Since the launch of Identity V, the game has gone through numerous balance adjustments. Just looking at the many talent reworks alone, it’s clear how much effort has been put into tuning the gameplay. Over the years, the following 9 Survivor talents have been removed from the game:
Max Tier: 1
Effect: Increases crouching speed by 40%.
Flavor Text: Like a shark that suffocates if it stops swimming, prey being hunted must stay perpetually restless.
Replaced in 2019 by Survivor's Instinct (Increases decoding speed by 5%/15%/30% when 1/2/3 teammates are eliminated).
Reason for Removal: Spending 5 precious talent points just to move faster while crouching had virtually zero benefit.
Max Tier: 3
Effect: When you're placed on a rocket chair, survivors within a 12/18/24-meter radius gain 4%/6%/8% movement speed.
Flavor Text: Survival competition promotes species continuation.
Replaced in 2020 by Savior Complex (After rescuing a teammate from the rocket chair, gain 5%/10%/15% movement speed for 3 seconds).
Reason for Removal: Its effects were too similar to Herd Mentality, and Savior Complex was a better design to avoid double knockdowns during rescues.
Max Tier: 1
Effect: Gain 10% movement speed when running toward an injured or downed teammate within 25 meters. Increases healing speed by 20% and reveals injured teammates, but does not show ballooned survivors.
Flavor Text: Save no one, and no one will save you.
Removed in 2022, replaced by Flywheel Effect (Dash 3.5 meters forward in the direction the character is facing. Immune to most damage/control effects for 0.4 seconds. 135s cooldown; 50s at start).
Reason for Removal: Considered the most useless core talent at the time and ineffective against the notorious "four-doctor" meta.
Max Tier: 3
Effect: When other survivors are within 5 meters, increase your decoding, healing, and sabotaging speed by 3%/3.5%/4% per teammate.
Flavor Text: People always act differently under the gaze of others.
Replaced in 2019 by Symbiotic Effect (Movement speed increases by 6%–10% when running toward a survivor on a rocket chair. The farther away the teammate, the greater the speed increase).
Reason for Removal: Over-buffed decoding speed when grouped, breaking game balance.
Max Tier: 3
Effect: When other survivors are within 5 meters, their decoding, healing, and sabotaging speed increases by 3%/5%/7%.
Flavor Text: In a foolish herd, there is only one leader.
Replaced in 2019 by Carrion Effect (When a hunter is within 15 meters for 8 seconds, pallet dropping speed increases by 8%/14%/20%).
Reason for Removal: Too similar to the Hawthorne Effect and shared the same balance issues.
Max Tier: 1
Effect: Completely mutes the sound made after taking damage.
Flavor Text: Silence alone doesn't make a tough guy.
Replaced in 2018 by Mechanic Specialization, which was later replaced by Audience Effect (If another survivor is on a rocket chair, decoding speed increases by 8%. This effect is permanently lost after two cipher machines are decoded).
Reason for Removal: Useless in practical gameplay—only helped when trying to hide gameplay from concerned parents who thought the game was too intense.
Max Tier: 3
Effect: Reduces the visual effects of vaulting windows and pallets by 8/16/24 meters.
Flavor Text: The loner never wants to be noticed.
Replaced in 2018 by Tenacity (Increases recovery speed while downed by 10%/15%/20%; crawling speed increases by 30%/60%/90%).
Reason for Removal: Provided minimal gameplay benefit.
Max Tier: 3
Effect: Reduces the chance of startling crows by 70%/85%/100%.
Flavor Text: Crows don’t actually like scarecrows—they prefer meat.
Replaced in 2018 by Healing (Reduces the time it takes to be healed by others by 15%. Also grants slow auto-recovery when injured, at a rate of 0.3%/0.45%/0.6% per second, up to 30%/45%/60%).
Reason for Removal: Extremely low utility.
Max Tier: 1
Effect: Reveals chests within a 16-meter radius.
Flavor Text: Never pass up a chance to rummage through a box.
Removed in 2022
Reason for Removal: No practical benefit.
Thank you for reading! Wishing you plenty of golden luck and smooth victories ahead!
