Improving the Ghost Face – Players’ Best Ideas for Developers

Ghost Face is in a terrible spot right now.

He’s a D-tier Killer at high MMR… at best C-tier depending on the build and the map.
I’m quite surprised he still hasn’t received any major improvements, despite his popularity!
He deserves the same treatment as Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers.

The community is completely confused about the minor change coming in the next update. Let’s be honest… all the changes made to Ghost Face over the years basically come down to lowering Night Shroud’s cooldown.
No matter how long his power lasts, he will always be weaker than Michael Myers and Freddy in chase.

There is a similarity between Ghost Face and the Xenomorph: survivors can cancel their power too easily, without any real constraint.
The current add-ons offer very few interesting options, and several of them deserve changes.

I will propose my ideas in several steps to greatly improve Ghost Face and make him a B+ tier Killer (or A tier with perfect mastery).
The goal is not to make him overpowered, but to give him effective tools in any situation, in order to create multiple windows of opportunity. These changes will also make him more fun to face as a Survivor in both 1v4 and 2v8.

Here are the solutions I propose:

• Standalone additional power
• Improving the killer’s base kit
• Improvement of seven addons

⇒ Standalone Additional Power – “A second Ghost Face (Illusion of the Entity) working in the shadows”

As you all know, BHVR obtained a license from Fun World, the company that owns the original Ghost Face mask.
BHVR is allowed to use:
-> the iconic mask
-> but not the official identity, nor any characters from the Scream films.

The Dead by Daylight Ghost Face is an original character created by BHVR (Danny Johnson), and only the mask is licensed. Therefore, there is no connection to the lore of the films.

However, the idea I am proposing would help further distance the design from the Scream franchise rights. They cannot replicate the characters, iconic scenes, or any elements that would clearly identify the Killer as the one from the films.

One important point: the telephone is a generic object, not protected by copyright, and therefore freely usable. BHVR can use it as a gameplay tool and build a new power around it (e.g. marking, distraction, etc.), as long as it remains an original mechanic tied to the Dead by Daylight universe.

The additional power I am proposing is entirely “autonomous” and does not require the Killer’s direct intervention. The goal is to distance it from the cult franchise while exploring the use of the telephone within Dead by Daylight’s own lore.

Here are the criteria I have established for designing this power:

-> Real-time interaction (a phone call occurring during gameplay independently of the Killer).
-> Psychological pressure on Survivors.
-> Presence of the Entity in the form of another Ghost Face.
(This is not the Ghost Face from the films, but a manifestation of the Entity.)
-> This dual presence aims to create confusion and spread fear.
-> The Entity’s voice will be distorted and altered, sometimes human… sometimes non-human.
(No direct reference to movie scenes.)
-> Dialogues will be short and cryptic, with occasional interference, but directly tied to Dead by Daylight’s lore.

ACTUAL IN-GAME FUNCTIONALITY OF THE POWER:

At the start of the trial: a mobile phone is placed on every generator on the map.
“No action is required from either the Killer or the Survivors.”

After hooking a Survivor, all other Survivors repairing a generator within 30 seconds will receive a phone call from the second Ghost Face (The Entity).

• A voice and text interaction will appear on screen to distract the Survivor.
• The phone call lasts 30 seconds, during which the Survivor suffers from the Exhausted and Oblivious status effects.
note : If a Survivor was already suffering from Exhausted prior to phone call affecting them, the Status Effect's timer will be paused.
• Repairing a generator during a phone call completely suppresses the Warning cue for Repair Skill Checks.

“A Survivor in chase with Ghost Face will end the phone call and suffer from Exhausted for an additional 10 seconds.”

“A Survivor marked by Ghost Face will end the phone call, suffer from Exhausted for an additional 10 seconds, and the duration of Marked is increased by 10 seconds.”

Top right: Ghost Face’s phone call indicator.
Middle right: The Exhausted and Oblivious status effects.
Center: Subtitles for players who need improved readability or for hearing-impaired players.

He will be one of the first Killers to naturally apply the Exhausted status effect in order to compensate for his major weaknesses in chase. (this matches the character’s identity).
Note: all add-ons related to Exhausted will be replaced with a new effect.

Several 30-second comedic voice lines will be created by the developers and will be randomly generated during the interaction.

Example voice lines:
“Hey… it’s the Reaper calling. Just a quick check-in.”
“Knock knock… guess who’s still watching your screen?”
“Small spoiler… this story doesn’t end well for you.”
“You wanted a team game… I’m going to explain the rules to you.”
“You’re cute playing together… it’s not going to last.”
“Your friend is about to join me… do you want a moment of silence, or should we keep going?”
“Down in the basement lies your fate… It has taken a wrong turn… unfortunate”

⇒ IMPROVING THE KILLER’S BASE KIT

• Grants a +5 % Haste Status Effect for 5 seconds after marking a Survivors.

This integrates the Drop-Leg Knife Sheath add-on into the base kit. The add-on would receive a new effect in the next section.
note : I also reduced its Haste status effect to 5% instead of 10% from its add-on, since the Exhausted status is now integrated into its base kit. These are important details to take into account.

