Dead by Daylight: Complete Guide

A practical guide to both sides of the Fog: objectives, chase and loop basics, killer fundamentals, perks and builds, progression, and what's new with Chorus of Sin and the 10.2.0 perk overhaul.

Researched September 2026 — current as of live patch 10.1.2 (plus the 10.1.2a hotfix, September 17) and the Chorus of Sin chapter (The Judgment, August 25, 2026). The 10.2.0 PTB (September 15–21) reworks 58 perks and is not live yet. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

1. Survivors win by escaping; killers win by sacrificing. Four survivors repair generators and escape through exit gates; the killer hooks them.
2. Five generators power the exit gates. There are more generators on the map than you need, so the killer can't guard them all.
3. Hitting skill checks matters. A missed skill check makes noise and costs progress. Great skill checks give bonus progress.
4. Each survivor has three hook stages. The third time on hook (or failing to escape the struggle phase) is death.
5. Loops (tiles) are how survivors survive chases. Learn to run around pallets and windows instead of running in open fields.
6. Pallets are limited. Dropping every pallet early leaves the map "dead" late game.
7. Killers: pressure, not tunnel vision. Hook, then check generators. Chasing one survivor for minutes loses games.
8. Bloodpoints feed your progression. Spend them in the Bloodweb to unlock perks, items and add-ons, and prestige characters to unlock teachable perks for everyone.
9. Learn one killer and one survivor build first. The game has dozens of killers; mastery of one beats dabbling in ten.
10. Enter redeem codes. Behaviour frequently releases codes for free Bloodpoints and charms.

How a Match Works

Key survivor statuses: Injured (one more hit downs you), Deep Wound (bleeding out, must mend), Exhausted (blocks exhaustion perks), Broken (can't heal), Mangled (slower healing), Endurance (survive a hit that would down you), Haste (faster movement), Hindered (slower movement).

Survivor Fundamentals

Chase

• Hold W and look for the next tile. The pattern is: run to a strong loop, loop until the killer commits, drop the pallet or vault, then move to the next loop.
• Pallets: drop them before the killer gets a hit, not after. Pre-dropping at the wrong time wastes them.
• Windows: fast vaults need you to be sprinting into them straight. Use windows before they get blocked by the Entity.
• Break line of sight. Stealth and mindgames around tall objects make killers lose you.
• Know the map. Main buildings (like Shack or a main building) usually have strong loops.

Objectives

• Split up on generators so the killer can't pressure several survivors at once.
• Save teammates from hook when it's safe. Unhook when the killer is far away or when you're prepared to take a protection hit.
• Heal efficiently. Don't heal in the middle of the map where the killer can find you.
• Use totems wisely. Cleansing dull totems can prevent Hex perks from ever activating; cleanse Hex totems you find.

Solo queue and the new intent system

The 10.2.0 PTB introduces a Survivor Intent System that lets solo-queue survivors send short preset messages mid-match. It's on the PTB now (September 2026) and should reach live with 10.2.0; it launches enabled by default with muting protections.

Killer Fundamentals

Pressure

• Patrol generators and interrupt progress. Every second survivors aren't repairing is a win.
• Hook and move. Staying near a hook ("camping") is inefficient and the game's anti-camp system rewards survivors when you do it.
• Chase for a reasonable time. If a chase drags on, break it and find an easier target.
• Defend a 3-gen: late in the game, protect three close generators so survivors can't finish.

Chase

• Mindgame loops instead of running them the survivor's way. Stop, reverse, and pressure pallets.
• Break pallets that survivors can use repeatedly. Leave ones that are weak.
• Use your power as the main tool; most killers are designed to end chases with it.

Picking a killer

The Judgment (Chorus of Sin, August 25, 2026) is the newest original killer and the game's first community-voted chapter. It moves at 110% (4.4 m/s) with a 32-meter terror radius. Its power, Will of the Gods, casts a column of Divine Light that damages survivors and inflicts the Heresy affliction. After sending a survivor to Exile, it enters Zealous mode for 60 seconds with a bigger, longer-lasting and faster-cooling Divine Light.

Perks and Builds

Every character has three unique perks. Once a character reaches the right level, their perks become teachable for everyone else.

New Chorus of Sin perks

The Judgment (killer):

• Celestial Witness — periodically reveals the Obsession's aura for a few seconds when they're far away (40+ metres).
• Hex: Under Your Thumb — activates on a random totem when a survivor reaches a hook state; caps survivor Haste and reveals survivors who gain Haste nearby.
• Lay Waste — damaging generators increases regression speed, with a cooldown.

