I Clawed My Way Back From The Void (For A Second Time) To Watch The 8th Anniversary Livestream

…so you don't have to!

Yes, that's right, in my grand return to being insufferably egotistical it's that time once more for a stream summary!

INTRODUCTION (+ a disclaimer)

Welcome one, welcome all, especially welcome to those who'd rather not be perceived, my name is GBK and I shall be your host for today's festivities.

For those who don't know me, I'd advise you to keep it that way, but since our dear @Fibijean left these Forums I've (with her permission, ofc) taken the role of Stream Summary Person:tm:. And yes, these intros do not get better.

DISCLAIMER: I paraphrase! I do not reference, but you can most likely infer that my source is the Stream that we ourselves are watching. I do my best to keep the information as accurate as possible, but please note that it is my own wording. Unless in quotation marks ("I enjoy subathing and terrorising children on the beach.") it is not official wording, and please do not look that far into how I've phrased things.

DISCLAIMER 2: Electic Boogaloo: I am in no way shape or form affiliated with BHVR or Dead By Daylight, outside of running a funky twitter account.

With the important things out of the way, welcome to I Clawed My Way Back From The Void (For A Second Time) To Watch The 8th Anniversary Livestream So You Don't Have To!, more affectionately known as the 8th Anni Stream Summary! (ICMWBFTVFASTTWT8ALSSYDHT just doesn't roll off the tongue)…!

The stream can be watched here, here, here:

WELCOME TO THE 8TH ANNIVERSARY!

Hello one, hello all, this is the 8th Anniversary Livestream, and welcome! The team would like to a take a moment to thank all for their support, and to take a look at what's coming over the next year, including Dungeons and Dragons, Castlevania, and more! In fact, the DnD PTB is now available, and will be for the next week or so.

TWITCH DROPS

Twitch Drops have returned! They're live going until May 28th and are obtained by linking your BHVR Account to your Twitch Account. There's three drops up to 8 hours of watch time, which can be obtained through watching any Dead By Daylight stream (provided the game is actually set to Dead By Daylight), regardless of the size of the channel. They are as follows:

@GentlemanFridge found dead on floor following more bird content, more on this story at 11.

QUELLE SURPRISE | A FREE GAME?

That's right, a new rougelike set in the world of Dead By Daylight - What The Fog! Available now on Steam (£4.19) and for free through your BHVR Account when linked to a Steam Account. There are a limited number of keys, and it's first come first served, however I'm typing this three hours post-broadcast and was able to snag one.

The aim of the game is to collect Bloodpoints and repair Generators to power up and escape, casting magic and killing enemies, to progress onto harder and more chaotic levels. Fight your way through hoards of mobs, bosses, and heavy metal guitars. Died? No problem, simply support your mate from the grave until you're revived at round end to fight some more. Battle back the enemies until you can get the fog out.

(Sadly, there are no plans for further content or to port the game onto other platforms.)

OUR CAST

Joining us on the stream tonight are:

Eric Pope [he/him], Community Director

Dork [she/her], Community Manager

Stèphan Beachamp [he/him], Head of Production

Justin Brown [he/him], Product Director

Matt S, Design Director

Derek Law [he/him], Senior Product Management

Mathieu Côté [he/him], Head of Partnerships for BHVR Digital

Shaun Roe [he/him], Producer - Digital Licensing for Wizards of the Coast.

Dave Richard [he/him], Creative Director

Janick Neveu, Principle Game Designer

Justin Banks [he/him], Senior Project Manager

YEAR 9 ROADMAP

Before getting into the roadmap, Stèphan would like to emphasise that they know of the rubberbanding issues that weren't quite fixed, and there's another tentative fix available on the PTB today and, if all goes to plan, that fix should be coming to live before 8.0.0 officially drops.

The next year for DBD will be huge, which is saying something walking in the footsteps of Alien, Chucky, Alan Wake, and Nicholas Cage (alongside End Transmission and All Things Wicked, which is the most popular original chapter to date). Later this week, we'll be getting Chaos Shuffle, the third Modifier.

