Dead by Daylight: Upcoming UI and Ranking/Matchmaking Changes #intothefog

Dead by Daylight is about to look very different.

Behaviour Interactive announced major changes to the UI and ranking system coming soon. There are gameplay changes as well—a clown rework, a minor Wraith rework, adjusted perks, two new map reworks—but it’ll be easier to evaluate those with actual gameplay. The PTB showcasing some of this probably comes out tomorrow, 12 January, so PC players on Steam will have an opportunity to test out Clown, perks, possibly Wraith, and maybe new versions of The Game and Crotus Prenn Asylum. It’s not clear if the UI changes will be in the PTB.

Those UI changes are already very polarizing. Dead by Daylight currently has all the in-game UI on the bottom of the screen. There’s an icon for how many generators are left and the name/status of each survivor on the bottom left. Scoring objectives appear above that. The bottom right has your perks and any modifiers (like a helpful survivor perk or a hindered/exhausted/etc status). The bottom center shows you input options like dropping a pallet or struggling.

The new UI is going to break this up all over the screen. The top left of the screen is going to be where you see the survivors in the game, complete with pictures of which characters are being played by which user. The top center of the screen is going to tell you how many generators are left. The bottom right is still going to have the perks and the bottom center still shows you actions.

As killer, the left center will show you how many hooks you’ve gotten (12 slots around a hook icon). The bottom left shows you the buttons to use for your power. As survivor, the bottom left will show you your item and add-ons.

There will also be options to scale the UI larger or smaller to match your monitor and vision.

This will take some getting used to. The new information being included—specifically the hook count and the character portraits—is a great addition. Having to look all over the screen to access this information is…different. I’m curious how it will actually play, though right now it seems a bit bothersome to spread it all out. It reminds me of the UI in Teamfight Tactics, which becomes hard to keep track of once action picks up on the screen. I’ll reserve judgement until I actually experience it in game.

The ranking system is going to change later. It’s all dependent on their MMR (Matchmaking Rating) system actually working. This is something they experimented with last year but ultimately had to pull for further development. It’s why you are now locked into a killer when you start a match.

In theory, MMR will look at how well you play as survivor and match you with killers at the same skill level. That killer MMR is based on each killer you play.

Let’s break it down with examples. My best killers are Demogorgon and Trapper. I will face stronger survivors as those killers because I consistently score well with them. My absolute worst killers are Nurse, Hillbilly, and Oni. I will face less skilled survivors as them so the game is fairer for everyone. I’m pretty good as Plague and Pig, and not so good at Deathslinger and Huntress. Survivors I face with each killer are going to pull from different MMR survivors for a more balanced match.

You can see how that would be difficult to implement. Survivor side is easy; killer side is hard. There are 22 killers in the game, with a 23rd expected in March. The game has to calculate your skill level at each of those killers for an MMR system.

What does an MMR system mean for the current Rank system? A redefinition of terms. Rank will still be determined the same way. You receive emblems in four categories that either rank you up, down, or keep you at the same level in each match.

The new element is monthly rewards for how high you climb in the ranks. Everyone will reset to Rank 20 each month since rank will not determine matchmaking. You can earn anywhere form 10000 to 250000 bloodpoints for how high you go.

The new rank rewards will not go into play until they successfully implement MMR. Obviously, Behaviour wants this to roll out as soon as possible, but they’re not going to force us to use a broken MMR system. They pulled it once when it didn’t work; they’ll pull it again if they have to.

When I talk about Behaviour trying to do the right thing, this is what I mean. There are issues with the game (still waiting on accessibility options like a color blind mode and robust graphics settings/ability to remove or reduce certain killer status effects that are known to cause health issues in certain players), but they’re trying to do the best they can to make the game work for more people. If MMR actually makes the game more balanced on skill, people will be less frustrated. If the adjustable scale of UI and placement of information makes it easier to keep track of what’s happening, more people will happily play. I want Dead by Daylight to be fun for everyone, and I really do think this could be a positive step forward.

Dead by Daylight is available on PC, PS4/5, Xbox One/Series, and Nintendo Switch. A separate mobile version is also available.

#31Days: A Collection of Horror Essays, Vol. 1 is available at my Ko-fi and at all major ebook retailers.