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Could a Ranked Mode Help DBD?

Obviously, there are pros and cons to this idea, but it could help casual/new players get into the game while others have another option that is more competitive.

Comments

  • DragonMasterDarren
    DragonMasterDarren Member Posts: 3,080

    The short answer is lol no.

    DBD is, at its core, a unserious, busted, intentionally unbalanced mess, this is not a game where a Ranked mode makes sense. Secondly, a Ranked mode is not how you encourage new or casual players to play the game, people are drawn to it by licenses and the fact that it's fun to play with friends, not because it's a serious experience, and thirdly, the intended audience of "People who want a more competitive option" is a audience comprised of less then 1% of the playerbase, and the majority of them don't even play Competitive, they just sweat in normal lobbies because they get a kick out of curbstomping people who aren't playing on their level, they wouldn't touch Ranked because their egos wouldn't be able to handle it, and the people who do actually play Competitive already have Custom Games that they play their tournaments in anyway, it'd just be a waste of dev-time.

  • CompetitifDBD
    CompetitifDBD Member Posts: 839

    I would certainly appreciate a gamemode with proper balancing, restrictions, set maps like in the Comp scene. Playing DBD ranked in the discord server takes ages to find a matchup and you're often paired with pretty inexperienced players, since the only requirement to play is knowing Clock Callouts

  • JPLongstreet
    JPLongstreet Member Posts: 7,002

    At its core DBD is a chaotic unbalanced unhinged mess of a game, and the more we move away from that the less fun it becomes overall. Doubtful the game has the playerbase size to support two main queues anyway.

  • Kaitsja
    Kaitsja Member Posts: 1,928

    No.

    Let's use Overwatch 2 as an example. Quickplay is supposed to be the casual queue. Do you know what you get instead? Comp players mocking casual players for not being on their level. Comp players curbstomping casual players. Comp players using the casual queue to "warm up".

    Marvel Rivals also does this.

    You cannot fix behavioral problems with a ranked mode.

  • Choaron
    Choaron Member Posts: 818

    I wouldn't mind it but the average regular DBD player definitely would. Which is exactly why BHVR is so unwilling to introduce such thing to the game. A lot of people stick to DBD because they see it as a "laidback PvP game" and there's basically none of those around at such degree of popularity. Introduce a ranked mode that they can even ignore and they'll go full doomer mode anyway.

  • Nazzzak
    Nazzzak Member Posts: 7,379

    Honestly, if there's one thing sweaty players hate, it's going up against fellow sweats lol so probably wouldnt work

  • turksmall236
    turksmall236 Member Posts: 296

    I don't think sweats would flock to 2v8 if they made that the casual mode

  • ImperatorHaze
    ImperatorHaze Member Posts: 99

    Are you saying DBD would be less fun if it wasn't chaotic, unbalanced, and an unhinged mess of a game?

  • ImperatorHaze
    ImperatorHaze Member Posts: 99

    I didn't say ranked mode was to encourage new or casual players to play the game. I said it might be easier for them to get into the game as a ranked mode would divert some of the competitive players away. The ranked mode is not to draw new people in because of the "serious experience" lol, what?

    Like I said there are pros and cons to it. What do you think would help the game?

  • ImperatorHaze
    ImperatorHaze Member Posts: 99

    So, if you were to prioritize the issues to help DBD you would start with the tutorial? Not saying you're wrong, a better tutorial can help out newbies. But just by the way you previously spoke about it doesn't seem like the tutorial would be at the top of your list.

  • I_CAME
    I_CAME Member Posts: 1,590
    edited November 2025

    I tend to agree with this. A lot of people seem to think adapting the comp rule set would benefit them. Always ignoring that the players would be infinitely better than what they face in regular queue. The ego check would go crazy in a competitive mode. The people who win 70-80% of their games in casual would suddenly be winning maybe 50% of the time. I don't think most would be able to handle it.

