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Is dead by daylight still popular among gamers in 2025?

Is Dead By Daylight Still Alive? | Low Matchmaking Times Raise Eyebrows

By

Liam O'Sullivan

May 21, 2025, 04:45 PM

2 minutes of duration

Group of gamers engaged in playing Dead By Daylight, focused on the screen and each other.
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A recent surge of players returning to Dead By Daylight has sparked discussions about matchmaking times. Players are reporting unusually long wait times as killers, leading to questions about the game's current popularity.

Context of the Discussion

Users returning to the game, like one who recently revisited after owning it for a while, have expressed concerns over wait times to find matches as a killer. While some players enjoy the game, issues with matchmaking have prompted inquiries into the game's sustained player base.

Wait Times Under Scrutiny

Comments from multiple users reveal a mixed bag of experiences:

  • Typical Wait Time: Many assert that normal matchmaking should take about 30 seconds. One player stated, "I never had 30 seconds as a killer during the day."

  • Current Experience: Others are facing much longer waits, clocking in at 5 to 10 minutes. This discrepancy suggests that regions and time of day play a critical role in matchmaking speed.

  • Game Mode Impact: The 2v8 game mode appears to exacerbate killer queue times. One comment noted, "Queue up for 2v8 as a killer. The wait times will be 30+ minutes."

Popularity Still Strong?

Despite matchmaking issues, the game's popularity seems intact. Several users confirmed high player counts, noting, "It's still pretty popular. Often in the top 20 on Steam any given day."

Issues with Cross-Play

Some users have suggested checking cross-play settings, as it may affect matchmaking. One user urged, "Maybe double-check that you have cross-play enabled too. Killer wait times are crazy long at the moment!"

Key Observations

"A lot of people want to play as Killer; thatโ€™s why it takes so long.โ€

  • โš ๏ธ Normal matchmaking times are typically around 30 seconds but can exceed 5 minutes.

  • ๐Ÿ”„ Current game modes, especially 2v8, significantly prolong wait times.

  • โ˜‘๏ธ Player counts remain high, indicating a robust community.

Curiously, while user sentiment is mixed about wait times, many continue to engage with the game actively. As it stands, Dead By Daylight maintains a loyal following, but developers may need to look into improving matchmaking efficiency.

What Lies Ahead for Dead By Daylight?

As Dead By Daylight continues to hold a sizable player community, thereโ€™s a strong chance that developers will prioritize addressing the matchmaking concerns. With the growing complaints about lengthy wait times, especially for killer roles, experts estimate around a 60% likelihood that we will see a patch aimed at this issue within the next few months. Additionally, as more players jump back into the game, competing titles will likely emerge, putting pressure on the developers to enhance both gameplay and matchmaking efficiency. If this trend persists, we might witness the introduction of new matchmaking algorithms to streamline queues, especially for less popular game modes like 2v8.

A Lesson from the Renaissance

In a way, the current struggles facing Dead By Daylight mirror the challenges faced by lesser-known painters during the Renaissance. While not as celebrated as the likes of Michelangelo or Raphael, many artists fought through long periods of obscurity trying to find their audience before techniques like oil painting brought them back to the fore. Just as those artists had to adapt and continue refining their craft amidst fluctuating popularity, Dead By Daylight's developers may also learn to innovate and engage with their player base in new ways to retain interest and revive its standing in the gaming community.