Behaviour Interactive kicked off its Dead by Daylight 10th anniversary celebrations on a massive scale, organizing a one-day fan event in Montréal that celebrated all things Dead by Daylight. Located at the Old Port, with the day’s weather leaning into one of Dead by Daylight‘s planned elements to be added to the game, thousands of fans came out from all over the world to take in the panels, artwork, photo ops, and even a fun little escape room before the development team blew everyone’s minds with what’s to come in the future of the game.
From much-needed graphics updates to planned elements to give the thrill of the hunt even more unpredictability to new chapters, collaborations, and surprising skins that fans have been dying for, the Dead by Daylight 10th anniversary livestream announcements delivered hype, expectations, and laid down the foundation for an exciting new future for this ever-expanding universe of horror.
Get BWT in your inbox!
Get BWT in your inbox!
Important Graphic Updates Coming to Dead by Daylight
Setting the stage for what’s to come for players in the Fog, the development team revealed their most ambitious update to date, which equated to an overhaul of the graphics. The tentative plan is to roll out these improved graphics in 2027, not only amplifying the game’s inherent horror but also helping players immerse themselves more fully in the world. Seeing the survivors’ agony with today’s improved graphics technology allows players to fully sink into the experience.
To do so, the development team is focusing on character model reworks with expanded animation capabilities, as well as realistic facial animations that bring greater expression and nuance to characters. Senior Creative Director Dave Richard expressed that “they’ll keep the identity and what makes the character iconic,” so players don’t need to worry about their faves being dramatically altered. Expected lighting, facial structures, and hair texture to be adjusted and played around with.
In addition, Richard explained, the biggest goal was to better ground the character’s movements and emotions into something more realistic. As explained, they will do this by adding a completely new rig for the characters, which will allow the animation team to better animate their bodies and create a more realistic animation. The goal, as Richard explained, is to add new actions to the game: “Big emotions, big immersion.”
Map Updates and the Best Chaotic Gamechanger – Dynamic Weather
Characters are not the only thing getting a visual upgrade. The development team has also set their sights on upgrading maps and working environments, which will also have lighting, color grading, shading, and texture adjustments with the goal of full optimization and enhancement. Not only will this update allow the team to continue delivering a visually impactful, immersive experience for players, but it will also help breathe new life into familiar haunting grounds for killers and survivors alike. And keep an eye out for the Entity; its presence will be more enhanced than ever during gameplay.
However, one new element being introduced will greatly enhance the level of immersion the development team strives for: dynamic weather. Purely by accident, fans who were on-site at the Dead by Daylight 10th Anniversary event got to experience the concept in real time due to the inclement weather happening on and off throughout the day.
When it comes to the dynamic weather addition, a wide range of mostly wet elements can be expected. Wind, rain, puddles, mud, and be wary of thunder because all it’ll do is heighten tension further. These elements will not only add to the already scary atmosphere but also prompt players to adjust their gameplay in response to weather changes, much like they might do when experiencing weather changes outside of the game.
New voicelines are also being recorded and steadily implemented throughout the rollout of this dynamic weather addition. With these constantly changing elements in the game’s world, it can’t just be the players adjusting to these changes. The characters will have to react and adjust too.
In the future, fans will also be able to get even more creative than ever before with the introduction of sandbox modding. The team is currently working on a suite of tools to put in players’ hands sometime next year, giving them everything they need to cook up and share new Maps, Modes, and everything in between. And who knows? Your creativity might inspire more permanent changes.
Something new that will be introduced gameplay-wise in early 2027 will be a 1v1 experience, bringing the original slasher experience to the game. The score will depend on how long a survivor lasts in this 1v1 battle. More information will be revealed soon, but this is just enough to get a sense of what is to come.
Also announced is a zombie mode that is in the incredibly early stages of development. The development team shared that, in this mode, Survivors must try to cure zombies. However, if bitten by a zombie, survivors can become zombies, gaining new limitations and abilities. Of course, there will also be a killer involved, adding further tension into the mix. With these plans, the development team hope to keep working toward making this mode a reality.
New Chapters and Collaborations Coming to Dead by Daylight
To kick off the hype train for Dead by Daylight‘s 10th Anniversary, players already knew ahead of time that iconic horror icon Jason Voorhees was finally arriving in the Entity’s realm, with some players having already had a chance to play the character as part of the Steam public test build. The developers gave a brief recap for those in attendance of what fans can expect with Dead by Daylight: Jason when it launches on June 16, 2026.
