens - buff gen speed builds, add perks to make them faster. BHVR logic.


    If they make unbreakable basekit, theyve literally made what used to be a whole build, basekit for survivors.

    Maps are wildly unbalanced - offerings shouldnt be a thing anymore.


    its meant to be a horror game. The killer isnt feared, theyre a thing for the survivor to bully.

    I wish theyd sell the game to competent devs.

  • MrPeanutbutter
    MrPeanutbutter Member Posts: 1,586
    edited December 2022
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    Yep, killer is super stressful, no doubt. Good for you for giving it go. A lot of other survivor mains are too scared to ever try. I respect the opinion of players like you who are at least willing to try both sides far more than others who solely play one role or the other.

    My two main pieces of advice for playing killer are: 1), if you’re a casual player (like me), find one killer you really enjoy and/or are best with, and just play a ton with them until you understand how to as a killer *in general*, then start learning other killers once you get the hang of the general strategy; and 2) don’t ever feel bad about playing the game the way you want to play. Camp, tunnel, do whatever it takes to win and enjoy the match. Always remember that a lot of survivor-only players who constantly complain about camping/tunneling will also not hesitate to do everything in their power to make the match as miserable for you as possible.

  • HugTechLover
    HugTechLover Member Posts: 2,482
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    Just keep playing killer. You get over it. You just have to understand that some games are going to be an easy slaughter, and the next you may not get a single kill. Every match is truly different.

    Chose a killer to main, that you enjoy. For myself, Blight is my top killer (1k hours in him alone)

    Go into the game already deciding to not try hard, but rather try new builds and tactics.

  • Rulebreaker
    Rulebreaker Member Posts: 1,545
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    Welcome to the bloody side mate. As most people said the best way to control the adrenaline is to keep at it, though it won't ever truly go away. Find one you like and play in a way you enjoy. As long as your having a good time its all that matters and ignore the salty haters. (Though try not to go out of your way to ruin others fun, there's enough of that already)

    Since bots came out, custom games can give you a "safe" way to see how everyone works and to build and practice your own style.

  • GeneralV
    GeneralV Member Posts: 10,212
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    To be honest, I've never really felt that "fear" of playing killer.

    I guess the secret is understanding that you can't and won't win every single one of your games.

  • yobuddd
    yobuddd Member Posts: 2,259
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    I specifically remember my first killer match feeling much the same way! I was nervous thinking things like “omg the entire match depends on me! I’m in control of the experience of 4 other players! I’m gonna be embarrassed if I do poorly!”

    But also just like you, the first match went great and I got hooked on killer! That was years ago, so here are a few things I would like to have known back then.

    • Your first few matches will put you against extreme newbies. The wins will come easily because these players have no idea what they’re doing. This also means that they don’t have enough game awareness to make ANNYYY sort of assessment about your performance. (Hint, you’ll find these players crouching around the edges of the map.)
    • By the time you lose a match, you’ll be comfortable with killer. Are the survivors gonna be upset that they won? Naw, they won! As long as you give an honest effort and avoid scummy tactics like camp/tunnel, everyone will have a high scoring & fun match! (When you get to higher MMR, there may be occasion for those tactics from time to time, but remember that there’s more to enjoying a game than just winning!)
    • This one may surprise you: you’re about to become a better survivor! Yeah, that’s right, playing killer makes you a better survivor. It’ll be tempting to dodge lobbies where the players have bright flashy clothes or higher prestige, but don’t do it! Instead, set your expectation for the match from “win” to “learn”. Now pay attention to what the survivors do to win chases, coordinate gens & rescues, and counter your killer’s power. Congrats, now you know a few more tricks! Don’t get flustered at hard chases. If you’ve set your expectations low but actually win, well, pleasant surprise!
  • fake
    fake Member Posts: 3,250
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    Unlike Survivor, I still ...... I will say that there is a great deal of anxiety and adrenaline in playing killer.

    But that is the killer. I keep going because I find enjoyment in the catharsis of a good result, while suffering the frustration of being suppressed forever.

  • Grandpa_Crack_Pipe
    Grandpa_Crack_Pipe Member Posts: 3,306
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    I don't think very hard about it and just do it.

  • Massquwatt
    Massquwatt Member Posts: 368
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    Sometimes you just gotta dive head first into the ######### my man. We've all been there but with time comes experience and experience comes knowledge. That being said if you play killer long enough you just eventually stop really caring about these sorts of things and the stuff other survivors do just become an annoyance at best.

  • Zachcjjj
    Zachcjjj Member Posts: 528
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    just keep playing tbh at some point you kinda just dont care anymore (i have 4k hours but still)

  • TheDylbot
    TheDylbot Member Posts: 6
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    Just keep going, treat all your early games as learning/warm up matches.


    Soon enough you'll come across nothing but TTV prestige 50+, comm squads, bully squads, toxic taggers, entitled salt throwers....


    And all that adrenaline gets replaced with a feeling of ice cold merciless-ness.


    Imo enjoy that adrenaline feeling while it lasts lol, these survivors have a way of turning you cold and unforgiving lol.

