Dead by Daylight dev outlines changes to HUD, graphics and more in this latest update

The logo Dead by Daylight
(Image credit: Behaviour Studios)

Behaviour Interactive - the studio behind Dead by Daylight - has outlined changes coming to the tense survival game, including improvements to the graphics and HUD.

In a developer update (thanks, VG24/7), the studio said it was "ready to kick [2021] off in a big way" and then detailed how The Clown can expect the new Afterpiece Antidote from Mid-Chapter, which offers a 10 per cent movement speed bonus, as well as cure any negatives effects from the Afterpiece Tonic. Reloading bottles has been chopped from five to three seconds, too.

"After four years of additions, we felt that it was time to rebuild [the HUD] from the ground up," the team said, and then detailed key changes, including the new "clean and familiar" layout which now includes character portraits, hook counter and progress, plus UI scale options for the first time, too, to enable players to customise the size of the HUD.

Other changes include more realistic survivor animations, and the studio teased that matchmaking ratings are "returning in the near future", as well as rank rewards and other QoL improvements, including tweaks to the game's perks Diversions, Fixated, Hex: Undying, Iron Maiden, Open Handed, and Second Wind.

“Since ranks will no longer be used for matchmaking, they will instead be repurposed to reward dedicated players. Each month, everyone will be given Bloodpoints based on the highest rank they’ve reached and then be reset to rank 20,” the developer explained.

Dead By Daylight first came out in 2016 and it's steadily grown ever since, adding everything from new stages to Pyramid Head from Silent Hill. These updates will ensure the 4v1 horror game is ready to continue even beyond the new console generation, as Dead by Daylight had next-gen versions ready to go when the PS5 and Xbox Series X launched at the end of 2019. 

If you were planning on picking up Dead By Daylight on next-gen hardware but are still struggling to lay your hands on a new system, check out our rundown of Xbox Series X deals and PS5 deals.

Spooky season might be over, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy some of the best horror games out there.

Vikki Blake
Weekend Reporter, GamesRadar+

Vikki Blake is GamesRadar+'s Weekend Reporter. Vikki works tirelessly to ensure that you have something to read on the days of the week beginning with 'S', and can also be found contributing to outlets including the BBC, Eurogamer, and GameIndustry.biz. Vikki also runs a weekly games column at NME, and can be frequently found talking about Destiny 2 and Silent Hill on Twitter.