Wow, what a wild ride it's been looking back at the whole 'Made For This' saga in Dead by Daylight. I remember when that perk first dropped back in the End Transmission chapter—it felt like the entire Survivor meta shifted overnight! As a player who's been around since before The Singularity was even a concept, I've seen perks come and go, but few have made an impact quite like Made For This did in those first few months. It's fascinating to reflect on how something so seemingly simple—a speed boost while injured—could completely reshape how we approach chases and builds. The developers really had their work cut out for them balancing that one!

The Meteoric Rise of a Meta-Defining Perk

When I first unlocked Made For This on Gabriel Soma, I'll admit—I didn't fully grasp its potential. A 3% haste effect while injured? That translates to about 0.12 meters per second faster movement. On paper, it doesn't sound game-breaking, but in practice? Oh boy. Suddenly, loops that were tight became sustainable, pallet stuns that were risky became calculated plays, and chases that should have ended quickly stretched into generator-completing marathons. What made it truly special was its accessibility—this wasn't some niche perk requiring specific conditions or rare items. You just needed to be injured, which in Dead by Daylight is about as common as getting hooked!

The synergy potential was absolutely insane. I remember experimenting with different combinations and feeling like I'd discovered some secret formula each time:

• Made For This + Hope = Endgame speed demon who could outrun even the fastest killers

• Made For This + Resilience = Injured but incredibly efficient at everything from repairs to healing

• Made For This + For The People = Instant team support turning into personal speed boosts

It wasn't just about the individual perk—it was about how it amplified everything else in your build. For those few months, my loadouts felt... complete in a way they hadn't before.

The Killer's Perspective: Why Nerfs Were Inevitable

Now, let me put on my Killer main hat for a moment (yes, I play both sides!). Facing Made For This as a Killer, especially one without strong mobility options, felt downright oppressive. While high-tier killers like The Nurse or The Blight could often bypass the speed difference with their powers, anyone playing lower-tier killers found themselves in chase purgatory. That extra fraction of speed meant:

• Pallets became safer for Survivors

• Window vaults became more forgiving

• General map traversal became significantly harder to punish

The worst part? There was virtually no counterplay. Unlike perks that require specific triggers or conditions, Made For This was always active once you were injured. As a Killer, you couldn't "play around" it—you just had to accept that every injured Survivor was now 3% faster, making already difficult chases even more punishing.

The Great Nerf of 2023 and Its Aftermath

When the patch notes dropped announcing the Made For This nerf, the community reaction was... intense, to say the least. The change was significant: instead of triggering while injured, the haste effect now only activates when the Survivor is affected by Deep Wound. Think about that for a second—how many killers regularly apply Deep Wound? The Legion, obviously. Deathslinger, situationally. Maybe Frank's Mixtape add-on for The Legion? That's about it.

The immediate effect was predictable: usage rates plummeted. Why would you dedicate a precious perk slot to something that only works against maybe 5-10% of killers you'll face? The endurance effect upon healing others remained, giving it some niche use in altruistic builds, but let's be real—that was never why people ran Made For This.

Current State and Lasting Legacy

Fast forward to 2026, and Made For This has settled into a very specific, very limited role. You'll occasionally see it in:

• Anti-Legion builds (though even then, there are often better options)

• Memey "Deep Wound" challenge loadouts

• Very specific team compositions where someone is running For the People

But as a meta-defining, must-run perk? Those days are long gone. What's interesting is how its brief dominance changed perk design philosophy. Since Made For This, we've seen the developers become much more cautious about:

1. Passive effects that require minimal activation

2. Movement speed modifiers on Survivors

3. Perks that synergize too well with existing strong options

In a way, Made For This taught us all a valuable lesson about power creep and meta health. When something becomes so ubiquitous that it warps the entire game around itself, something has to give. I miss the feeling of zooming around injured with that little speed boost, but I don't miss the homogenization of Survivor builds it caused.

Personal Reflections and Moving Forward

As I look at my current perk loadouts in 2026, I sometimes think about what Made For This could have been with more balanced numbers from the start. Maybe a 1.5% speed boost? Maybe requiring the Survivor to be both injured AND in a chase? Hindsight is 20/20, of course.

What's clear is that Dead by Daylight's meta continues to evolve in fascinating ways. We've seen new perks rise to prominence, old ones get reworked, and the eternal dance between Killer and Survivor power levels continues. Made For This may have had its moment in the sun cut short, but its impact on perk design philosophy will likely be felt for years to come.

So here's to you, Made For This—for a few glorious months, you made us feel unstoppable. And for teaching us all a valuable lesson about balance, power, and the delicate ecosystem that is the Dead by Daylight meta. You may be a shadow of your former self now, but your legacy? That's still running at full speed. 🏃‍♂️💨