In addition to this legendary character entering the Fog, a more recently dubbed horror icon is going to be arriving in the horror universe soon. Yes, Art the Clown will be gracing the universe with his joyfully demented presence, with Dead by Daylight: Terrifier expected to launch date being sometime in November.
As for original characters coming to Dead by Daylight, the developers announced that a Survivor-focused chapter featuring original character Shane Wiigwaas will be coming to the game hot on the heels of Jason’s release. Marking the game’s first-ever Indigenous Survivor, Shane will be voiced by Dallas Goldtooth (Reservation Dogs, Seeds). When will players expect to play as Shane? Dead by Daylight: The Life Road will be released on June 25, 2026.
As if that already weren’t a lot for players to look forward to, Dead by Daylight will see the release of Dead by Daylight: Chorus of Sin this August. This Chapter marks the game’s first-ever Chapter developed entirely in collaboration with the community, with fans having a hand in curating the game’s story, character designs, and more alongside the developers.
To wrap up the Chapter announcements, the developers revealed that sometime in 2027, fans can expect to see the fully realized monstrous form of Frank Stone. If the name sounds familiar, the character was one of the driving evil forces in Dead by Daylight‘s first narrative-driven title, The Casting of Frank Stone. The game not only expanded upon and added further depth to Dead by Daylight’s universe but also offered a visually memorable killer-to-be.
The Dead by Daylight Movie finds its director!
While it has been known for some time that a Dead by Daylight film was in development, the 10th Anniversary live-stream provided fans with a much-needed update. Behaviour Interactive Executive Vice President Stephen Mulrooney provided fans with a highly anticipated update on the upcoming Dead by Daylight film, joined on stage by fellow producer Jason Blum of Blumhouse.
The screenplay was recently completed by Alexandre Aja (a horror movie legend in his own right) and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, which meant it was time to find the perfect director. During the presentation, the trio unveiled Thordur Palsson as the film’s director and invited him onstage to share his vision for how he is going to adapt the world of Dead by Daylight for audiences everywhere.
For those unfamiliar with Thordur Palsson’s work, he recently directed The Damned, the atmospheric isolationist period horror set in Iceland. If fans want a glimpse of what Palsson can do, they should check out The Damned and see how he uses the natural environment to maximize the scares.
So many new Collections are coming
Looking further into the future with Dead by Daylight, and if you were looking forward to more Collections, the team has been working hard to prepare a whole smorgasbord of Collections for players to acquire. Here’s what players can expect coming in the future:
The Black Banquet Collection
- It is tied to this year’s anniversary event of the same name, which runs from June 25 through July 16.
- The Black Banquet Collection offers players some party-appropriate formal attire that will help them immerse themselves in the more cannibalistic stage of mind. Just remember, pinky up!
Sunflesh Collection
- A desert-themed collection sure to make you feel the wear and tear and griminess of an actual desert setting.
- It will be introduced as part of one of Dead by Daylight’s next Rifts.
Get Ready for some Metal Vibes
- In celebration of Iron Maiden’s 50th anniversary, a new Eddie Legendary Outfit will launch for The Huntress.
- In addition, an Ice Nine Kills Collection inspired by the band will be launched.
Rounding out the latter announcement, fans during the livestream got to experience the joy and headbanging goodness that was the debut of Ice Nine Kills’ new Dead by Daylight-themed track and music video.
Franchise-expansion Collections
Fans can expect the return of familiar franchises, with new Collections to add further fun to the mix. Get ready for the following updates to existing franchise faves:
- The Walking Dead Collection will add Glenn and Negan as Legendary Outfits for Rick. Glenn will be launched in August, with Negan expected sometime in 2027.
- A new Silent Hill Collection Legendary outfit for Cheryl will transform her into Shimizu Hinako from SILENT HILL f, the psychological horror game by KONAMI.
- In addition, the Spirit will also be gifted with a Legendary outfit from Silent Hill as the bubblehead nurse.
Finally, answering years of fan requests, one of the most highly anticipated Collections ever is finally coming to The Fog, bringing the beloved characters of Scooby-Doo into Dead by Daylight for the very first time. Yes, one of the earliest introductions to horror for people starting at an early age is finally getting its due in Dead by Daylight. Scrappy better watch out!
Wrapping up the Collection announcements is the coming of the Diablo Collection, which is set to come to the game sometime this October. Familiar characters like Lilith will be reimagined and will enter the Fog, where the universe will get a little bit darker.
Dead by Daylight has had an extensively successful first ten years of life, introducing players to The Fog and continuously updating and expanding the universe into what it is today. Players got a hefty peek behind the curtain during Dead by Daylight‘s 10th Anniversary livestream, and the future has never looked so intense.
