Distinguish Between Voluntary Disconnections and Involuntary Network Loss
Hello Dead by Daylight team,
I'd like to bring up a significant issue with the current disconnection penalty system and offer a concrete suggestion for improvement.
Right now, the game applies the same penalty regardless of why a player disconnects. Whether someone intentionally quits a match or loses their internet signal due to a temporary outage, both cases are treated identically. This creates a frustrating and unfair experience, particularly for players in regions where stable internet connections aren't always guaranteed.
From a technical standpoint, these two scenarios are distinguishable:
- A voluntary disconnect is typically a client-side action — the player closes the game or selects "Leave Match."
- An involuntary disconnect results from a network timeout, packet loss, or ISP interruption — events entirely outside the player's control.
My suggestions to improve this system:
- Implement a reconnection window. If a player loses connection due to a network failure, allow a 60–90 second window for them to reconnect before applying any penalty. Games like League of Legends and Apex Legends already handle this well.
- Differentiate disconnect causes. The server can detect the difference between a clean client exit and a timeout. Use that data to apply penalties only when a disconnect is clearly voluntary.
- Factor in connection history. Before escalating penalties, consider the player's overall DC history. A player who rarely disconnects and experiences a sudden drop is far more likely dealing with a real network issue than abusing the system.
- Introduce grace thresholds. Allow a small number of network-based disconnects per month without triggering the penalty ladder — with a cooldown that resets on good behavior.
These changes would make the penalty system fairer without removing accountability for players who genuinely leave matches on purpose. It's a balance that benefits the entire player base, especially those of us in areas with less reliable infrastructure.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope this feedback reaches the right team and is considered for a future update.
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