The Roadmap itself (which is subject to change) includes six new Chapters, keeping pace with last year, two of which are Survivor-only and one of which is Killer only, meaning we'll be getting nine new characters. Moreover, four of these Chapters will be licenced. The full roadmap can be found below:

As revealed earlier, the first of these Licenced Chapters is going to be Dungeons and Dragons, which is getting it's own snazzy segment later, but I can confirm that it includes Vecna ("The Lich") and two Bards who are technically one character, alongside a new map in the Decimated Borgo realm. The July Survivor will be someone who "truly embodies the meaning of that word", while the August Licence is Castlevania! It's a lot of content (perhaps too much).

As always, the Four Pillars of Focus remain nearly the same, but with some slight tweaks.

The team are thrilled at the responses to the more regular livestreams, and they plan to do more for all new major Content releases this year. Progress has been made towards tackling AFK Bots, which are particularly prevalent in some reigons, and while not much can be discussed publicly more effort is continuing to be put towards it. Live Balance + QOL will be covered in the next section, and Event Evolution will be continued to be pushed, including the upcoming Twisted Masquerade 3.0.

Noteworthy here is that events will now be taking place in a separate matchmaking queue, just like modifiers, so if anyone wants to play normal DBD, for some reason, they can.

Finally, a new time-limited MODE will be coming to DBD, replacing Scorching Summer BBQ: the highly requested 2v8! More info will come closer to release ("In our July Livestream"), however what we know so far:

• Only available for killers (original) up to and including Huntress
• Hooking is no-more, instead a system similar to Pyramid Head's Cage of Atonement is employed
• 5 larger maps available to play on
  • Still the usual Generators and Exit Gates
• Survivors now have "Classes", which effectively acts as a power for the match and allows players to more easily identify their role within the team.
  • Classes replace Perks for this Mode
  • Killers have a "Team Power" which is based off of their actual power and provides buffs to the other Killer when certain criteria are met.
    • For example, the Undetectable gained by Wraith is shared to the other Killer if nearby.
• More content and gameplay to come in the future based on feedback

GAMEPLAY IMPROVEMENTS

To begin, introducing the Endless Hunt Pack, including A Portrait of Murder, Roots of Dread, Forged in Flop and Tools of Torment, as well as all of the DLC exclusive cosmetics and charms. This also means that the 4500 Shard/250 Cell discount now applies to all characters listed here, too. The pack is now live (at 25% off) and so the respective Chapters are now no-longer available for individual purchase.

Challenge System

Coming soon to a DBD near you, a new Challenge System! Acting as a form of progression (and challenge) entirely separate from the Rift and Archives, it is completed passively similar to other achievements. Initially, this will include daily, weekly, and event challenges, which will hopefully be expanded to other areas of the game.

Inbox System

The News + Information system currently in-game will be receiving an overhaul, doing away with the pop-ups and streamlining the process of actually checking the updates. Eric gives the examples of having full patch-notes listed in-game, as well as having notifications of rewards.

Finisher Mori

People will likely remember this, especially as it was so undercooked, but the good news is it's back. Feedback has been taken on-board, and the revamped Finisher Mori system is now ready enough for it's announcement. It will soon become a new baseline feature, but it can only be used on the last remaining Survivor (as opposed to previously, when it would activate as soon as all Survivors were downed).

Along with this, the Mori offerings are being updated to now give Bloodpoints upon completion of a Finisher Mori.

Cross-Progression

Cross-Progression is, at long last, coming to DBD. People might remember this from as long ago as July 2020, so really it has been a whopping 4 years in the making, but finally it has been confirmed.

Ignoring the technical slip-up of playing the wrong pre-recorded slip, here's the details we know so far:

• Players will need to own the Base Game on all platforms
• Players will need to own a BHVR Account and have linked this Account to their platforms
• This is Cross-Progression for PC and Console, not DBD Core and Mobile
• Some things will be unable to be shared between platforms.
• More details to be revealed closer to summer

There is a Cross-Progression FAQ available currently, however an updated version will be released later to the official release.

Mid-Show Merch Announcement

Merch

Also, slightly less important, there's new merch. Returning are the Anniversary Mystery Boxes, and while they can't spoil their contents they did reveal that some would contain a signed DBD-themed art print. They are also sold out, so there's that - the dice look cool, though.

DBD Board Game | Malicious Expansion

Featuring content from Roots of Dread, Portrait of Murder, and Forged in Flop, the DBD Board Game Expansion Pack is also dropping. Garden of Joy and Forsaken Boneyard are also releasing. This can be ordered here.

