The upcoming killer Onryō from Dead by Daylight was too weak on the PTB. Now she is getting buffed – and could cause terror.
The next killer of Dead by Daylight will be the Onryō from the Ringu universe. However, the first variant of this killer on the PTB proved to be far too weak. Although the general playstyle was well received by most, it was quite difficult to actually kill survivors with the Onryō. The developers also noticed this and announced some drastic changes to help the new killer have a better start.
What is the problem? Although Sadako played pretty cool on the PTB, she did have some issues. Her passive ‘Condemn’ mechanic, which curses players over time and can eventually lead to instant death, was never perceived as a threat. At the same time, it was far too easy to keep an eye on the killer’s current position on more open maps, even when she was “demanifested”.
The opinion in the community quickly became clear: Sadako is cool, but far too weak. Many streamers rated her in the tier list of killers in her current state in C or even D tier – the weakest tier of all killers.
What will change? A total of 3 aspects of the Onryō will be significantly strengthened. This concerns her manifestation (and de-manifestation), her visibility at distance, and her Condemn mechanic – in essence, all the important aspects of the killer.
Changes to manifestation: Three details will be changed here.
- The cast time of the manifestation will be reduced to 1.5 seconds (previously 2.5 seconds).
- The cast time of the de-manifestation will be reduced to 1.5 seconds (previously 2.5 seconds).
- The change in movement speed when manifesting will now be smoother, rather than jerky.
Previously, the Onryō was intermittently visible within a range of 32 meters. Especially on open maps, this was a problem since she could be recognized from a great distance. Now the Onryō must get much closer before survivors can detect her.
Changes to Condemn: The last, but no less significant changes will be made to the Condemn mechanic. This is the display of how cursed survivors already are. With full cursing, the Onryō can kill them instantly.
- The amount of Condemn that is deducted when inserting the videotape has been reduced to 3 segments (previously 4 segments).
- The time it takes to passively accumulate a Condemn segment while carrying a videotape has been reduced to 25 seconds (previously 30 seconds).
Basically, the developers’ intent is not for many survivors to die by condemnation. Instead, it should now create a bit more pressure, forcing players to engage with this mechanic.
When does the killer go live? Whether further adjustments will be necessary or if the “Ringu killer” is in a solid position with these improvements will likely only be revealed with the release of the new chapter on March 8. Because then Sadako will be unleashed on players and can finally escape from the well.
Are you looking forward to Sadako? Or does this killer not appeal to you at all?
The thought behind these changes is that the Onryō should switch between her various forms more fluidly, allowing her to use it during a chase.
Changes to visibility: The visibility of the Onryō was a problem, as she was still too visible even in her demanifested state. Therefore, there are some adjustments:
- The range of her visibility while the Onryō is demanifested has been reduced to 24 meters (previously 32 meters).
- The terror radius (heartbeat) of the Onryō has been reduced to 24 meters (previously 32 meters).
Previously, the Onryō was intermittently visible within a range of 32 meters. Especially on open maps, this was a problem since she could be recognized from a great distance. Now the Onryō must get much closer before survivors can detect her.
Changes to Condemn: The last, but no less significant changes will be made to the Condemn mechanic. This is the display of how cursed survivors already are. With full cursing, the Onryō can kill them instantly.
- The amount of Condemn that is deducted when inserting the videotape has been reduced to 3 segments (previously 4 segments).
- The time it takes to passively accumulate a Condemn segment while carrying a videotape has been reduced to 25 seconds (previously 30 seconds).
Basically, the developers’ intent is not for many survivors to die by condemnation. Instead, it should now create a bit more pressure, forcing players to engage with this mechanic.
When does the killer go live? Whether further adjustments will be necessary or if the “Ringu killer” is in a solid position with these improvements will likely only be revealed with the release of the new chapter on March 8. Because then Sadako will be unleashed on players and can finally escape from the well.
Are you looking forward to Sadako? Or does this killer not appeal to you at all?
