Dead by Daylight has transformed into a content-rich behemoth since its inception. The core loop remains iconic: four survivors desperately try to repair generators while a terrifying killer hunts them down. With dozens of unique killers and survivors, each boasting their own perks, and robust progression systems like the Bloodweb and battle passes, no two matches feel the same. Yet, amidst this evolution, one persistent thorn in the side of both veterans and newcomers lingers—the notoriously lengthy load times. For a game where matches can sometimes end in a blistering five minutes, the pre-match ritual can feel like an eternity.

Entering a match in Dead by Daylight is a multi-stage process that tests player patience. 🕰️ It begins with queuing up, which itself can take anywhere from a brief 10 seconds to a full two minutes. Once a lobby is found, players are thrust into a pre-game screen. Here, the killer and four survivors have a minute to finalize their loadouts—selecting perks, offerings, and add-ons. This phase at least allows for some interaction, like spending Bloodpoints or reading character lore. Then, after a brief flash showing consumed offerings, players hit the main event: the final loading screen. This is where the real wait begins.

For approximately ninety seconds, players are greeted with a stark, black screen adorned only with simple tally marks. This period is a complete dead zone. No lore to read, no Bloodweb to navigate—just pure, unadulterated waiting. In a gaming landscape dominated by near-instant matchmaking in titles like Call of Duty and Fortnite, such a lengthy, inactive load screen feels increasingly archaic. When combined with the earlier lobby and search times, the total pre-match wait can balloon to five minutes or more—a significant chunk of time, especially for a match that might be over almost as quickly as it started.

🔍 Why Are The Load Times So Long?

The community and analysts point to a few key culprits behind the extended loading:

• Legacy Console Support: The most agreed-upon reason is the inclusion of last-generation consoles (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch) in the same player pool as modern PCs, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. To ensure a fair start, all players must spawn simultaneously. This means the game's load time is bottlenecked by the slowest hardware in the lobby. Players on cutting-edge SSDs are forced to wait for those on older mechanical hard drives.

• Backend Match Setup: The game is likely calculating and loading numerous variables during this final screen, including:

  • Procedural placement of generators, hooks, and chests.

  • Applying all selected perks, offerings, and add-ons for five players.

  • Loading the detailed map assets and lighting.

💡 Potential Solutions on the Horizon

With the console shortages of the early 2020s firmly in the past, a viable long-term solution presents itself. Behaviour Interactive could create separate matchmaking pools for current-gen and last-gen consoles. This would allow players on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and modern PCs to benefit from their hardware's speed. While the last-gen pool might shrink over time, the current-gen player base is now substantial enough to support healthy matchmaking. This tough decision could dramatically improve the quality of life for a majority of the player base.

If splitting the player base is off the table, there's a simpler, highly requested improvement: revamp the loading screen itself. Instead of a blank canvas, this time could be used to engage players. Imagine seeing:

• Character Spotlights: Stunning artwork of The Huntress or Yoichi Asakawa with snippets of their lore and a breakdown of their unique perks.

• Map Lore: A glimpse of the eerie Midwich Elementary or the claustrophobic Nostromo with fun facts about their design.

• Gameplay Tips: Even basic strategy tips ("Remember to cleanse Hex totems!") would be more valuable than tally marks.

📊 The Player Experience: By the Numbers

A typical matchmaking journey can be broken down like this:

Stage	Estimated Time	Player Activity
Queue & Search	10 sec - 2 min	Waiting, Bloodweb management
Pre-Game Lobby	~1 min	Selecting perks/offerings
Final Loading Screen	~1.5 min	Inactive waiting
Total Pre-Match Time	~2.5 - 5+ min

When a skilled killer can end a match in 5 minutes, that pre-match investment feels disproportionately heavy. The community's desire for change is palpable. After nearly a decade of evolution, the game's infrastructure needs to catch up to its expansive content. Whether through technical separation or creative engagement, reducing the dead time in Dead by Daylight is one of the last frontiers for enhancing the player experience. After all, more time in the terror-filled trials and less time staring at a loading bar is what every fan truly wants. ✨