NEW ANNIVERSARY CHAPTER | BARDS, BORGO, AND B(V)ECNA

"Poor, misguided adventurers, how little you must value your lives."

The newest Chapter to come to Dead By Daylight is Dungeons and Dragons, featuring the new Killer: Vecna ("The Lich") and new Survivor: Aestri Yazar.

DnD might not be everyone's first thoughts when it comes to horror, but there's certainly the potential there. Vecna was one of those real no-brainer choices when considering which of the characters fit best into a horror setting for really obvious reasons. He's one of the greatest BBEG bosses of DnD and anyone who's played it for a while has almost certainly witnessed a TPK from him. The Chapter has been described as a love letter to DnD from a team who are incredibly passionate about the licence (which made the approval process on WOTC's end "really easy").

The first key focus for the team was to find a way to combine high-fantasy with horror. The second was to have a focus on role-playing and customisation. The third was for sheer, unadultarated chaos.

Vecna was seen to be a "perfect fit" into DBD; a powerful wizard who turned himself undead to continue his villainy forever. He has access to every spell ever, which made for an interesting time designing his power. The Survivor was decided should be a Bard, probably the most famous DnD Class, and definitely the one who fit most into the world of DBD.

The Survivor this time will be very similar to Legion - with them acting as multiple characters in one, and the name, voice, and character decided on the body of the character. Baermar Uraz is the alternative Survivor on release.

Shocking nobody, the DnD map is a Dungeon. Arriving in the Decimated Borgo, the Forgotten Ruins features a new main building - a tower - and an entire "extensive" dungeon section below.

The goal of the map was to think of a place worthy of Vecna himself to inhabit and make his own.

Also featured on this map is a new gameplay mechanic: Passage (pronounced like massage, not message, apparently). These are magical doorways which enable players, both Survivors and Killers, to teleport to other areas around the map.

The way the Power for Vecna was tackled was to look at the best spells that could be transferred into DBD accurately and effectively, especially considering the challenges for transferring DnD magic into DBD Trials. It was decided that the Utility spells should be the main ones to focus on, and in the end four spells were chosen on: Mage Hand, Fly, Dispelling Sphere, and Flight of the Damned. Each of these Spells can be selected individually and have their own internal cooldowns.

Here's how the patch notes describe his Power, something so unspeakable it doesn't actually show up in the DBD tooltip

His three perks are: Weave Attunement (Scaling at 20/25/30 seconds)

Languid Touch (Scaling at 6/8/10 seconds)

Dark Arrogance (Scaling at 16%/18%/20% vault speed)

Vecna himself is an average-sized, 115% killer with a 32m Terror Radius.

Magical Items are the new toys coming for Survivors in DBD, though ironically they're not actual items. Several Chests - no, not the usual Chests, these ones are different - will spawn throughout the map, and interacting with them will cause a D20 roll. The roll determines the contents of the Chest with, obviously, higher rolls equating better items. Rolling a 2-4 will grant a base game item. Rolling 5-19 will grant a Magical Item - there are four sets of Items, equating to the four Spells of Vecna: Interloper, Nightwatch, Archivist, and Skyguard. Each of these sets has two Items each - Gauntlets and Boots - for a total of eight Items, and Survivors can equip one each of Gauntlets/Boots for a total of two equipped.

Of course, it wouldn't be a D20 without the chance at a Critical Fail (Natural 1) or Critical Success (Natural 20). Rolling a Nat 1 will usually grant nothing, although there's the chance at there being a Green Key inside. Rolling a Nat 20 will grant one of either the Eye of Vecna or the Hand of Vecna, which act closer to normal items. Using these allows you to become "Attuned" to the items, and gain their effects for the rest of the trial.

The Eye of Vecna allows a Survivor to become invisible and gain Haste for 12 seconds after fast-exiting a Locker. The Hand of Vecna allows a Survivor to teleport to a far-away locker when fast-entering a Locker. Cursed magic comes with a price, however: to use these effects, you must be full health, because doing so will take away an entire health state. Moreover, after the effect has ended, you will be revealed through Killer Instinct for 3 seconds.

