What Does SWF Mean In Dead By Daylight? Explained

Dead by Daylight has an ever-growing fan community, causing discussion about every aspect of the game to pop up online. Many players mention playing the game as part of a "SWF," or you might have heard a killer player complaining about them or giving tips about how to effectively combat them every now and then.

So, what is a SWF in Dead by Daylight? In this article, we'll explain exactly what this means.

What Is A SWF In Dead By Daylight?

In DBD terms, SWF is an acronym that's short for "survive with friends." Surviving with friends means playing the game with a team of survivors who you already know rather than partying up with a team of strangers.

So, why are SWFs so important to Dead by Daylight fans, and why are they such a hot topic in the community? Dead by Daylight is more challenging without communication, so players partying up with their friends tend to be more effective players than those who don't. After all, it's a lot easier to know where the killer is when your friend is shouting their location to you across the mic.

Some killers find SWF teams more challenging to play against; good communication might render perks that make the killer Undetectable useless since teammates can just convey the killer's location verbally.

How To Play In A SWF In Dead by Daylight

To create a SWF, just select 'Play as Survivor' from the left-hand menu. Once you're in the lobby, you can press the 'plus' button in any of the empty slots in the lobby to invite a friend. Just select the plus button next to their name on the list, and they'll receive the invite. Next, you'll receive a notification if they approve the request, and they'll appear in your lobby.

If you're looking for friends to play in a SWF with, you may want to check out the game's Subreddit or one of the many fan Discord servers dedicated to the game.

How To Play Against A SWF In Dead by Daylight

As we mentioned, some killers find that SWF teams are more challenging than solo survivors to go against thanks to their boosted communication and ability to use teamwork.

You may be able to identify a SWF team if a survivor team all have similar names or are wearing identical outfits on the same characters (though of course, not every team with matching cosmetics is a SWF).

Many SWF teams use flashlights to render killers blind and save their friends; if you find it challenging to combat them, it might be worth adding Lightborn to your build.

As with solo survivor teams, SWF teams often have one or two survivors who are better than the rest of their team. It's important to avoid chasing one survivor for too long and instead break up chases to focus on other survivors if you find that you're unable to get that downing hit.

Now you know what a SWF is in Dead by Daylight and how to counter one and play in one. Love them or hate them, SWFs are an integral part of Dead by Daylight, and it's important to know what they are if you're a dedicated fan of the game.