Behaviour Interactive has kicked off Dead By Daylight’s Eighth Anniversary with a bang, sharing a number of updates and brand-new announcements on today’sofficial stream. From new game modes to unique franchise expansions, there’s something for everyone in 2024.
Double the Fun
Dead By Daylight fans, you’ve finally gotten what you’ve been asking for since the game’s inception: a 2v8 mode. This will be an entirely new game mode, not a modifier, and it will be catered towards party gameplay rather than competition. At launch, there will only be five maps available, although each map will be modified to be bigger due to the increased player count. Players will also have to get used to altered gameplay, something that the developers implemented to spice things up in-game.
One important change that players will notice is the lack of hooks; instead of hooking players, killers will be able to down survivors and send them to a cage (similar to Pyramid Head). Survivors will choose between three classes instead of equipping perks: Healing, Objectives or Speed. All survivors will be available to play, but only five original killers will be playable when the mode goes live. The killers – Trapper, Wraith, Hillbilly, Huntress and Nurse – come with specific team powers and bring a map from each of their respective realms: The MacMillan Estate, Autohaven Wreckers, Coldwind Farm, Red Forest and Crotus Prenn Asylum.
The 2v8 mode will initially be available as a temporary game mode, acting as a trial run with the possibility of it being made permanent in the future. When asked, “How did the team handle the overlapping sound cues so it’s not overwhelming?,” gameplay director Matthew Spriggens provided a straightforward answer:
“It is really all about embracing the chaos.”
While some finer details have yet to be confirmed, players will have the opportunity to learn more during an upcoming livestream in July.
New Chapter is a Critical Success
Following much speculation after the new chapter teaser dropped last week, Behaviour has provided plentiful information about the new Dungeons and Dragons chapter coming in June. The chapter marks the inclusion of the dark fantasy genre for the first time in-universe, joining the company of science-fiction and slashers (among others).
The new killer is Vecna, an iconic villain in the Dungeons and Dragons franchise. The team noted how important utilizing his spellcasting abilities was while bringing him to the Dead By Daylight universe. Vecna brings four spells to swap between at any time via his spellbook including Fly, Mage Hand, Flight of the Damned and Dispelling Fear. Fly is a traversal spell that allows you to quickly move and pass over vaults, Mage Hand blocks pallets during chases and can lift a downed pallet back up, Flight of the Damned acts as a necromancer projectile with five skeletal minions, while Dispelling Fear can detect and dispel magical attacks.
Magical attacks come from new magic items implemented through survivor gameplay. There will be special treasure chests around the map, each with a twenty-sided die. Each chest’s roll determines what happens next:
The chapter will also bring new survivors and a map. In a first for survivors, the two playable characters will be merged into one purchasable character and can be swapped between (similar to Legion). Players can choose between Baermar Uraz, a human male, and Aestri Yazar, an elf female. Both characters are bards, a class that the team thought would fit well with the horror elements throughout the game. The new map, Forgotten Ruins, will be part of the Decimated Borgo realm. While there is an outdoor component to the map, the center of it all is a large tower. The tower boasts an extensive underground component full of Dungeons and Dragons references and Easter eggs.
If the new races and die rolls didn’t impress Dungeons and Dragons fans, the revealed voice actor did. Matt Mercer of Critical Role fame will be voicing Vecna in the game. In a surprise appearance, Mercer spoke to fans via pre-recorded footage:
“I’m so excited for y’all to check it out and I hope DBD fans will enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed bringing this baddie to life.”
The team has promised that it will be a visceral chapter based on necromancy and blood magic. The chapter will be available in the Player Test Build at 1pm EDT, with the full release coming early June.
Familiar Faces Emerge From the Shadows
As if the inclusion of Dungeons and Dragons wasn’t enough, Dead By Daylight has announced that another famous IP will be coming to the fog: Castlevania. While the team did not specify who would be joining the entity’s realm, they hinted towards multiple characters joining the game. Players may not have much information about the collaboration at the moment, but they can learn more on August 6.
Updates on Project T
In 2023, Behaviour announced that it would be expanding Dead By Daylight as a franchise through collaborations with fellow studios. One of the games is a PvE shooter developed by Midwinter Entertainment, currently dubbed by the team as Project T. Project T is set in The Backwater, part of the entity’s world, with monstrosities called The Thrall. Players need to use trucks and talismans to complete objectives and fight off The Thrall.
Supermassive Games Presents Gameplay Trailer for The Casting of Frank Stone
Another game announced in 2023, The Casting of Frank Stone, was discussed during the anniversary stream. A member of the Supermassive Games team presented the gameplay trailer, sharing footage with nods to the Dead By Daylight franchise. Much like the other games in Supermassive’s catalog, The Casting of Frank Stone will be heavily choice-based and involve both environmental puzzles and quick-time reaction events. The game has an anticipated 2024 release date, but no month has been confirmed at this time.
A Surprise Announcement: WTF?
Announced as part of an incentive to make a Behaviour account, the team announced a brand-new game releasing today. What the Fog? is a new two-person co-op rogue-lite game that dropped for free during the stream announcement. Players can get the game for free with a Behaviour account for a limited time, but the game will be purchasable for $4.99 on Steam after the offer ends.
Dead by Daylight: How to Join the PTB
The Public Test Build (PTB) in Dead by Daylight is an opportunity for players to test and provide feedback on upcoming features, changes, and content.
