Dead by Daylight 2v8 Mode is helping fans convince their friends to play

Behaviour Interactive released Dead by Daylight 2v8 Mode as a limited-time event to gauge player interest and gather feedback for future iterations. Interestingly, the game mode has managed to achieve something players haven’t been able to in the eight years the game has been out: Getting their friends to play.

Players on the Dead by Daylight subreddit have been discussing the two recent in-game events at length, and I was surprised to see so many of them talking about how 2v8 Mode got their close friends and significant others to finally try the game they love so much. User Westagro puts it best. “I finally talked my friend into playing this game again, and we played for about 4 hours (we played 8 games). We both hate playing Survivor, so this is the best game mod that could ever be in this game, and I’m not even mad about that the killers don’t have bonus blood points because it’s so fun.”

Killers together forever

I also love Dstryl’s comment because it gives me hope of getting my wife to play Dead by Daylight with me one day: “Same, it’s the only way I can convince my gf to play dbd with me in 2v8.” When you enjoy something, you want to share it with your close friends and partner, but that’s impossible if they can’t enjoy it because the game is designed to terrify them.

Dead by Daylight isn’t your traditional sort of co-op experience. In fact, if you’re playing as the Killer, it’s very much a single-player game. However, there are four Survivors and one Killer in every Trial, so friends can play together if they create a lobby of Survivors.

The trouble is, Dead by Daylight is an intense asymmetrical horror game that isn’t easy on the nerves. You’re constantly hunted, and the in-game music and sounds of the Killers are designed to make you panic and scream. That type of gameplay just isn’t for everyone.

2v8 mode flips the experience for two players, allowing them to team up as Killers, which isn’t scary at all. When you switch from being the hunter to the hunter, it makes the game a lot more enjoyable for those who hate the fear of something or someone watching and waiting for them in the bushes so they can pounce.

I’m sure Behaviour Interactive anticipated this reaction to some degree, but the game still isn’t as geared towards a co-op experience as it could be. I think that’s deliberate, though, because in-game voice chat and other co-op quality-of-life improvements would dampen the horror, which is what Dead by Daylight has been and should always be about.