Dead by Daylight dev says it feels "unstoppable," but knows change is needed

With the release of Chapter 37, Dead by Daylight has just introduced one of its most gruesome and intriguing Killers to date - The Krasue - alongside a brand new Survivor, too. However, as its roster of original and crossover characters continues to swell, DBD has started to show signs of strain, with Behaviour Interactive recently delaying its next licensed chapter to focus on improving the core experience and fixing a growing list of bugs and balance concerns. One of the best horror games finds itself at a bit of a crossroads. It has the popularity, resources, and talent to continue pumping out amazing new characters, perks, maps, and more, but more moving parts always results in more issues under the hood. PCGamesN recently spoke to DBD's creative director, Dave Richard, about Behaviour's "unstoppable" pursuit of new, exciting ideas, but how it's also looking to make its content output more fluid to ensure things are accessible and easier to manage.

Dead by Daylight's latest chapter features an original Killer and Survivor entrenched in Thai culture and folklore. The Krasue is a disturbing creature with two forms - you can burst out of your human host's body like a demonic parasite to hunt down and eliminate players. The new Survivor, Vee, also originates from Thailand, a part of the world the game has never really explored before with its characters. It's proof that every corner of the globe is rich with potential for horrifying Killers and unique Survivors, and that Behaviour's best work isn't always tied to a crossover with a popular IP. In fact, Richard tells us that he has a map of the world annotated with various locations, tales, and cultures that would be ripe for new DBD content, and he wants to tick as much of it off as possible. We asked, but sadly he wouldn't let us see it…

As one of DBD's most ambitious and goriest Killers to date, Richard says The Krasue has given Behaviour the confidence to pursue even more radical concepts for new characters and themes, even if they seem difficult to pull off.

"After ten years of DBD, I would like to say that we are unstoppable," he says. "The team will find a solution to make [any idea] work, but we definitely do not have everything. We can still [widely] explore different types of Killers and different types of gameplay feeling that we can offer." He says that there are "infinite" possibilities.

However, the eagerness to deliver new ideas and content can have consequences. DBD isn't in the best shape, currently. As mentioned, Behaviour recently announced an action plan to improve the state of the game, delaying November's new licensed chapter in the process. Given the community's concerns, could we see a lower frequency of new chapters in the future, and thus a slower stream of new characters, perks, mechanics, and other gameplay content?

"We are aware that the game has grown in complexity," Richard admits. "It is becoming dense and difficult to get into for new players, because there's a lot of content you need to be aware of. And yeah, we know that this is becoming an issue - well, it's already an issue. We want to review a lot of different things in the game to make it more accessible, more permeable, more porous, so that players can get the information they need, and that the team [at Behavior] can sustain it as well.

"Now, a chapter is something we need to build. It is very, very healthy for the game and for our community. Every three months they expect that these new characters will be available and that there's going to be new things to play with. We've started. As you've seen, we also have LTEs, we have modes, we have events now. So these things are put in place so that our community always finds something new and interesting to play with. And so we are learning of new ways to be able to change that roadmap, or alter it a little bit, to change that density. So it [a change in chapter cadence] is definitely in the plans. I can't go into more details. But Killers are not going away, Survivors are not going away, perks are not going away, either. But they will definitely change in time to something that's more accessible to our players."

The new Dead by Daylight chapter, which adds The Krasue and Vee to the game, is live right now.

Whether you're hopping back into the game or trying it out for the first time, keep our DBD codes guide handy so you can nab yourself some freebies. Our DBD Killer tier list will also be extremely useful.

What are your thoughts on the new chapter and the current state of DBD? Come and let us know in the PCGamesN Discord, or simply tell us which horror IP you'd love to see Behaviour tackle next.

Additional reporting by Danielle Rose.