  • DragonMasterDarren
    DragonMasterDarren Member Posts: 3,080

    Yes, it absolutely would be at the top of my list

    The single biggest speedbump in getting new players to stick with DBD long term is the fact that it is exhausting to actually learn the basics of how Killers work and how Survivors can play against them. If you want new and casual players to stick with the game, you have to help them get over the knowledge wall, and a proper tutorial that shows them the basics against every Killer would be where I'd start, not a ranked mode nobody would play.

  • crogers271
    crogers271 Member Posts: 3,266

    It would be less fun if it wasn't as chaotic, that's part of the reason for the game's longevity.

    Unbalanced, that's a trickier issue. It depends whether you mean per trial or over many trials. I think if you tried to make every trial balanced, you'd end up with a very boring game.

    Unhinged mess depends on what you mean.

    -

    As others have said, a ranked mode would be a bad idea. Usually the justification given is to separate the player base, but without any way to ensure that players actually follow it (i.e. sweats could still jump into casual). Most of the benefits could be achieved by a strickter MMR system, that comes with its own downsides though not as many as a ranked mode.

  • edgarpoop
    edgarpoop Member Posts: 8,721

    That's ultimately what happens in DbD as it is. Ranked wouldn't introduce that problem. We already have players sweating their way to absurd win streaks.

  • ImperatorHaze
    ImperatorHaze Member Posts: 99

    So, you would want a tutorial to showcase how to play and counter every killer on the roster? That would be quite the beefy tutorial. Would you get a tutorial for killers you haven't purchased? Going off what you mentioned before about the game being an "unserious, busted, intentionally unbalanced mess", filling in the knowledge gap would keep players around even with the mass of complaints regarding tunneling, slugging, SWF teams, and gen rushing? Is knowledge still effective in a game that is an "intentionally unbalanced mess" as you put it? Again, not saying you are wrong, I would put a new tutorial above a ranked mode, but not at the top of the list.

    I don't believe nobody would play the ranked mode though. If a ranked mode was released in lieu of other fixes that promoted game balance I think it would be very successful. Sure, the player base may be small, but at least that's once less sweaty killer/survivor team you have to deal with if you're just trying to have fun.

  • THE_Crazy_Hyena
    THE_Crazy_Hyena Member Posts: 1,366

    So, you would want a tutorial to showcase how to play and counter every killer on the roster?

    Totally sounds like something Otz would do.

  • JPLongstreet
    JPLongstreet Member Posts: 7,002

    I'm saying the game was for fun before we started efficiencying the crap out of DBD.

  • It wouldn't.

    The simple reason why is: why should the ranked players stay in ranked when they achieved their goal for the season/rift pass/whatever?

    They just stop playing completely or go back to normal mode and then roll over everyone who plays a bit more casual as it is right now anyways. Or just troll around.

    The people who want to do the most competitive stuff have options: Comp and the rather new Ranked Discord. I see no reason to implement this into the actual game, I think those communities are doing fine by themselves and whoever wants to join, can do that.

  • tjt85
    tjt85 Member Posts: 1,659
    edited November 2025

    This is my thinking as well. I think it would be a better idea to introduce a casual play mode instead. 2V8 would be an OK choice for this, but with Kill With Friends and the ultra buffed Killers in 2V8 it can sometimes feel sweatier than regular 1V4. Long queue times are also a big problem.

    A better choice might be a fully randomised Chaos Shuffle mode with the changes as proposed in the original 9.0.2 PTB. This would force both sides to play more casually. Killers would find it difficult to tunnel and slug their way to victory (while also getting base-kit mini pop and BBQ) and sweaty Survivor groups wouldn't be able to play as ultra aggressively as the do in 1V4 by stacking tool boxes with gen rush perks or second chance perks with flashlights.

    If BHVR could get it right, a casual mode would be unappealing enough to competitive gamers that they'd mostly stay away from it. Regular 1V4 could then stay how it currently is and all the content creators / sweaty players will naturally prefer to play in that mode instead.