Behaviour Interactive has announced a three-week delay for upcoming Dead by Daylight content, including new chapters, Rifts, Collections, and the Public Test Build (PTB). Originally slated for a February 18th release, the PTB and subsequent content releases have been pushed back to allow the development team to focus on improving the overall player experience.

This delay impacts other planned events in the 2025 roadmap as Behaviour prioritizes addressing long-standing issues and implementing quality-of-life enhancements.  Dead by Daylight, a popular asymmetrical multiplayer survival horror game, pits four survivors against one killer in a deadly game of cat and mouse.  While the game has seen success and innovation, including the introduction of 2v8 modes offering a fresh perspective on the killer experience, certain persistent issues have hampered the player experience.

In a video message to the community, Behaviour Interactive outlined their plan to implement crucial quality-of-life features.  While this means a delay for anticipated content, the studio emphasizes the importance of addressing these issues for the long-term health of the game.  

The planned improvements will be deployed in two phases. Phase 1, scheduled for April 2nd, will target critical issues such as 'slugging' (where killers down survivors but leave them to bleed out instead of hooking them) by introducing a surrender option and iterating on the Chaos Shuffle system.  Additionally, Phase 1 aims to curb disruptive 'go next' trolling behavior with improved detection systems.  Further enhancements include a new quest system, perk previewing in the lobby, better AFK detection, and a streamlined Bloodpoints spending mechanism.

Phase 2, spanning July to December, will continue this focus on improving existing systems, addressing balance concerns, and implementing further quality-of-life changes.  This includes enhancements to custom games, accessibility features, and prestige rewards.