Hello, People of the Fog.
Think you know what a traditional Dead by Daylight chapter looks like? Think again. With our latest release, we’re taking a hard left off the classic horror highway to explore the world of K-Pop. And while the colors may be a little brighter on the surface, in true Dead by Daylight form, that just means there’s an even deeper darkness lurking below. Creative Director Dave Richard shares his thoughts on All-Kill and pushing the boundaries of the game’s aesthetic.
Associate Brand Manager Thomas Carpentier: Was K-Pop always the intended theme, or was the goal to explore the music industry as a whole?
Creative Director Dave Richard: K-Pop was the main inspiration for the All-Kill Chapter since Day 1. We always try to explore new things in the game, whether that’s with characters, themes, perks… The vibrant and highly polished aesthetic of K-pop culture juxtaposed with Dead by Daylight’s sick, grim world is alluring. We saw it as an opportunity to expand the creative space within our universe and managed to work with industry experts such as Producer DJ Swivel and K-Pop idol Kevin Woo to make sure that we remained as authentic as we could be. The name of the Chapter itself is a reference to the K-Pop industry and refers to the moment when a song or album simultaneously reaches #1 on all eight K-Pop charts. I can honestly say that the whole development team had a blast working on this Chapter.
Carpentier: Who is The Trickster, the new playable Killer?
Richard: The Trickster, whose real name is Ji-Woon Hak, is a crazed idol that loves killing just a bit more than he loves his fans’ adoration. Just like his performances on stage, he kills with showmanship and extravagance. The Trickster brings a new adrenaline-pumping gameplay mechanic called “Showstopper.” Players can quickly and accurately throw a flurry of sharp blades from a distance – talk about a killer move! Additionally, The Trickster’s three unique perks allow him to promptly down would-be rescuers and block areas of the map to his advantage. We’re super happy about how the character plays and we can’t wait to see what you guys will do with him.
Carpentier: Can you tell us more about Yun-Jin, the new Survivor?
Richard: Yun-Jin Lee is The Trickster’s ambitious producer. When she was younger, she failed an audition to become an idol trainee for the renowned record label Mightee One Entertainment. Working behind the scenes she still managed to create some of the studio’s biggest hits, working her way up until she became Jin-Woon Hak’s producer. She is fabulously stylish and will leave any who hinder her career in the dust. Her three unique perks are interesting for lone-wolf players, which really fits her strong, capable, personality. They focus on giving a bonus to Yun-Jin when other Survivors are in trouble.
Carpentier: How does the relationship between the Killer and the Survivor represents DbD’ storytelling evolution?
Richard: We wanted to have both characters deeply rooted in the K-Pop universe, and thus they are directly linked. It is the first time that an original Killer and Survivor actually knew each other and had a connected story before being taken by The Entity. It brings the horror to a personal level and creates an interesting dynamic in their relationship as one fuels the other. This specific relationship gave us lots of opportunities storytelling-wise and we are eager to continue working this way for the game’s next Chapters.
That’s it for today, folks. It’s been a thrill working on the All-Kill Chapter and we can’t wait for you to get your hands on it and feel the same vibe. Are you ready to put on a show? Let’s find out!
Dead by Daylight: Special Edition
Behaviour Digital Inc.
Dead by Daylight is a multiplayer (4vs1) horror game where one player takes on the role of the savage Killer, and the other four players play as Survivors, trying to escape the Killer and avoid being caught, tortured and killed.
Survivors play in third-person and have the advantage of better situational awareness. The Killer plays in first-person and is more focused on their prey.
The Survivors’ goal in each encounter is to escape the Killing Ground without getting caught by the Killer – something that sounds easier than it is, especially when the environment changes every time you play.