Dead by Daylight is one of the best survival horror multiplayer games. Its popularity comes not only from the iconic characters that players can take control of, whether they are the killer or the survivor but also from the amazing gameplay and the environments that the game offers. Since the game is quite popular, it should come as no surprise that it has a competitive game mode, although it’s not exactly as big an esports scene as, for instance, the big MOBAs like Dota 2 or shooters like Overwatch.
If you have played the game before, you might be familiar with the old DBD ranking system. However, in 2021, the developers decided to update the Dead by Daylight ranking system with a new and much better one, called Grades.
How do new ranks in Dead by Daylight work?
The biggest change about the new ranking system called Grades is that even if they replaced all DBD ranks from the past, they are still not used for the matchmaking process for ranked games, and they are just a representation of one’s progress through the system. Matches are still based on hidden matchmaking ratings (MMR), which is why players cannot see the Grades of other players.
How many grades are there?
There are currently five different qualities of Grades in the new DBD ranking system:
- Ash
- Bronze
- Silver
- Gold
- Iridescent
It is important to note that each quality has four different levels, so there are 20 Grades.
What is Pipping?
Every grade has a number of Pips that a player must obtain in order to rank up to the next grade. The Pips are rewarded after each game in the Ranked Trial, and the reward depends on the player’s performance. If the player wins their match, they will be rewarded +1 or +2 Pips, and if the player loses the match, they will get -1 Pip.
The number of Pips rewarded is based on the number of Emblem Points one receives in a match, which we will explain in the next section of the article.
Once the player gathers enough Pips to fill out all the required slots in their current Grade, they will advance to the next one. Here is the list of required pips for each grade:
- Ash IV to III – 3 Pips
- Ash 2 to 1, Bronze IV to I – 4 Pips
- Silver IV to I, Gold IV to I, Iridescent IV to II – 5 Pips
- Iridescent I – This is the final tier, congratulations!
Unlike the old DBD ranking system, you can lose all of the Pips in your current Grade, but you cannot demote to an older Grade, even if you lose a game while having 0 Pips. The Dead by Daylight ranking system is only reset with the beginning of a new season, which occurs on the 13th of each month when the players are rewarded Bloodpoints based on their rank, with Iridescent I getting 1,000,000 blood points (players can earn rewards both for the Killer role, as well as the Survivor).
Emblem system
As we mentioned earlier, in order to gain Dead by Daylight ranks and maybe get an opportunity to participate in esports tournaments once you are recognized as a good player, it is to gain Pips, and they are gained based on the Emblems you gain in a match.
Before we explain how Emblems are rewarded, here is a list of Pip rewards for each Grade based on Emblems:
- Ash IV to I – Both the Killer and Survivors: 0 to 9 rewards 0 Pips, 10-13 rewards +1 Pip, 14-16 rewards +2 Pips.
- Bronze IV – Both the Killer and Survivors : 0 to 8 rewards 0 Pips, 9-13 rewards +1 Pip, 14-16 rewards +2 Pips.
- Bronze III to I – Both the Killer and Survivors : 0 to 5 rewards -1 Pip, 6-9 rewards +0 Pip, 10-13 rewards +1 Pip, 14-16 rewards +2 Pips.
- Silver IV to I –For Killer: 0 to 6 rewards -1 Pip, 7-10 rewards 0 Pips, 11-14 reward +1 Pip, 15-16 rewards +2 Pips. For Survivors: 0 to 6 rewards -1 Pip, 7-9 rewards +0 Pips, 10-13 rewards +1 Pip, 14-16 rewards +2 Pips
- Gold IV to I – For Killer: 0 to 7 rewards -1 Pip, 8-11 rewards 0 Pips, 12-14 rewards +1 Pip, 15-16 rewards +2 Pips. For Survivors: 0 to 7 rewards -1 Pip, 8-9 rewards 0 Pips 9-13 rewards +1 Pip, 14-16 rewards +2 Pips
- Iridescent IV to II – For Killer: 0 to 8 rewards -1 Pips, 9-12 rewards 0 Pips, 13-15 rewards +1 Pip, 16 rewards +2 Pips. For Survivors: 0 to 8 rewards -1 Pip, 9-11 reward 0 Pips, 12-14 rewards +1 Pip, 15-16 rewards +2 Pips.
- Iridescent I – Both the Killer and Survivors: 0 to 8 rewards -1 Pips, 9-16 rewards 0 pips.
The Killer and Survivors have different emblems. Emblems come in different qualities, and they award different points. The requirement of points for each emblem is: no emblem is +0, Bronze is +30, Silver is +100, Gold is +190, Iridescent is +270.
Emblem ranks count towards the Pip points mentioned above, with each higher rank being worth one more than the previous one (Ash is worth 1 point, Iridescent is worth 4).
The ones for the Killer are:
- Gatekeeper – slowing down generator repairs
- Devout – sacrifice and kill Survivors
- Malicious – apply pressure on Survivors
- Chaser – find Survivors and win chases
The ones for the survivors are:
- Lightbringer – generator repairing
- Unbroken – survival
- Benevolent – depends on how altruistic you and your team are
- Evader – stay hidden from the Killer or win chases
DBD Ranking FAQ
The ranking system in Dead by Daylight works by matching players with opponents of similar skill level. You can earn points by winning matches, and as you earn more points, you’ll advance through the ranks. It takes into account a player’s win/loss ratio, individual performance, and the skill level of their opponents.