Aurora Stardotter (survivor):

• Boon: Steadfast — a blessed totem that slows generator regression, boosts repair speed and shows generator auras nearby.
• Fruits of Your Labor — earn tokens on generator completions; finishing a generator later grants Haste and healing progress.
• Salvation's Cry — when you're chased, you briefly see other survivors' auras and they see your and the killer's aura.

Build ideas (as of 10.1.x)

Survivor staples: an exhaustion perk for chases (Sprint Burst, Lithe, Dead Hard, Overcome), an info perk (Kindred, Windows of Opportunity, Bond), and a second-chance or anti-tunnel perk (Decisive Strike, Off the Record, Adrenaline).

Killer staples: a generator slowdown perk (Grim Embrace, Pain Resonance, Deadlock, Lay Waste), an info perk (Lethal Pursuer, Barbecue & Chili, Nowhere to Hide), and a chase or anti-loop perk (Bamboozle, Brutal Strength).

Big warning: the 10.2.0 PTB touches 58 perks (27 killer, 31 survivor), with 12 full reworks: Hex: Thrill of the Hunt, Shattered Hope and Undone on killer; Borrowed Time, Down to the Last, Premonition, Road Life, Slippery Meat, Small Game, Spine Chill, Stake Out and Windows of Opportunity on survivor. Agitation, Iron Grasp and This Is Not Happening also get buffs. Borrowed Time and Windows of Opportunity are in many builds, so expect to rebuild. Behaviour hasn't confirmed the live date. Revisit your builds when 10.2.0 lands.

Progression and Currencies

• Prestige characters to unlock their teachable perks, the cosmetic prestige rewards, and extra perk tiers. Prestige goes up to 100.
• Buy licensed characters with Auric Cells or cheaper original killers/survivors with Iridescent Shards (licensed characters usually can't be bought with shards).
• Offerings like Bloody Party Streamers boost Bloodpoints for the whole lobby.

Game Modes and Events

• Standard 1v4 — the core experience.
• 2v8 — two killers versus eight survivors in a limited-time mode. The September 8–29, 2026 run adds the Xenomorph as a playable 2v8 killer for the first time.
• Tome and Rift events — seasonal challenges and cosmetics.
• Custom games — practice loops with friends.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Running into the open during a chase. Always head for a tile.
• Dropping pallets too early or too late.
• Unhooking right in front of the killer. Wait for the killer to leave or to commit to a chase.
• Healing at the start of a chase. Heal after you lose the killer.
• Killers camping and tunneling as a strategy against good players — it tends to lose generators fast.
• Ignoring totems. Hex perks can dominate a match if nobody cleanses.
• Spending Bloodpoints on random characters. Prestige the characters whose perks you want to teach.

Advanced Tips

• Tile knowledge: learn which loops are safe and which aren't; killers should kick pallets on unsafe tiles only when it matters.
• Chase timing: as survivor, the longer you keep a killer busy, the more generators your team finishes. As killer, cap chases and move on.
• Pressure 3-gens early by leaving generators that are far apart and focusing on the cluster.
• Use audio: listen for heartbeat, breathing, and failed skill checks. Good headphones win games.
• Scout the map at the start of a trial to plan pallets and windows.
• Practice killers in custom games or with friends before ranked-style matchmaking.

FAQ

What's the newest Dead by Daylight chapter? Chorus of Sin, released August 25, 2026, with The Judgment (killer) and Aurora Stardotter (survivor). It's the first community-voted chapter.

What's the current patch? Live is 10.1.2, with the 10.1.2a hotfix on September 17, 2026. The 10.2.0 PTB ran September 15–21 with 58 perk changes and the Survivor Intent System.

Is 2v8 back? Yes, it runs September 8–29, 2026 and adds the Xenomorph as a playable killer. After that, watch the in-game news for the next return.

What killer should I learn first? The Trapper or The Wraith teaches fundamentals. The Huntress is great if you like aiming.

How do I get free Bloodpoints? Redeem Behaviour's promotional codes in the store, use Bloody Party Streamers, and play during Bloodpoint bonus events.

How many generators do survivors need to repair? Five. More are spawned on the map than needed.

Sources

• Official Dead by Daylight Wiki — The Judgment
• Official Dead by Daylight Wiki — Chorus of Sin
• Official Dead by Daylight Wiki — Patches
• Timesaver.gg — DBD Patch Notes 10.2.0
• Timesaver.gg — DBD 10.2.0 perk changes
• LeaksByDaylight — angel-inspired chapter and 2v8 with Alien
• Dead by Daylight — Chapters