Rarely has there been so much unity among the Dead by Daylight players. The new killer has been criticized for being boring, unimaginative and the low point of the game.
If there’s one thing the Dead by Daylight community can agree on, it’s that there’s disagreement. Killers and survivors often have very different views on how to improve the game and make it fairer. But with the unveiling of the newest killer “Skull Merchant”, there has been broad agreement in the community for a long time: the killer is garbage.
At the very least, there are several major criticisms discussed on forums and the game’s subreddit.
Dead by Daylight: Tools of Torment Trailer
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Killer looks like “Predator ordered on Wish”
One theory about the Tools of Torment chapter that’s been spreading like wildfire over the past few days is that Dead by Daylight was actually trying to get the Predator license and they actually wanted a female Predator . When that failed, they quickly “cobbled together” their own killer, which has some parallels:
As “proof” for this theory, many see the behind-the-scenes video that was released shortly after the trailer:
Here the developers talk about the latest killer and use the word “Predator” very often. It is also said that the killer “only hunts the best of the best” and that she wants “the best trophies”. That would fit on a Predator – but not on the “Skull Merchant”. This is because they are primarily chasing people from the management level of companies who do not want to sell their company.
However, one should be clear: the whole thing with the Predator is just a theory from the subreddit.
In an interview with the game director a few months ago, we asked a similar question and it said that the detailed work on a licensed killer would only begin once it was also ensured that the whole thing would come about.
General criticism of the killer design
In general, the “Skull Merchant” is also criticized for its entire design. So it’s often mentioned that she just doesn’t look threatening. Her gait with the clearly exaggerated swing of her hips seems “silly” to many and makes her laugh more than fear.
Also, many people notice that most of their animations come from other killers. Thus, the “Breakable Wall Destroy” animation is identical to that of Nemesis, along with some other animations. According to many, her face is also a mixture of Trickster and Yui before the makeover:
But their abilities are also subject to criticism. They are quite complex and the idea of monitoring the map is also an exciting idea. However, the whole design is torpedoed by the fact that, at the end of the day, she’s just an “M1 Killer” – that is, one that relies entirely on hitting the survivors in close combat. In the end, the actual gameplay consists of constantly chasing after survivors, as is the case with many of the old killers. The actual threat posed by the drone’s capabilities is eliminated.
As @averyhyena3885 writes under the “Behind the Scenes” video:
“You have to be careful because she can see you anywhere on the map.”
But she continues to be an M1 killer with no power in pursuit. It doesn’t matter if she knows where all the survivors are because there’s nothing she can do about it anyway.
Nor is there any understanding of her name in the game. Because although the “Skull Merchant” (“skull merchant”) has a very extensive story, neither the story nor her character has anything to do with the name. While she uses skulls for her drones, the name seems inappropriate to many.
Even cosmetics are criticized
As usual, Dead by Daylight reveals additional content on the test server through data mining. This also includes cosmetic items, most of which end up in the game’s shop.
While the community is quite happy about one or the other “slightly clad” skin, the developers have apparently overdone it. Because both survivors have swimwear, while the Skull Merchant gets a now … also quite strange appearance. You can get an impression of the leaked cosmetics in the DbD subreddit.
The reactions to it are mostly negative. As Babyback-the-Butcher writes:
Is any of this real? This whole chapter feels so surreal, my mind just can’t fathom how real it is. How did all this happen?
The criticism from “idkdudejustkillme” is even more devastating:
This whole chapter feels like a joke, a literal prank. A bad joke. This is like a bizarre dream that I hope to wake up from soon. It absolutely baffles me that the same team that created characters like Blight, Dredge, Deathslinger, Oni and others could create such an uninspired, pathetic chapter. Zero effort in writing, visual design, sound design, originality or perks.
It all feels like it was cobbled together at the last minute. Then they also release it with skins where the characters are half naked and expect the playerbase to just swallow that and the money [ausspuckt]. This is just embarrassing. What the hell is happening?
However, it must also be mentioned that there are definitely aspects of the next patch that are well received by the community. The modernization of the two Red Forest maps is looking good and drawing praise from all directions. “Only” the completely new content, with which apparently only a small part of the fans can make friends.
By the way, Dead by Daylight’s worst killer has been nerfed – The Nurse is no longer the queen.