The next Dead by Daylight crossover is delayed because the developers Behaviour Interactive are trying to fix problems and deal with the growing frustration from players.
This new plan comes right after the release of the latest patch which reintroduced the special limited-time 2v8 mode. While players are still enjoying that mode the developers are already encouraging everyone to start thinking about what comes next for the horror multiplayer game. In their official post the Dead by Daylight team stated We’ve heard your response to our recent communications and we know that right now solid action is what’s needed. To go along with this they released a video featuring executive producer José Ramos and community director Eric Pope. In the video the two of them carefully walk through the steps the studio is planning to take in order to deal with the current problems and to improve the state of the game moving forward.
The new Dead by Daylight roadmap includes a long list of quality-of-life updates. These updates are designed to make the game smoother more stable and more enjoyable for players while keeping the multiplayer horror title strong. In the short term the studio has already announced that a third hotfix will be released during the week starting on Monday August 25. This hotfix is being created specifically to fix several bugs and issues that appeared after the big July update. Because the team is focusing on these fixes the Public Test Build (PTB) for the next chapter will be pushed back slightly. Instead of coming out right away it will now arrive in early September.
The developers say this extra time will give them the opportunity to polish the next big update and make sure it is in better shape before players get to try it. This upcoming chapter which was first revealed at PAX has a folklore theme and many fans are eager to see how it turns out. Even though players will have to wait a little longer than expected the hope is that the extra development time will result in a smoother more enjoyable experience when the chapter finally arrives.
The next big licensed chapter for Dead by Daylight has officially been delayed. This new chapter was supposed to continue the game’s streak of exciting collaborations following recent crossovers with Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF) and The Walking Dead. According to the original roadmap the release was planned for November but that has now changed. Instead of arriving this year the licensed chapter will be pushed into January. When it does finally launch it won’t come on its own it will be combined with the mid-chapter update that was already scheduled for that month.
However this doesn’t mean that November will be empty. Dead by Daylight’s team has confirmed that there will still be a release in that month but it will look very different from usual. Instead of shiny new killers survivors or maps the focus will be entirely on bug fixes quality-of-life improvements and the annual winter event. In other words November will be all about polishing the game and making it run smoother rather than adding brand-new content.
Looking further ahead the developers also talked about their plans for 2025 and beyond starting in February. One of the main voices in the community has been very clear many players are asking Behavior Interactive to slow down on constant new content and focus more on fixing the game. The team has heard this feedback and is taking it seriously. In fact they’ve decided that the March chapter will not feature a new Killer which is a big change since Killers are usually the highlight of new chapters. Instead the March update will be dedicated almost entirely to improving the core gameplay experience fixing bugs and upgrading quality of life across the board.
That doesn’t mean there will be no new content at all in March. Right now the plan is for the chapter to possibly include a new Survivor and a brand-new map. Both of these are still being discussed but the map seems much more certain. According to the developers the map is progressing well and it’s shaping up to be a very exciting new realm that they believe players are really going to enjoy. As for the Survivor the team is more cautious. Survivors come with unique perks and creating and balancing these perks takes a lot of time. Because of that the developers are still unsure whether a Survivor will make it into the final March release.
Ramos one of the leads explained that the team has to constantly find the right balance between delivering fresh exciting content and giving themselves enough space to improve the overall health of the game. By skipping a Killer and possibly even skipping a Survivor they will free up a lot of development time to really focus on fixing the game balancing existing perks and making sure Dead by Daylight feels smoother and more enjoyable for everyone. Still with the addition of the new map there should be something exciting for players to look forward to even if it’s not as big as a traditional full chapter.
In short the upcoming months for Dead by Daylight will look different than what fans are used to. November will be all about bug fixes and the winter event January will finally bring the delayed licensed chapter and March will focus on improvements and maybe a new Survivor and map but no new Killer. The developers clearly want to prove they’re listening to the community by slowing down the content pace and making the game stronger at its core.
The developers of Dead by Daylight have shared that aside from dealing with delays and bug fixes they also have three very big goals that they are currently working on for the future of the game. Each of these goals is important in its own way and the team is taking extra time to make sure they are done properly.
The first big goal is a complete rework of the MMR (matchmaking rating) system. Right now matchmaking in Dead by Daylight often frustrates players because sometimes matches feel unfair either too difficult or too easy. The team agrees that the current system needs improvement but they have explained that this rework will not be ready this year. Instead of rushing they want to carefully create a new solution that works well for everyone and makes matches feel fair balanced and enjoyable. The developers have even said that their target is to build something that players will love not just accept. This shows that they are aware of player feedback and want to take their time to get it right.
The second major goal is prestige rewards. In Dead by Daylight prestige has always been a part of progression but many players feel it needs to be more rewarding. The developers have confirmed that they are building a prestige reward system that will not only feel exciting but will also be sustainable for the long-term future of the game. Importantly they want these rewards to work with all of the licensed characters in Dead by Daylight as well as original ones so nothing feels left out. This is not just a short-term fix it is something the team hopes will be delivered forever. According to Ramos one of the developers this new prestige system is planned to be released around March of next year so fans can expect to see it soon.
The third big goal is the introduction of a brand-new perk preview feature. This feature is designed to give players more information about their teammates. When it is added you will be able to see the perks that your fellow survivors are using once you are inside a match. The developers believe this will help players better understand team builds and coordinate strategies. However they are being very cautious with this change. Ramos has explained that while the perk preview will first appear inside matches with the March update it could later be added to lobbies so players can see perks before the match starts. But the team is moving slowly because they are worried about possible toxicity problems. For example some players might use this feature to lobby dodge meaning they leave lobbies if they don’t like their teammates perk setups. The developers want to avoid that kind of negative behavior. Their goal is for people to still have fun to experiment with different perk builds and to feel free to try creative loadouts without being judged.
All of these updates were shared in the latest developer update post and the overall tone feels thoughtful and deliberate. It also connects back to the apology the team gave last week about their Kill Switch system which many players were unhappy with. Some players responding to this latest update expressed appreciation for the more open communication saying it’s nice to finally understand what the developers are working on. However not everyone is fully convinced. Some fans have said that the transparency came too late and that they are still skeptical. One YouTube commenter summed up this mixed reaction perfectly by writing Actions speak louder than words so I’ll be waiting to see how it all turns out by the end of the year.
So while the update has given players more details and a roadmap to look forward to the community seems divided some are cautiously optimistic while others are waiting for results before they put their trust back in the developers.
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