Here's what the Patch Notes say:

Aestri Yazar wasn't discussed much on-stream, because so much time was spent on Vecna and Magical items, however her perks are: Mirrored Illusion (Scaling at 100/110/120 seconds)

Bardic Inspiration (Scaling at 90/75/60 second cooldown)

Still Sight (Scaling at 6/5/4 seconds)

Dead By Daylight: Dungeons and Dragons will release June 3rd. The DBD Website has a live countdown, just in case.

WHAT LIES AHEAD | Supermassive and Midwinter

As you may remember last year, two new games set in the DBD Universe were revealed: The Casting of Frank Stone, developed by Supermassive Games, and a previously untitled co-op PvE Shooter, developed by the recently aquired Midwinter Entertainment.

The Casting of Frank Stone

The Casting of Frank Stone is one where the players shape the narrative, similar to previous games by Supermassive (Until Dawn, The Dark Pictures Anthology, The Quarry). It explores the origin of a killer and, potentially, Survivors, making them playable for the first time when previously it would be within a bio or Tome Entry. The game is still clearly set within the world of DBD, but in our world as opposed to the Entity's Realm, and it's possible that Frank Stone will be a Chapter one day.

We've also finally gotten some new content surrounding Frank Stone, and it looks good (imo, anyway). Dare to brave the Murder Mill?

Coming 2024, though according to Eric, "Very Soon".

Project T

Project T is still very early in stages of development. It is set within the Entity's Realm, but not within the Trial Grounds. The Trials are a way for the Entity to feed, but there are of course other areas of the Entity which serve a different purpose.

Here's the First Look we received on-stream:

In Project T, players will assume the role of "Tresspassers", individuals torn from their own reality into a place known as the Backwater. Tresspassers must work together to stand a chance of escape, particularly because they're never alone.

The Thrall come in many different shapes, sizes, and forms, and have different abilities perfect to murdering anyone they find. Similar to the Withered Isle, the Backwater acts as a patchwork of different locals mashed together, forming an unnatural, unholy amalgamation of land which Tresspassers will have to fight, battle and claw their way out of to stand any chance of survival.

Also, there's a truck!

Project T is launching an "Insider Program", available through email and completely free to enter. This will include communication from the devs about how the development is going, as well as ample opportunities to provide feedback on the game, to shape it into something that people want to play. Also included are exclusive in-game rewards and the ability to join any closed playtests they may hold.

I'd genuinely suggest watching the above video, because some of the concept art there is genuinely jaw-droppingly stunning.

Project T has an official Discord server, and can be wishlisted on Steam, where more (WIP) images from the game can be seen.

THE 8TH ANNIVERSARY | Twisted Masquare, the Re-Up

Before the Masquerade

Like last year, in the run-up to the 8th Anniversary there will be several log-in rewards, including free-outfits. Each week will focus on a different few years of DBD's history, including sales on Characters and Outfits. Also each week is a Currency Boost.

Week 1 will feature a Bloodfest - a triple Bloodpoint multiplier, and the first time it has appeared since the 1st Anniversary (and the second time in history), running from May 14th - May 20th.

Week 2 will feature triple Rift Fragments, and will run from May 21st - May 27th

Week 3 will run from May 28th - June 3rd, and will feature Triple Player XP

Finally, after DnD officially releases on June 3rd, all matches will receive double XP and a Bloodhunt from June 4th - 13th.

Also included are some of the older Anniversary Charms.

The Mad Designer | Trix | Jezabel

This is Trix's world, and we're all just living in it.

Trix is the Mad Designer, finally unveiled.

She's throwing this party in the Entity's honour, probably as its biggest fan, and she's there pushing everyone to engage and celebrate another year of kills. She's not playable - yet - but we'll be seeing a lot more of her in the Trials this time round, including an updated interior of Father Campbell's Chapel, lobby, and decorated Trial Grounds. Also, she's just there giggling and insulting people.

Trix is bringing her Bag of Tricks to the party. As the match progresses, one of a series of Tricks will be played upon all players, from granting all players Haste to spawning Anniversary Totems. This happens whenever two "points" are accumulated throughout the match, with one played at the start of every Trial. Points are accumualted in several ways, including completing a generator and each survivors' first hook, up to a maximum of five per match. When a Trick is players, Trix will take the place of one of the dancing mannequins in the air.

