Automatic account penalties in Dead by Daylight sound like a dream for many. Others see it as the beginning of the end.
In Dead by Daylight, toxic players are soon to face consequences – and it’s fully automated. Players are already panicking, and the general sentiment seems to be: No, please let this not happen.
What was said? During the celebrations for the 5th anniversary of Dead by Daylight, upcoming features and ideas were discussed. One of them is an “auto-ban” system that aims to remove problematic players much faster than the current manual support checks allow.
How is the system supposed to work? Although specific details have not yet been revealed, at least the basic conditions are known. Players will still be able to report toxic behavior, which will then be forwarded to the developers. Instead of manually reviewing each case – which takes a lot of time – an automatic system will take over. If enough reports are received about a player, a ban will be automatically imposed.
Community raises concerns: Since the announcement, discussions have repeatedly surfaced on Reddit. Since Dead by Daylight unfortunately generates a lot of toxicity in the endgame chat, survivors and killers often do not get along. This can lead to insults and unjustified reports. These could become a problem if an automatic system issues the penalties. Similar systems already exist in other online games and MMOs. If a certain number of reports about a player is received, they are automatically banned – details are often clarified only afterwards.
Additionally, there is the fact that in an asymmetric game, reports can vary greatly between both player groups. For example, a group of survivors dissatisfied with a killer’s playstyle could submit 4 reports to achieve a ban for the killer more quickly.
However, there are also players who say: Give the developers a chance and let the feature come first. If it turns out poorly, it can always be disabled in a timely manner.
Behaviour known for issues: The general skepticism in the community also stems from the fact that Behaviour has had difficulty implementing new systems reliably in recent years. It has been discussed for years that killer players should have individual ratings for each killer, according to which opponents are chosen. This is not working, just like a flawless matchmaking system.
Accordingly, players are skeptical that this auto-ban system will work without errors and will not cause too many collateral damages that harm rather than benefit the game.
The concern is great that a new system will primarily be used by toxic players to penalize honest players who simply do not play the way others would like them to.
Do you believe that such a system can work in Dead by Daylight? Or is it a really bad idea in an asymmetric game?