  • svtore
    svtore Member Posts: 12
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    thank you all for the help I appreciate it! <3 I'll do my best to practice killer and hone my skills instead of caring about winning :D

  • ElodieSimp
    ElodieSimp Member Posts: 354
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    I never got the fear part either, I just play and try to have fun. You can be competitive just understand you're not going to 4k every match and be okay with that, sometimes even 4 escape. Just don't become bitter like some killer mains and constantly complain about things out of your control, in the end it's just a game, not a battle for your real life.

  • Katzengott
    Katzengott Member Posts: 1,202
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    Best advice i can give: Turn off endgame chat and have fun.

  • Pulsar
    Pulsar Member Posts: 20,497
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    Some people never really get over it. I didn't. I still feel nervous queueing up for Killer, even after all this time.

    The best thing I'd recommend is to never ever take it serious. Always keep it light and funny. As soon as you make the outcome matter (other than just goofing around and having fun) you add stakes to every match.

    For me, all I cared about was getting better and winning. Where has that gotten me? Now I'm good at DBD but I haven't had fun with it in a long time. I'd trade all my skill for the enjoyment I had in my first year in a heartbeat.

  • TheUltimateFailer
    TheUltimateFailer Member Posts: 14
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    I think you should play to have fun/to improve rather than to win. This is true for any game, not just DbD. I used to have the same issue until one day I decided to play Killer even if I was bad. You won't ever get better unless you play Killer over and over.

  • Grigerbest
    Grigerbest Member Posts: 1,334
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    You need to understand what exactly makes you fear playing a killer. Play through your fears, don't take the game very serious, and one day your fear will be gone. (It may not tho, but it's a high chance of it).

  • KerJuice
    KerJuice Member Posts: 1,851
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    Holy crap, this person @Wampirita absolutely NAILED IT. WORD FOR WORD.

    I am a survivor main and do not find playing killer that much satisfying- even if I win. The only time I truly enjoy playing killer, is if I 4K with a meme build (I don’t intentionally camp or tunnel, so that’s very hard to do consistently). Yesterday I was playing killer to get challenges done, and the first thing I said to myself at the beginning of the second game was: “I don’t know how ppl enjoy/have fun maining killer- this ######### is too stressful.” And sure enough my second game was much tougher than the previous (really seems like that’s intentional sometimes). I still 4ke’d, but it was a PIA and I didn’t enjoy myself.

    Three years in and I still get anxiety @svtore. Even the occasional heart pound trying to down that one survivor who looped me for days and the 2nd to last gen is about to pop somewhere.

  • Shroompy
    Shroompy Member Posts: 6,269
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    Realize that in the end, you have nothing to lose and you are quite literally just playing a video game

    If it stresses you out and youre just simply not enjoying it, nothing is forcing you to keep playing

  • svtore
    svtore Member Posts: 12
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    Yeah!! The reason why I stress whenever I try to play killer is because you're never ever on a break. survivors get to at least do a gen without any skills and relax while being a killer you have to be on chase constantly, looking out for gens constantly, there's literally no breaks and that's why it stresses me 😭


    But I'm trying my best to not think about winning and at least trick my mind into thinking that playing killer is fun! It is a game after all :D

  • KerJuice
    KerJuice Member Posts: 1,851
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    That’s the other thing- I used to do the same: try to play for hooks, not to win. That works GREAT in low MMR, but once you get your killer to mid-MMR, ######### starts to get dicey. It’s almost like you’re goated into getting competitive, because the survivors no longer need you to hold their hands. Gens start flying, while you’re wondering why all these pallets that are getting dropped on your head don’t seem to be around when you play as a survivor. 😂

    To me if I don’t “dial in/get focused,” then I’ll barely get any hooks let alone kills. And that’s why I said even when I 4K, a lot of times I don’t have fun. I had to work my ass off for that 4K- especially since I try not to tunnel or camp. ONE match feels like I just got out of playing three consecutively. And this is exactly why I felt @Wampirita statement on not playing many matches at once. Take a break after one. This is usually what I do, but yesterday I had a lengthy killer challenge so I did two back to back. Remember what I said to myself when I was starting my second match? I didn’t even really want to play it. I was doing it solely to put a dent in the challenge (hook obsession 8 times).

    But this is just my experience. I’m quite content maining survivor. I’m an older gamer who plays videogames to decompress and not stress, and killer kind of contradicts that for me. I get enough stress at my two full time jobs!

  • Deathstroke
    Deathstroke Member Posts: 3,151
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    I don't know if you can ever fully get over with it. I still fear or nervous bit playing killer mainly because I want to win. Part of it definetely is also that it's 1vs4 your solo vs 4 man team. It's harder and more stressful role. Important is to accept you can't win every game.

    Well as survivor I don't try to win all the time but just to get as much of bp I can. It's 4 man team so I can't control my teammates and can just think if I would have better team we would won. But it does hurt when I loop killer very extended times and my team still can't get gens done which are easiest thing to do in this game.

