So You Want Level 50 – How Much Grind Awaits?

Before we dive into the nitty gritty details, let‘s clearly state the answer upfront:

Reaching Level 50 requires gaining approximately 1.6 million Bloodpoints and spending those points to unlock nodes in the Bloodweb.

With realistic optimization and enough matches played, you‘re looking at 10-15 hours of game time.

As a DBD gamer myself, I totally get the urge to show off those flashy prestige cosmetics. But the road to Level 50 for even one character is no joke.

Today we‘ll explore everything you need to know to plan out your grinding roadmap, including:

• Cost breakdowns for standard and prestige progression
• Efficiency tips to avoid Bloodpoint waste
• Estimated time investments
• Changes to the progression system and their impacts

So buckle up for the long haul – we‘ve got a lot of ground to cover!

Leveling Up – The Bloody Road to 50

Before we can understand prestige and post-50 progression, let‘s break down the leveling trajectory to reach the first major milestone.

Here‘s a quick reference chart showing Bloodpoints (BP) required per level, from 1 through 50:

Table showing sample Bloodpoints required per level

Reaching level 50 requires accruing over 1.5 million BP in total – no small sum!

With the 2 million BP cap introduced in late 2022, you‘ll need to bank about 7-8 solid games worth of points without spending to max out your savings.

Pro Tip: Use BBQ & Chili and bonus BP offerings to speed along earning rates!

Leveling Speed Estimates

So how long does this BP grind actually take in real world hours? Let‘s run some numbers!

Assuming average match performance with some bonuses:

• 30,000 BP per match
• 10 minutes per solo survivor match (including queue)

That‘s 180,000 BP per hour

Plugging this into our level 50 requirement of 1.56 million, we get…

Around 9 hours of optimized play to reach Level 50!

Of course, your speed may vary based on:

• Killer vs. Survivor role
• Party size and communication
• Luck with matchmaking and queue times
• Personal skill level

But in general, expect to invest 8-12 hours to max out your first character.

Optimizing Your Bloodweb Climb

While the BP numbers sound intimidating, choosing an efficient path through the Bloodweb is key to quicker leveling.

*Here are 5 tips for optimizing each Bloodweb:

1. Avoid nodes with addons or offerings until necessary
2. Prioritize cheaper nodes first to open better perks faster
3. Grab character-specific perks ASAP if going for Prestige
4. Feel free to skip some Item/Offering nodes
5. Use the Entity wisely to remove unwanted branches

Follow these guidelines, and you‘ll cut out wasted points and games along the way.

But once you do hit the coveted Level 50, the real prestige climb begins…

Understanding Prestige – The True Grind Starts Here

Reaching Level 50 means gaining access to the game‘s Prestige system.

By spending 20k BP, you can reset a character‘s level back to 1, in exchange for:

• A special cosmetic item
• Slightly higher odds for better Bloodweb items

Many players consider P3 (Prestige 3) the "completion" milestone for a character.

Here‘s how much additional grinding Prestige tacks on:

*Assuming re-leveling from 1 to 50 each time

So in total, shooting for Prestige 3 demands around 6-7 million Bloodpoints! Bring some popcorn, you‘ll be here a while!

Worth noting that updates made in late 2022 now allow you to keep all item and addons when prestiging. So no need toempty your inventory preemptively anymore.

Is Prestige Worth It?

With each Prestige requiring hours upon hours of additional grind, is it really worth it?

In my opinion, yes – with some caveats.

The bloody cosmetics definitely make a statement in the fog. And the very minor boost to Bloodweb item rarity can pay off long term.

However, expect to invest some real time if you aim for P3 with multiple characters. We‘re talking dozens if not hundreds of hours.

Casual players should carefully weigh if maxing Prestige fits their goals vs. simply enjoying the game and its releases.

But as a content creator and self-described prestige addict myself, I say chase those bloody outfits to your heart‘s content! Just go in knowing the long road ahead…

Now that we‘ve covered core character levels, let‘s shift gears to tracking progression through other key systems outside raw levels.

Beyond Levels – Battle Pass, Grades, and Brasil Points

While Level 50 remains the major milestone for playable characters, Dead by Daylight also offers alternative ways to measure progress:

Rift Pass Tiers

The Rift Pass acts essentially as DBD‘s "battle pass" system, granting rewards as you complete challenges and fill XP.

Free vs. Premium

All players have access to the Free Track, capped at level 70.

Buying the Premium Pass for ~1000 Auric Cells unlocks 50 additional tiers with exclusive cosmetics.

Leveling up by playing the game grants various charms, outfits, BP bonuses and more. But note that Rift Tiers are tracked separately per account, not for specific characters.

Grades – Judging Trial Success

In addition to BP gains, the game also assigns a performance Grade at the end of each match:

• Ash IV (The Lowest)
• Ash III
• Ash II
• Ash I
• Bronze IV
• Bronze III
  …
• Iridescent I (The Highest)

Better Grades award extra Bloodpoint and pip bonuses used in matchmaking. So try and shoot for at least Silver or Gold performances!

Iridescent Shards – Slow and Steady Buys

Beyond immediately spendable BP, the game also trickles a currency called Iridescent Shards.

Payout scales based on your player level, capped at 300 shards per level up.

These rare Shards allow you to slowly unlock new characters and customization over time without spending real money. So treasurer them as a long term reward for grinding up your account!

Now let‘s switch perspectives to address the common question around simply buying progression…

Skipping the Grind – What BP Can (and Can‘t) Buy You

A common misconception around DBD‘s grind is the ability to simply buy progress, as in some free-to-play games.

So what can you actually purchase in Dead by Daylight, and what requires plain old grinding?

Here‘s a quick rundown:

Purchaseable

• Auric Cells – Premium currency for cosmetics, characters, Rift Pass
• DLC Chapters – Individual Killers and Survivors
• Rift Pass – Battle pass style reward track

Grind Only / No Pay Option

• Bloodpoint earning rates
• Leveling up player account rank
• Leveling Killers & Survivors from 1 to 50
• Prestige levels / cosmetics
• Teachable Perks

So while you can fast track acquiring characters themselves, all meaningful progression still relies on putting in those long hours!

Light at the End of the Tunnel – Recent Updates Reduce the Pain

If all this talk of endless grinding is feeling daunting, some good news…

The DBD developers have openly acknowledged and taken steps to ease the burden, especially for new players.

Recent major changes include:

• Increased Bloodpoint caps – 1 million to 2 million
• Higher BP incentives – Reworked all bonus objective BP gains
• Faster leveling speed – Up to 75% reduction in required points
• Prestige keeps items – No more resetting unlocks each time

Collectively the team estimates these tweaks cut the overall grind by around 70%. For example:

So while the core grind hasn‘t disappeared, reaching goals like Prestige is now markedly less painful.

For new players especially, recent changes should help avoid getting totally overwhelmed and burnt out.

Reaching Level 50 in DBD requires either ~15 hours of playtime or 1.6 million Bloodpoints, if optimizing pathing.

Shooting for the max Prestige 3 demands closer to 6-7 million BP and 60-100 hours.

Recent updates have brought some relief, but substantive progression still comes from old fashioned determination.

For the glory of those bloody skins, steel your mind and settle in to gently accumulate XP and BP over time. Level 50 and beyond awaits!

What‘s been your experience grinding up characters in Dead by Daylight? Feel free to share thoughts and tips below!