Players of the asymmetrical Dead by Daylight know that the developers, Behavior Interactive, have no issues with making big updates to the game if it will help make it more fun to play. When it seems like the dynamic between the four Survivors and one Killer is unfairly skewed, you can bet that the next update will fix that. In fact, in June 2022, the 6.0.0 update targeted the underperforming Killer, The Mastermind, from the game’s Resident Evil chapter to boost his, as well as the other Killers’, kill rate from 50% to 60%.
So which Killers kill the most? With the care of a company clearly engaged in creating the best gaming experience it can, Behavior Interactive has been compiling its kill rate data for every killer. There are two charts below, created by the developer and then shared by GameRant.
The first chart shows the kill rate for every Killer made playable in Dead by Daylight so far. This chart includes player data from all matchmaking ratings (MMRs), which basically means all levels. This data is only for September 2022, well after the June update.
The most effective killers, from every novice and pro combined, are The Cenobite (Pinhead), The Onryo (The Ring), and The Mastermind (Albert Wesker). These three clocked in at about a 63% kill rate, which is higher than the overall average of 59.1%. If you’re a Survivor, it will be hard to outlast them, and if you’re a Killer, happy hunting.
In the graph below, the kill rates for every killer were measured by only the top 5% MMR. So of the best-ranked players playing the game, which Killers have the highest kill rates? The overall average is a bit higher, at 61.3%, so there’s an element of player skill at work here. This time, The Mastermind is the most successful Killer with a 65% kill rate. He’s the only character with a kill rate that high. Most of the rates are between 59.5% and 61%.
With these results in mind, it’s time to circle back to that update that we mentioned. All of the Killers were performing at roughly a 50% kill rate before June. The Mastermind in particular was “underperforming.” The developers at Behavior Interactive wanted to boost those rates to 60% across the board, and clearly, the updates worked. September was a great month for the Killers, who are always outnumbered three to one. It was especially great for Albert Wesker, who was the only Killer consistently at the top of both charts.
Did the developers go too far with him? Is he too hard to beat now? Some follow-up charts with Survivor win rates would also be helpful. After all, there are more Survivors than Killers, and the game is all about balance, right? If you like Dead by Daylight, keep an eye out for Behavior Interactive’s next multiplayer game, Meet Your Maker.