The Invitation Offering has been further updated. No more must a charge be retained to gain a Mask! Survivors are now able to enter "Quiet Mode" outside of chase, which enables them to hide more effectively, including performing Rushed Actions as if Quick and Quiet was equipped. Killers can now use their Invitation ability to hook Survivors from afar. These are on top of, rather than replacing, the previous invitation effects.

Masks are now gained through completing Challenges in the Event Tome and gaining an Event Currency, similar to every other Event we've had this last year. Previous outfits and Masks will also be available in-store, although it's unknown if this is for Event Currency or not. For the first time, a Licenced Guest gains a mask with Detective Tapp.

(I can't help but notice a disturbing lack of David King for the third year in a row, despite remaining the only original Year 2 Survivor to not have one)

Also in the Event Tome are Community Challenges and some interesting lore surrounding The Observer and Trix. Plus, two new free outfits: one for William "Bill" Overbeck, and one for The Unknown.

On top of that, there's some Trix themed Charms, Banners, and Icons, and in the in-game Store an Anniversary-themed outfit for none other than The Pig.

As mentioned earlier, all event gameplay will take place within its own queue (though Core will share all of the decorations).

Finally, there's daily login rewards of Bloodpoints, Shards, Rift Fragments, and more, including a one-time login reward of enough Event Currency for one of the rewards.

LIVE QNA | EXCEPT I'M REPORTING IT LATE

Q: IN THE DND SEGMENT, YOU MENTIONED 2 BARDS IN ONE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

A: There is one Survivor, with the same perks, but their customisation is more similar to Legion than other Survivors (except maybe Ash). Their changeable elements are their Hair, Legs, and Head + Torso, with the final determining the Character's name, voice, and animations.

Q: HOW BIG OF AN IMPACT WILL THE "PROJECT T" INSIDER PROGRAMME HAVE ON THE ACTUAL GAME?

A: The team really want to make an open dev route to ensure it's a fun experience on launch, so feedback will be actively saught and actioned throughout every stage in development. In other words, a huge one.

Q: WILL WE SEE ANY EXISTING "DEAD BY DAYLIGHT" CHARACTERS IN "THE CASTING OF FRANK STONE"

A: Without spoiling anything, the game features a new cast of original characters and an all new story, but there are a tonne of easter eggs and lore tidbits linking to DBD

Q: IN 2V8 IT WAS MENTIONED THAT SURVIVORS WILL HAVE CLASSES, BUT NOT FOR KILLERS. WHAT WILL THIS MEAN AND WILL MORE KILLERS BE ADDED IN THE FUTURE?

A: Yes, of course more Killers will be added in the future. This is just the first iteration of the Mode, and when it comes around again it will be further developed. There's a possibility of a Class System for Killers, but that all depends on feedback.

Q: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GAME-MODE AND A GAME-MODIFIER?

A: A Modifier takes a typical Trial, and adjusts it slightly. A Mode is a fundamental change in the Trial.

Q: CAN I DUO WITH A FRIEND AS KILLER IN 2V8?

A: Absolutely.

Q: CAN WE PLAY 2 OF THE SAME KILLERS IN 2V8?

A: No.

Q: I DIDN'T GET MY BP FROM GRADE RESET, WHAT'S UP WITH THAT

A: The team are working on refunding missing Bloodpoints over the next few days, and thank you for your patience.

Q: CAN ACHIEVEMENTS AND TROPHIES BE EANRED IN THE 2V8 MODE?

A: Yes, but there are no specific 2v8 Achievements/Trophies.

Q: ARE THERE PLANS TO MAKE 2V8 PERMANENT?

A: In Year 9 it absolutely will not be, but when they feel it's ready and has had enough feedback, most likely.

Q: IS WHAT THE FOG COUCH CO-OP OR ONLINE CO-OP ONLINE?

A: What The Fog is Single-player or Online Co-Op only (once the website is back).

Q: WHO'S THE VA FOR VECNA (AND IS IT MATT MERCER?)

A: Indeed he is! Matt Mercer from Critical Role (and others) is the official VA for Vecna!

JUMPSCARE: IT'S CASTLEVANIA!

GBK, SIGNING OFF

That's all from me, I've given it a basic proof read but if you find any typos I'm sure you can keep them. Any additional information I'll add to the post and the comments.

I accept payment in the form of small photos of cows. I am totally normal about cows.