Why Nerfed Self-Healing is Killing the Thrill in Dead by Daylight

Hey, friend! I totally understand your argumentation on BHVR’s tendency to overcompensate when balancing perks and mechanics, but I think it’s important to look at self-healing in a broader context and push for a more balanced approach rather than a complete shutdown of the mechanic.

You mention that self-care didn't need such a harsh nerf, and I fully agree that the drastic change felt over the top. However, this is exactly why advocating for a self-healing buff — whether it's through Self-Care or other means like Circle of Healing — is reasonable. The core of self-healing isn’t inherently broken; the issue lies in how it's balanced to fit the current meta. A well-tuned self-healing mechanic adds strategy without tipping the scales too far in favor of survivors.

Let’s look at the main concern here: healing pressure and efficiency. BHVR nerfed self-care because it was seen as too powerful, with survivors being able to heal repeatedly and negate killer pressure. While this was a valid concern, BHVR’s response — cutting self-care’s speed and effectiveness to the ground — has left a gap. Healing was once a reliable way for survivors to regain footing in a chase-heavy game, but now, survivors are forced into limited options, which makes the gameplay less dynamic. The over-nerfing has essentially funneled survivors into team-dependent strategies, reducing variety and taking away that "self-sufficiency" element that made healing perks enjoyable for a lot of players.

Now, when we talk about healing being "too efficient," we have to ask — compared to what? Sure, self-healing at its peak allowed survivors to heal themselves frequently, but it came at a cost: it was slow, required a perk slot, and left survivors vulnerable. Killers, meanwhile, have immense map control, stealth, and speed, and a properly buffed self-care wouldn’t break the balance in favor of survivors. In fact, a modest buff — say 40-45% healing efficiency — would make self-care usable again without reverting to the unbalanced meta it once was. It gives survivors an option to heal, but it's still slower and more dangerous than coordinating with teammates.

In a game where killers have incredible momentum with perks that snowball, like Gen regression perks, a slight self-healing buff provides a crucial counterbalance. The game needs to offer multiple viable strategies for survivors, and right now, with the nerfs to healing, we're seeing less diversity in perk builds and more dependency on cooperative strategies. That can be fun, but it also limits the ways players can approach the game.

Regarding Circle of Healing, adding a self-care option to it would fit within the current healing framework, especially since CoH has already been heavily nerfed. It would restore some value to the perk without making it overpowered. Survivors who choose CoH would still have to invest time to set up healing zones and be limited to specific areas, but it adds back an element of self-sufficiency that has been sorely missing. Self-healing gives survivors another layer of strategic flexibility without overpowering the overall gameplay.

I get the comparison to Billy, but there's a difference here: with Billy, the problem was in his high-mobility one-shot potential, which was too oppressive. In contrast, self-care never had that oppressive quality — it was a slow, methodical way for survivors to regain control. The nerf to self-care removed that option almost entirely, leaving survivors too vulnerable in many situations. BHVR did go too far, but this is exactly why we should be advocating for a reasonable buff to self-healing measures. It restores balance without going back to the old meta.

In summary, while BHVR's overcompensation with nerfs is a valid point, this doesn’t mean self-healing shouldn’t be buffed. A balanced, moderate buff to self-care and self-healing perks like Circle of Healing would enhance survivor gameplay without reverting to unbalanced metas of the past. In fact, there is really no point to even run different medkits since their overdone nerf.

Ohhh! I got it my friend. I misunderstood you! But yeah, I feel that we need more options available without having to make a whole build around it.

You were calling people who used self-care “idiots” and “rats” for playing in a way you don’t like. Nothing in the community guidelines allows you to do that, but feel free to cope as much as you want. It just shows how much you need a break.

I understand your point, but you may refer to the Discussion Post text (the first one). Check that up, and you will see where I mention about other options, like totems for example.

For your reference:

Do I need to say more?