Dead by Daylight Report a Player: Why Most Bans Never Actually Happen

You've been there. You're looping a killer for three gens, feeling like a god, and suddenly you’re hit through a solid wall. Or maybe you’re the killer, and a survivor is literally flying across the Mother’s Dwelling map like they’ve got a private jet. It’s infuriating. You finish the match, click that little thumbs-down icon, and type a novel into the text box. But here’s the cold, hard truth: if that’s all you’re doing to dead by daylight report a player, you are basically screaming into a void.

Behavior Interactive—the folks behind the fog—actually have a pretty strict system, but it’s also remarkably clunky. Most players think the in-game report is a magic "delete" button for toxic gamers. It isn't. In fact, without a very specific second step, your report is likely sitting in a digital pile that nobody is ever going to read. Honestly, the community's frustration with the "reporting doesn't work" sentiment usually stems from not knowing how the gears actually turn behind the scenes at BHVR.

The Two-Step Dance of a Valid Report

The biggest mistake? Thinking the in-game report is enough. It's not. It is merely a prerequisite. If you want to dead by daylight report a player and actually see a "Feedback Received" notification in your inbox later, you have to follow the two-step verification process.

First, you hit them in-game. This creates a log. It timestamps the match and links the players' Cloud IDs. If you skip this and just go to the website, the support team can’t verify the match data easily. They need that internal flag. Second—and this is the part everyone forgets—you have to go to the official Dead by Daylight Support ticket website and manually file a report with video evidence.

Video is king. Without a clip of the Claudette hovering or the Ghostface using a lag switch, it’s your word against theirs. BHVR support staff aren't going to spend hours watching server replays (which barely exist in a usable format for them anyway) just because someone said "he was hacking." You need a recording. Use ShadowPlay, use Medal.tv, use the PlayStation "Share" button. Just get the footage.

What Actually Gets People Banned?

Not everything is a bannable offense. This is where people get confused. Being a "jerk" isn't against the rules. Hard tunneling? Not bannable. Camping a hook until the survivor hits second stage? Annoying as hell, but totally legal in the eyes of the developers. Slugging the whole team and letting them bleed out for four minutes? It’s a "tactic," even if it’s a miserable one.

So, what counts?

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Hacking is the big one. We're talking speed hacks, insta-heals, or those weird subtle ones where a killer moves 5% faster than they should. Then there's "Griefing." This is specific. It’s when a teammate works with the killer to reveal your location or blocks you in a corner for ten minutes so you can't play the game. Exploiting bugs—like getting into a spot on the map where the killer can't hit you—is also on the hit list.

Then you have the social stuff. Harassment in the post-game chat is a fast track to a comms ban or a temporary suspension. Threatening someone's life or using slurs isn't just "salty gaming behavior"—it’s a violation of the EULA. BHVR has been getting a lot more aggressive about this lately. If you have a screenshot of the end-game chat where someone went off the rails, include that in your ticket.

Why Your Reports Are Getting Ignored

Let's talk about why your efforts to dead by daylight report a player might be failing. BHVR handles thousands of reports a day. If your report says "he was mean," it’s going in the trash. If you report someone for "stream sniping," they likely won't do anything because proving stream sniping is nearly impossible from a developer's perspective unless the killer is literally shouting it in a Twitch clip.

Another huge factor is the "Player ID." Every player has a unique ID found at the bottom of the Settings menu. If you can get the offender's ID, or at least their platform-specific name (Steam URL, PSN, Xbox Gamertag), it makes the job easier for the support agent.

The Problem With "Soft Bans"

Dead by Daylight uses a tiered ban system. Unless someone is caught with blatant 3rd-party software by Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC), they probably won't get a permanent ban on the first offense.

1. A 24-hour ban is the "warning shot."
2. Then it jumps to 48 hours.
3. A week follows that.
4. Finally, the permanent ban.

