Dead by Daylight is much more chaotic now the limited-time 2v8 mode is underway.
DBD‘s new 2v8 mode shakes up the game massively, pitting two Killers against eight Survivors, and modifying many other aspects of gameplay. We’ve outlined everything you need to know about how DBD’s 2v8 mode works, including all the biggest changes.
DBD 2v8 mode, explained
Killers
2v8 mode features two Killers rather than just one, but the Killers you can choose from are limited. Developer Behaviour Interactive has said more Killers will be available in future iterations of the mode, but for now, you can only choose from the five original Killers.
Rather than having Perks, Killers have four set Skills that draw upon existing add-ons. Two of these Skills are team powers, called Killer Skills, which grant effects to both Killers (no matter who you play). Killers then have a Team Skill, which affects your chosen Killer and their teammate (unique to each Killer), and a final Innate Power that only applies to your chosen Killer.
Killer Skills
Here are the two set Killer Skills:
| Killer Skill | Ability |
|---|---|
| Killer Skill 1 | Upon entering a chase, the targeted Survivors are Revealed for five seconds, or until the other Killer is within 16 meters of the Survivor. |
| Killer Skill 2 | After kicking a generator, all Survivors within 20 meters are Revealed for five seconds. Increases the regression speed of generators by 200%. |
All Killer Innate Power and Team Skills
Below, you’ll find each Killer’s Innate Power (their usual power) and their unique Team Skill.
| Killer | Innate Power | Team Skill |
|---|---|---|
| The Trapper | Bear Trap | When a Bear Trap is placed or reset, both Killers gain 150 percent Haste for three seconds within 16 meters of the Bear Trap. |
| The Wraith | Wailing Bell | While cloaked within 16 meters of your teammate, they gain the Undetectable status effect. |
| The Huntress | Hunting Hatchets | Injuring a Survivor with a hatchet inflicts the Revealed status effect for five seconds. |
| The Hillbilly | Chainsaw | While in a chainsaw sprint, Survivors within 10 meters suffer from the Exposed status effect until the chainsaw sprint ends. |
| The Nurse | Blink | Gain an additional Blink while within 16 meters of your teammate. This additional Blink is lost when out of range. |
The good news for Killer mains is that you can now team up with a friend to play Killers together—friends who slay together stay together, after all.
Survivors
While all Survivors are available in DBD’s 2v8 game mode, they don’t have their usual Perks. Instead, Survivors have Classes that let them embody a specific role within the team. Survivor Classes are visible in the lobby and throughout the match, so you know what to expect from each player—and can keep an eye on that Nia that isn’t pulling her weight.
Here are all the Survivor Classes in DBD’s 2v8 mode and what their abilities are.
| Survivor Class | Ability 1 | Ability 2 | Ability 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medic | Grants nearby Survivors a heal boost | See auras of injured Survivors | Faster healing speed |
| Guide | Reveal your aura and the Generator’s aura to your team when repairing | See Generator auras | Great Skill Check progress boost |
| Scout | Reveal Killer aura when they break a pallet, wall, or damage a Generator | Reveal Killer’s aura when Killer is in your line of sight | Make no sound when injured |
| Escapist | Shared sprint burst | Reveal the auras of windows, breakables, and pallets | Run faster when injured |
Any Survivor can be any Class, meaning you could end up with a team of eight Medics—so some degree of coordination will likely be important.
You can team up with seven friends in the lobby to play Survivor (if you have seven friends), which would make coordination much easier.
Hooks are gone
DBD’s 2v8 mode doesn’t have hooks. Instead, Killers cage Survivors (like Pyramid Head does), and after three cages, Survivors are sacrificed. After two cage states Survivors can heal themselves (this self-heal counts as each Survivors’ fourth ability), but Survivors who haven’t been caged yet have their aura revealed to the Killers every time a Generator pops.
In addition, when a Survivor is uncaged, the Killer doesn’t get a loud noise notification, meaning they have a better chance of slipping away unnoticed and reset.
Hatches and Exit Gates have changed, too
DBD’s 2v8 mode has three Exit Gates rather than two, so Killers can’t just camp at the gates in the end game.
If you’re one of the two remaining Survivors left alive in this game mode, you need to find hatch. When the game reaches this point, three hatches spawn, but each only has one use. So, once a Survivor escapes through a Hatch, it closes, leaving the final player to find one of the other two remaining Hatches.
More generators to repair
A usual DBD match requires Survivors to repair five out of seven available Generators, but in 2v8 mode, Survivors must complete eight of 13 available Generators.
Bigger maps, but limited map pool
2v8 mode features just five maps in its pool, but these are larger versions of existing maps in order to accommodate the increased number of players.
Here are the maps available in 2v8 mode:
- Red Forest – Mother’s Dwelling
- Autohaven Wreckers – Azarov’s Resting Place
- Coldwind Farm – The Thompson House
- Crotus Penn Asylum – Disturbed Ward
- MacMillan Estate – Suffocation Pit
More chests
There are 20 chests in DBD’s 2v8 mode, which is perfect timing for those who have recently purchased Lara Croft.
Not permanent right now
Many players (including myself) have wondered (and hoped) that 2v8 mode will become a permanent addition to DBD, but Behaviour said it “can’t definitely answer that right now.” This is a “first iteration” of the mode, and the developer will continue to refine it. When the studio is happy with the mode, it’ll have that discussion.
