Behaviour Interactive has confirmed plans to overhaul Dead by Daylight’s Kill Switch system following widespread community backlash over how it handled a recent perk exploit. The decision comes after players nominated the Streetwise perk for temporary removal due to an unresolved exploit, only to be told by the developer that it did not meet the Kill Switch criteria — a response that left many players frustrated.
Streetwise Exploit Sparks Backlash
The Streetwise perk, originally designed to boost Item efficiency for nearby Survivors, was altered in the 9.1.0 update to increase the number of Charges for Items retrieved from Chests. However, players soon discovered a way to abuse the perk for unlimited Charges. When the community called for the Kill Switch to be applied, Behaviour initially declined, claiming the issue fell short of its removal requirements.
The reaction was swift, with players criticizing the lack of transparency around the Kill Switch’s criteria. In response, Behaviour has now stated it will “immediately rebuild” the system to be “more nimble and better account for community sentiment.” The studio has also promised clearer communication on how Kill Switch decisions are made in the future.
Perks Officially Removed Under Kill Switch
Alongside the system overhaul announcement, Behaviour reversed its earlier stance and confirmed that Streetwise, Blood Rush, and The Last Stand perk for Michonne — introduced in the recent The Walking Dead crossover — have all been disabled via Kill Switch.
Recent Player Milestones and Content Changes
June 2025 proved to be a standout month for Dead by Daylight, with a record-breaking 106,029 concurrent players following the launch of its Five Nights at Freddy’s update. This surpassed the game’s previous peak of 105,093 players set in June 2021 after the Resident Evil crossover.
However, not all changes have been positively received. The 9.0.2 Bugfix Patch in July 2025 saw the Twisted Masquerade event spawn fewer anniversary cakes compared to previous years — something Behaviour later confirmed was intentional, despite initial confusion among players.
Looking Ahead
Behaviour has indicated that it intends to better align its decision-making with community expectations going forward. With fan-requested limited-time modifiers such as Chaos Shuffle potentially returning, the upcoming Kill Switch overhaul may be a sign of a broader shift towards more transparent and responsive game management.
Whether this change in approach will maintain Dead by Daylight’s strong player engagement remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the Streetwise controversy has pushed Behaviour to re-examine how it communicates and acts on player concerns.