Dead by Daylight’s long teased major update is finally here, bringing several gameplay and visual upgrades with it. Developer Behavior Interactive detailed all of the game’s changes in a series of blog posts, revealing what fans should expect from the new update.
In September, Behavior Interactive announced that it was working on a Dead by Daylight update that would improve lighting, animations, and overall visual quality, as well as a port to the PS5 and Xbox Series X. The developer has already implemented some of these changes in updates that released in the fall of 2020, but the January update is a major step toward Behavior Interactive’s goal to make Dead by Daylight a more realistic game.
The biggest changes are the improvements to the game’s visuals and UI. The Gideon Meat Plant and Crotus Prenn Asylum maps have received major graphic overhauls, and survivor animations have been updated to appear more fluid and realistic. Player speed, turn rates, and acceleration have remained unchanged, though Behavior Interactive said that movement may feel different because of the new animations. The developer added that it will pay close attention to player feedback to find the right balance between improved visuals and making sure movement feels right.
The player HUD has been updated to appear less intrusive and easier to read. Perks still appear in the bottom right corner, but status effects have been moved to the top right corner. Character portraits now appear in the top left corner, revealing which survivors have been hooked and which survivors can’t afford to be hooked again. Players now have the option to scale the UI in Dead by Daylight to their liking, making text either larger or smaller.
Behavior Interactive already tested a matchmaking feature last year, and the developer plans to re-enable a skill based matchmaking system in the near future. After the second test period, Behavior Interactive will make matchmaking a permanent feature and introduce rank rewards. Each month, players will receive Bloodpoints based on their rank. Players will earn rewards for Killer and Survivor roles separately, meaning that a player could potentially rank in the top spot for both roles and win double the amount of Bloodpoints.
Updates have also been made to the six Survivor Perks. Some of the perks, including Open Handed, Fixated, and Diversion, have been updated to be more appealing, while others have been simplified. Several gameplay tweaks have also been made to a few of the Killers, including The Wraith, The Trapper and The Clown. A detailed list of changes is available on the Dead by Daylight forum.
Dead By Daylight is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Dead By Daylight Forum