This change is crucial! Ghost Face is completely dependent on this add-on to gain efficiency after marking a Survivor. Some might see it as a slight buff, but it’s important to remember that it can stack by marking multiple Survivors. The PTB is precisely there to make adjustments if this is considered too weak.

⇒ IMPROVEMENT OF SEVEN ADD-ONS

The Ghost Face’s add-ons need a major overhaul to provide more options and synergies with different perks.

Affected add-ons:

• Telephoto Lens
• Olsen's Journal
• Chewed Pen
• Knife Belt Clip
• Drop-Leg Knife Sheath
• Night Vision Monocular
• Victim's Detailed Routine

Telephoto Lens :

Survivors suffer from the Oblivious Status Effect for 60 seconds after revealing you.

Survivors suffer from the Blindness Status Effect for 30 seconds after revealing you.

Anecdote: Ghost Face is naturally a stealth Killer. He does not need add-ons that apply the Oblivious status effect. This is also why I integrated it through a phone call. The Blindness status effect is better suited and helps isolate the Survivor. This will strengthen Ghost Face during chases and create synergies with other add-ons or perks.

Olsen's Journal :

Marked Survivors suffer from the Oblivious status effect until the Mark expires.

Marked Survivors suffer from the Blindness status effect until the Mark expires.

Anecdote: It follows the same principle as the previous add-on, “Telephoto Lens.”
He does not need add-ons that apply the Oblivious status effect.

Chewed Pen :

Increases the Reveal time for Survivors in the Dying State to 3 seconds.

When a marked Survivor enters the dying state, the auras of all Exhausted Survivors are revealed to you for 4 seconds.

Anecdote: The previous effect of this add-on, which increased the reveal time for Survivors in the Dying State to 3 seconds, did not bring anything meaningful to Ghost Face. In most cases, you would pick up the Survivor, and Ghost Face regains his power quite quickly thanks to the various reductions to his power cooldown.
This new effect reveals Survivors suffering from the Exhausted status effect for 4 seconds after a marked Survivor enters the Dying State. An add-on that will be useful in the current meta or for creating synergies.

Knife Belt Clip :

Reduces your Terror Radius by -12 metres when Crouched.

The Auras of Pallets and Windows are revealed to you within 32 metres when Crouched.

Anecdote: Ghost Face is naturally Undetectable with Night Shroud. Reducing his Terror Radius provides no significant advantage now that Night Shroud’s cooldown is 15 seconds.
That’s why I propose a new effect that better matches its description. The ability to see the auras of pallets and windows while crouched would allow for better environmental awareness before surprising a Survivor. This would make it a truly strategic add-on.

Drop-Leg Knife Sheath :

Grants a +10 % Haste Status Effect for 5 seconds after marking a Survivors.

Injured Survivors suffer from the Broken Status Effect for 30 seconds after marking them.

Anecdote: After proposing to integrate this add-on into Ghost Face’s base kit, here is a new effect that provides a powerful and strategic add-on. The duration is in line with the add-on’s rarity.

Night Vision Monocular :

Survivors suffer from the Exhausted Status Effect for 10 seconds after revealing you.

Survivors scream and drop any carried item after revealing you.

Anecdote: I have added the Exhausted status effect to phone calls. This new powerful effect will be very useful before or during a chase. It can synergize with other add-ons and perks. Its effect is very similar to horror movies where a frightened victim drops an item after seeing the killer through a window.

Victim's Detailed Routine :

Survivors suffer from the Exhausted Status Effect for 5 seconds after marking them.

After marking a Survivor, they become the Obsession, their aura is revealed for 2 seconds, and the Stalk meter of all other Survivors is reset.
Increases the cooldown of Night Shroud by 10 seconds.

Anecdote: It follows the same principle as the previous add-on, “Night Vision Monocular.” We are removing the Exhausted status effect intended for phone calls in order to introduce a new effect that better matches the add-on’s description.

This will allow players to orient Ghost Face’s gameplay around the Obsession and create synergies with many perks. It also allows countering several Survivor perks that rely on the Obsession.

I have also increased the cooldown of Night Shroud by 10 seconds, and added a reset of the other Survivors’ Stalk meters after a mark to reduce the power and effectiveness of this add-on..
For example, the perk Rancor from The Spirit.
It’s important to consider every detail to prevent it from becoming too oppressive in the endgame.
Being able to change the Obsession is a significant advantage that should come with certain limitations.

⇒ SMALL VISUAL ADDITION TO GHOST FACE’S MORI

Lore explaining his identity :

The second Ghost Face, operating in the shadows, is in fact the Entity itself, using his appearance to sow confusion and fear among Survivors.

The second Ghost Face (The Entity) will appear during the Mori, just like the cats in the Murderous Grizzly outfit, a Visceral Legendary Outfit available for The Oni.

What do you think of these improvements?

I think this will significantly strengthen Ghost Face.

Some adjustments may be necessary, but overall he will be very enjoyable to play as and to face.
This is a character who is greatly appreciated by the community, and these changes should significantly increase his popularity.

If Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers have been reworked, I really hope Ghost Face will receive the same treatment in the future.

Here is a link to my improvement ideas for the Xenomorph, if you're interested:

Improving the Xenomorph – Players’ Best Ideas for Developers

Thanks for your feedback... I’ll leave you with this little humorous image 😉✌️