Dead by Daylight Will Get Game-Changing 2v8 Mode & New Classes

Dead by Daylight is one of my favorite multiplayer games, and it looks like the newest mode is going to solidify its place as an all-time great in my eyes. Players who have always taken to the Fog as a survivor for its sense of teamwork and comradery can now step into the shoes of those who have made them suffer for so long, thanks to the introduction of a new limited-time mode that is fundamentally changing the game — both literally and figuratively.

A 2 killer versus 8 survivor mode is on the horizon for DBD fans, and I know I’ll be there waiting at the entry gates with a buddy to put this new mode to the test. Rather than just taking the same game that we’ve grown to know and love over the years and plopping more characters in, there are some wild changes that players can expect during this new mode. Thanks to Head of Production Stefan Beauchamp, Design Director Matt S., and Senior PR Manager Aude Laliberte, I was given a sneak peek at what we can expect.

What Makes 2v8 So Much Different in Dead by Daylight?

There are a few fundamental changes that make the upcoming 2v8 mode all the more exciting to me, and it starts with the obvious addition — 2 killers versus 8 survivors. While the selection of Killers is somewhat limited during the introductory version of this mode, all Survivors can be played. The list of available killers for this mode is as follows:

• The Trapper
• The Wraith
• The Hillbilly
• The Nurse
• The Huntress

Rather than letting players put together the sweatiest of builds and push themselves to their limits, Survivors can select from a variety of classes at the start of a match. Players who love the idea of getting into chases with Killers will gravitate toward the “Escapist” class, who have buffs to their speed and can grant other players a boost when they need it. Those who love to look after their friends and comrades will love the “Medic” class, who receive a boost to healing speed and can get the team back into tip-top shape.

Related: Here’s the Dead by Daylight Year 9 Roadmap

Love to sneak around the map? The “Scout” class is going to the the perfect pick for you since you can see the Killer’s aura when they damage a generator or a pallet, and you can highlight them when they’re in your line of sight for other players to see. And finally, for those who love sitting on generators to ensure a swift escape, the “Guide” class is perfect for you — especially since you’ll have the fastest repair speed of all classes.

Killers won’t need to feel like they’re being left out, especially since some of the best add-ons are being fundamentally added to their general base kit. Since Perks are gone, each Killer will receive a seemingly significant boost to their original kit, giving them the tools they need to dispose of double the trouble at once. For example, the Trapper will have a total of 12 traps around the map, but can still only hold 4 at a time. The Nurse gets an extra blink when they are near their teammate, and other killers can see similar boosts. It’s like a typical match of DBD put to 1,000%, and I’m all on board with it.

I can also confirm, after asking during the Q&A at the end of the session — players won’t need to worry about getting hassled by two Nurses in a session since only one of each Killer can roam during Trails. Each Killer will need to select a different character.

How Is The Game Going To Play in 2v8 Mode?

DBD has a very familiar formula — players need to work together while repairing generators, unhooking their friends if they are captured by the Killers, and doing whatever is necessary to escape. 2v8 is looking to keep this feeling alive and well, while also adding a few additional changes to make things more exciting, chaotic, and faster-paced than ever before.

The first major change is the removal of hooks — players that are downed by the Killer are tossed into Cages, akin to the power that Pyramid Head possesses in the world of Dead by Daylight. The same three strikes and you’re out gameplay does apply here, but players will need to be put in cages three times before they are sacrificed to the Entity.

Survivors will then need to find their partners, remove them from the cages, and continue working to repair 8 of the 13 available generators spread throughout the map. Players who have been caged twice will have access to self-healing abilities, and those who have not been caged after some time will become momentarily visible to the Killers. One nice thing, however, is the removal of the loud noise notification when a player is uncaged, giving Survivors a chance to run and hide before this powerful duo can hunt them down again.

Much like the Killers, the map selection is going to be limited, with only 5 stages being available to play at the start of this event. As the team continues adding more features to the 2v8 mode, they’re hoping to continue adding more maps to this custom game mode.

The final major change is the addition of more hatches. If it turns into a hatch game, there will be a total of 3 hatches that spawn on the map, giving players the chance to either escape through the open doors or a hatch. However, only one player can escape at a time, although it is unclear if there is a timer that will need to be hit before more players can leave through hatches.

A few other small things to note: after asking, it has been confirmed that there is no voice chat available for this particular mode, much like typical DBD gameplay. If you’ve got a group of 10 friends who are willing to join together and play while using something like Discord, this could be one of the most chaotic experiences that I could imagine. It was also confirmed that Tome Progress would be counted for players jumping into this mode.

When Does Dead by Daylight’s 2v8 Mode Launch?

If you’re hoping to jump in and give this mode a try for yourself, it will be available as a Limited Time Game Mode starting on July 25, 2024, and will run until August 8, 2024. After asking the team during the Q&A segment, it is confirmed that Behaviour is looking to keep this as a permanent game mode that goes well into the future. This is essentially a test to see how things can work out, how they can continue to tweak the formula and ensure it’s fair and fun for everyone, and will share more details in the future regarding plans to add this as a fully-featured game mode.

All in all, it appears that the 2v8 Mode that is coming to Dead by Daylight is going to be one of the most exciting things we’ve seen in quite some time. The Chaos Shuffle LTM was extremely well received earlier this year with the release of the Dungeons & Dragons chapter, and it looks as if this is going to push things in even wilder directions. Now, I just need to wait for The Clown to get added before I’m truly content.

Dead by Daylight is available to play now, and the Limited Time 2v8 Mode will be available from July 25 until August 8, 2024.