Behaviour Interactive marked ten years of Dead by Daylight with a packed anniversary stream that covered everything from the next chapter dropping in days to game modes still years out. The studio held nothing back, running through new killers, new survivors, cosmetic crossovers, a visual overhaul, modding tools, and the long-awaited movie update. Here's the full breakdown.
The killers coming to the fog
Jason Voorhees is the headliner, arriving June 16 as the game's latest licensed killer. His kit includes a phase-travel ability that lets him teleport across the map, capturing that uncanny horror movie trick where he always seems to be one step ahead of his victims. The license had been stuck in a years-long Hollywood legal dispute before the path finally cleared.
Next up is Art the Clown from the Terrifier series, landing later this year, likely November, as part of Behaviour's cadence of four chapters annually with two being licensed crossovers. If you've seen Terrifier 2, you already know Art's presence in DBD is going to be a lot.
Looking further out, Frank Stone, the original killer from DBD's own lore and the centerpiece of Supermassive's The Casting of Frank Stone spin-off, joins the roster in 2027. A community-driven chapter called Chorus of Sin is also slotted for August 25.
Shane Wiigwaas and The Life Road chapter
The June 25 chapter, The Life Road, introduces Shane Wiigwaas, DBD's first indigenous survivor. Creative director Dave Richard described the development as a "very, very precious collab" with a representative of the Anishinaabe tribe, who helped shape Shane's identity specifically for that community. It's a meaningful step for a game that has leaned heavily on licensed characters for years.
A mall map built from player surveys
The next map is a mall, and it came directly from community feedback. Executive producer Jose Ramos explained that Behaviour runs quarterly surveys with over 100,000 respondents each time. The most requested map theme was a mall. The second most requested was the Backrooms. The resulting map is designed to hit both, capturing that liminal, eerie-empty-building horror without being a direct Backrooms collab or homage.
Cosmetic crossovers going wide
The cosmetics slate is genuinely surprising in its range. Rick Grimes from The Walking Dead gets outfits that transform him into Glenn and Negan. Cheryl from Silent Hill gets a new look based on Shimizu Hinako from Silent Hill f, and The Spirit gets a nurse skin pulled from the same series.
New crossovers entering DBD for the first time include Scooby-Doo survivor cosmetics, Diablo clothing options, and an Iron Maiden skin for The Huntress. Perhaps the most unexpected addition: Ice Nine Kills, the horror-themed metal band already tied to the upcoming Halloween game, gets its own cosmetics collection in DBD too.
For players looking to grab free rewards while this content rolls out, the Dead by Daylight codes guide is worth bookmarking for active Bloodpoints and charm redemptions.
New game modes and modding tools on the horizon
Behaviour has no plans for a Dead by Daylight sequel, so the team is focusing on expanding what DBD can be from within. Ramos specifically named a 1v1 mode and a zombie mode as examples of what's being explored, while stressing that the 4v1 format remains the core experience.
He was upfront that zombie mode is "probably years away," but the studio is sharing these plans early as part of a deliberate push toward transparency with the player base. The bigger news for long-term fans is that community modding tools are coming in 2027, letting players build their own maps and modes.
A new gameplay showcase feature is arriving sooner, letting players preview killer abilities directly in the menus before loading into a match. That one small fix addresses a genuine friction point for newer players.
Visual overhaul and better onboarding
A full visual refresh targeting character models and map details is planned for 2027. It will raise the minimum and recommended PC specs, though Behaviour hasn't published specific numbers yet.
The team is also reworking how new players are introduced to the game. Richard acknowledged it's "one hell of a challenge" given how much depth DBD has accumulated over a decade, and the approach involves rethinking the first-time user experience, progression systems, and eventually how perks are designed and communicated. If you're newer to the game and want a head start, the Dead by Daylight perks guide covers every survivor and killer perk with tier breakdowns.
The DBD movie finally has a director
The previously announced Dead by Daylight film now has a director: Thordur Palsson, whose previous work includes The Damned. The script comes from Alexandre Aja (High Tension, The Hills Have Eyes remake) and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (The Conjuring 2). That's a writing duo with serious horror credentials, and Palsson fits the tone. No release window was given.
With Jason dropping June 16, The Life Road chapter on June 25, and Chorus of Sin hitting August 25, the next few months are stacked. The full Dead by Daylight guides collection is the best place to stay sharp as new killers and mechanics hit the live game.