  • SmarulKusia
    SmarulKusia Member Posts: 819
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    You need to figure out what is it about killer that scares you first

  • Nazzzak
    Nazzzak Member Posts: 4,780
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    I have zero expectations when I play. That's how I play killer so chill. If I get absolutely steamrolled, oh well!

  • EvilSerje
    EvilSerje Member Posts: 1,070
    edited December 2022
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    Man, you playing unpunishable role, where you can hurt people, but people can't hurt you. How POSSBILY can you be scared? Scared of what, Entity?

    The main "assymetry" or this game is that killer can win (kill) or break even (not kill, like at the start of the trial). Survivor on the other hand can lose (die) or break even (escape = save his life, like at the start of the trial).

    Or you scared of yourself and bloodlust you gain by bringing pain and killing people? That one you should embrace, my good sir!


    But if you are truly a survivor main, the pain, frustration and suffering you can endure is immeasurable. I don't know what possibly you could fear :)

  • mischiefmanaged
    mischiefmanaged Member, Alpha Surveyor Posts: 372
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    For me, the important thing was remembering that, as killer, you literally can't do anything that causes yourself to die or become otherwise unable to play the game.

    You can play against survivors with a combined 32k hours and they still can't kill you in the game.

    So, just don't worry about the results. If matchmaking puts you up against others who just started the game, enjoy it and maybe try some silly things to see if they work. If matchmaking puts you up against god survivors, then do the same thing. Spend the entire match chasing the clicky Nea who is obviously the best. Matchmaking will make your next match easier AND you'll get the experience of chasing a good survivor so you can catch her in the future. The worst thing survivors can do is say "gg ez" and maybe crouch at the gate, but it's a video game and who cares?

    Also, if you're a person who responds to toxicity, make sure to pay extra attention to all of the wholesome survivors. Our brains have a way of concentrating primarily on negative things (threats) rather than positive things. You'll generally find most survivors are pretty wholesome and will recognize a killer who is learning and getting used to the game.

    Just while you're starting out, I'd also avoid NOED and camping/tunneling. These are absolutely essential parts of the game and things you'll want to understand and use, but they're kind of newbie traps. Because they're so effective especially at lower levels, you'll rise more quickly to levels where you might spend the entire map frustrated that you can't catch anyone. Since you're challenging yourself more, you'll potentially lose games where you could have one if you had been more ruthless. I'd recommend just keeping things casual when starting out and not worrying about the result.

  • Plu
    Plu Member Posts: 1,456
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    I used to have quite a similar fear / anxiety at first, but it only really goes away by playing the game.

    Don't focus on winning and just try to learn the killers the like and the way to play them and how to play most tiles, this help immensly.

  • SweetTerror
    SweetTerror Member Posts: 2,694
    edited December 2022
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    When you first start out playing killer, the MMR throws you a bone and makes your matches fairly easy. But as others have said, the more you win the tougher the matches will become.

    Playing killer is fun, but it's a sweatfest. This is why I'm thankful for the bots. Be thankful that you have that option now, because many of us had to learn in live matches, which is akin to jumping into the deep end of a pool without knowing how to swim.

  • svtore
    svtore Member Posts: 12
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    I just simply fear on the fact that I'm facing against 4 people and I don't get to have a break </3 killers have to be on a constant chase and lookout while the other survivors who are not getting chased can just relax and do a gen until they get chased. It just intimidates me that I can chase one survivor for such a long time and might not even get a hit on them </3

  • svtore
    svtore Member Posts: 12
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    This is rlly useful, thank u! I'm just not too sure why I'm intimidated by the role other than the fact that I'd get tea-bagged or get blinded by flashlights but I'll try my best to treat it as just something fun :D

  • RoastedGarlic
    RoastedGarlic Member Posts: 532
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    Just keep at it, in 2 weeks time it won't bug you at all anymore. Killer is easy breezy.

  • Krazzik
    Krazzik Member Posts: 2,314
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    With how perk-reliant and addon-reliant Trapper is you did very well with only tier-1 Brutal Strength, well done. And yeah playing the 1 in a 4v1 is gonna be intimidating for anyone, just gotta keep at it and the nerves eventually go. Mostly.

  • Lost_Boy
    Lost_Boy Member Posts: 563
    edited December 2022
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    Put on a bunch of tracking perks and forget about trying to get kills. Go for chases and learn how to read and mind game survivors. Mess about at loops & learn the maps as killer. Still do objective when you can I.e hook, kick gens etc. But don't focus on winning. Once you decide pre-game that your intention isn't too win but to mesdvabout and have fun and learn the game from a killers point of view it becomes less stressful when you don't put any expectations on yourself to win.

  • jotaro
    jotaro Member Posts: 173
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    Why are you spreading negativity? Playing killer is quite easy when you learn to loop correctly. And it is also fun for the majority of players, just because you dont like it doesnt mean you should discourage others.

  • RoastedGarlic
    RoastedGarlic Member Posts: 532
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    This isn't even remotely close to true. Killer just isn't for you.

  • RaSavage42
    RaSavage42 Member Posts: 5,533
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    1) Don't worry about what the end

    2) Think of how you want to do in the match

    3) Focus on you... How to improve on every Killer you play