If you report someone for being toxic and see them back in the fog two days later, don't assume the report failed. They might have just served their 24-hour sentence. It’s frustrating, sure. You want them gone forever. But BHVR treats their player base like a business—they want to give people a chance to "correct" their behavior before cutting off their spending potential entirely.

Dealing With Hackers: A Different Beast

When you dead by daylight report a player for actual cheating—not just "I think he saw me through a wall"—you're dealing with a separate workflow. EAC (Easy Anti-Cheat) handles most of the automated stuff. If a player is using a known script, they’ll get flagged automatically.

However, "script kiddies" are getting smarter. They use "subtle cheats." Maybe they only use a speed boost for one second during a loop, or they use a wallhack but pretend to check lockers. This is why the manual report is so vital. If you notice a killer always knows exactly where you are, even when you have Distortion and are being quiet, clip it. Multiple instances of "lucky guesses" in one match start to look like a pattern.

The "Holding the Game Hostage" Myth

People throw the phrase "holding the game hostage" around way too much. If the killer is just refusing to hook you and letting you crawl, that’s not holding the game hostage. The game will end when you bleed out. It’s boring, but it’s not a reportable offense.

True "hostage-taking" is when the game cannot end. For example, if two survivors are in a corner and the killer blocks them so they can't move, and the killer refuses to hit them, and the collapse hasn't started because no gates are open... that’s a hostage situation. If the game could technically go on for three hours because of a player's actions, that is when you should definitely dead by daylight report a player.

Step-by-Step: How to Actually Get Someone Banned

If you're serious about cleaning up the community, stop just clicking the button and walking away. Do this instead:

1. The In-Game Foundation As soon as the match ends, click the thumbs-down on the specific player. Choose the correct category (Griefing, Harassment, Unsportsmanlike, or Cheating). Leave a brief, factual description. "Killer blocked me in a corner for 10 minutes" is better than "omg this guy sucks."

2. Capture the Evidence If you didn't record during the match, you're out of luck unless you're on a platform that lets you "save last 5 minutes." High-quality video is the only thing BHVR truly respects.

3. Use the Web Form Go to the Dead by Daylight Support Portal. Select "Additional Concerns" and then "Reporting a Player."

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4. Be Professional Treat the support ticket like a job application. Use clear language. List the date, your time zone, the map, and exactly what happened. Attach your video file or provide a link to a YouTube/Streamable upload.

5. Wait for the Notification BHVR has added an in-game notification system. If action is taken based on your report, you’ll see a pop-up the next time you log in. It won't tell you who was banned (for privacy reasons), but it’ll give you that sweet, sweet hit of dopamine knowing one jerk is out of the rotation.

Actionable Next Steps for a Better Experience

Honestly, the best way to handle toxicity isn't just reporting—it's also protecting your own peace.

• Turn off the End-Game Chat: If you find yourself getting tilted by "GG EZ" or worse, just click the little arrow next to the chat box. It stays closed forever. You'll never see a toxic comment again.
• Set Steam Profile to Private: This prevents the "profile hopping" where angry players leave comments on your wall.
• Record Everything: Even if you don't stream, having an app like OBS or Outplayed running in the background is huge. It turns "I think he cheated" into "I have proof he cheated."
• Know the Rules: Read the official Game Rules on the BHVR forums. Knowing what is and isn't bannable saves you the time of filing reports that will just be closed immediately.

Reporting is a tool, not a weapon. Use it for the big stuff—the hackers and the true griefers—and let the "sweaty" players just be sweaty. The fog is a lot more fun when you aren't spending half your night filling out paperwork for every person who shook their head at you after a down.

Final Checklist for Your Next Report:

1. Did you report in-game first? (Required)
2. Do you have video or screenshot evidence? (Highly Recommended)
3. Is the offense actually on the "bannable" list? (Saves Time)
4. Did you submit the ticket through the BHVR website? (The Secret Sauce)

By following these specific steps, you move from being a frustrated player to someone who actually helps the developers keep the game playable. It takes an extra five minutes, but seeing that "Action Taken" message makes it all worth it.