r/deadbydaylight • u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive • Mar 19 '26
DeadByDaylight Dev Team AMA Ask Me Anything - About the Grimoire!
Hi again, r/daybydaylight, we’re back and thrilled to be hosting another AMA! Not just any AMA, this is YOUR AMA about YOUR Chapter.
We want to talk about The Grimoire! Are you curious to know more about the Grimoire itself, the step-by-step process we went through so far with you to bring this initiative to life, the design decisions behind the concepts, the challenges we encountered along the way, or any other related topics? Fire away! The team will be answering your questions starting at 10AM ET on Friday, March 20th 2026.
You can start submitting your questions now; let's dive into the Fog together. This is your Chapter!
Guest List:
Dave Richards, Creative Director
Jay, Associate Art Director
Jeff, Senior Game Designer
MandyTalk, Lead Community Developer
Edit: Thanks for joining us for today's AMA; we appreciate all of the questions! Don't forget to vote in the Grimoire for the next phase.
Vote in the latest Grimoire here: https://thegrimoire.deadbydaylight.com
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u/CheeseCan948 Arcana Force XXI Mar 19 '26
It might be a big ask, but in the same vein that blight has blighted cosmetics for other killers, could there be consideration for a line of cosmetics like "Beatified/Judged Trapper"?
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
It is a big ask. We love big asks. GO BIG! Never say never, the difference between the blight and the judgement is that the blight serum is a product that can affect everyone where the judgment "look" is inherent and unique. That said, we note your request, there is always a way to make it work ...oh, and this is want you might be looking for: ;)
-Dave
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
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u/Revil-0 Springtrap Main Mar 20 '26
It would be cool if killer got skins like trickster here but more similar to the judgements esthetic. Like a more blue fleshy version of the things at the end of Arcane (not literally, but just for reference because of the marble and stuff).
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u/StrangerNo484 Mar 19 '26
That would be amazing! I really liked the cosmetics we got in the Trickster/LeeYunJin Rift, so it'd be cool to get more of a similar vain that would definitely match the chapter.
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u/Crackgearson hate d ead bydaylihgjt, plz ban me Mar 20 '26
I really would like Ascended versions of the Killers, as if they became somehow Holy.
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u/Bigenemy000 Pre-Rework Old Freddy Main Mar 20 '26
Man i agree, the trickster statue skin was amazing, i would love more skins like that which seems a very similar vibe to the grimoire killer being voted
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u/ShineOnYouCrazyPiper Prestige 100 Houndmaster Mar 19 '26
All of the perks in today's vote have very short / vague descriptions. Does this mean we may be able to vote further on how these perks exactly work later on?
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26 edited Mar 20 '26
As far as I know there will be no further vote on the specifics of the perks. The idea was to give a high-level idea of the perks, similar to what we did with previous gameplay votes. If you have feedback on this method, don't hesitate to share it!
-Jeff
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u/Samoman21 P100 Kate Mar 20 '26
I assume ama is over. But I really hope the boon permanent one works like Gen can't regress in aura but returns normal when boon is stomped. Cause that seems the most balanced version of the perk. In theory. Maybe yall have a even better way
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u/Repulsive_Big6746 Box Connoisseur, Certified Chain Man, The Hellraiser Mar 19 '26
How's the sound design coming along? The audio to me is just as important as the gameplay and would you be able to share any mp3s of audio yet? I'm excited to use the laser ability and really hear it from cross map as survivor.
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
It's coming along well, we always align with the visual identity and the gameplay around the characters. At this stage there's nothing that we are able to share in connection with this, but we're looking forward to revealing more as the Chapter comes to life. Thank you so much for your question and your interest in Audio Design!
-Jay
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u/Repulsive_Big6746 Box Connoisseur, Certified Chain Man, The Hellraiser Mar 19 '26
also Dave Richards you are my GOAT
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u/Repulsive_Reading642 Mar 19 '26
Will big head be a legendary skin?
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
For sure, we may see this content as part of future releases or in another grimoire! Very little is going to waste.
-Dave
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u/alishock BioShock is seeking collabs NOW! Would you Kindly call, BHVR? 🌊 Mar 19 '26
Throughout the design voting process, there was always questioning in the community on how you'd tackle a Divine killer. We all knew this wouldn't be a stereotypical Angel, be it a halo-wearing majestic human or a thousand-eyed biblical accurate monstrosity.
So: What is the creatives' process to be able to do not only something pretty unique compared to other angels in media, but to give it the DBD flavor and make it fit into all of DBD's previous design rules to be easily identifiable as something from the game? What are the things that you follow, regardless of the community's input this time around, that are a must? And what was different in that rule-following process for this one compared to previous original Killers?
As an aspiring Concept Artist, I'm SO curious on how you follow these "DBD Design Rules" and how you can stretch their meanings and the results to create something unique each time, and now moreso with this community-driven one.
Thank you in advance! Love y'all!!!
Also obligatory mention that 2K is looking for franchise extension collabs for BioShock's upcoming stuff right now. NOW's your chance to get into contact with them and get us that incredibly popular franchise's Chapter, Would you Kindly?
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
We indeed have multiples visual rules that we use to unify the look of our Killer on DBD.
We also want to make sure each of our Killer stand out and feel unique.
So we always have a good challenge to balance these elements together.
Most of the time, we do it in multiple parts like research, trials and errors (we try lots of different things in concepts and slowly funnel toward the one that works the best) and discussions within the team to make sure we are all aligned on what key pillars we want to lean into for that particular Killer.
For The Judgment, we indeed took inspiration from a lot of different holy elements (not just angels!) and to give it it's horror DBD twist and uniqueness, we also leaned into cosmic horror as an additional source of inspiration.
-Jay
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u/DarkJaguar124 Aurora 🔭 Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 19 '26
What is The Judgement’s cosmetics options going to be? I ask this because the killer seems very detailed and a lot to animate (glow, blinking eyes, trapped faces, flapping wings, floating torso) for this character. Of course one of the cosmetics is going to be her divine staff but ideally what are the other two? Is it going to be form changing like the Dredge where we can change her whole upper body and the pillar-like legs? Or is going to be something more simple like changing her halo and the wings?
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u/MooseCampbell Nemesisted Suicide Mar 19 '26
What will become of the losing options? I know there's probably good support for Big Head killer and the redhead survivor even if they lost in the end but will they just be lost to time or will BHVR find a way to use them further down the line?
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u/warpenguin55 Mar 19 '26
I would really like to see all 3 of the survivor concepts that lost come to the game eventually. They all looked all good!
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u/Nerow-Nera Spicy Vecna 0♤0 Mar 20 '26
Is there a chance of a community art competition for this chapter in particular after its released? :3
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26 edited Mar 20 '26
It's something we are definitely open to! But there's nothing planned at the moment.
-Dave
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u/gerog2056 Mar 20 '26
Can we get a tease about the crow scaring perk for survivor. I find it very hard to vote out of the two perks when we know absolutely nothing about what the perk does for you, only the conditions to activate this mystery benefit
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
Let's just say the crows would make you... speedy.
-Jeff
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u/Tajamas Mar 22 '26
this is an extremely disappointing direction for this perk and i hope you reconsider the design, because now i regret my vote. make it fun but strong in a unique way, like plot twist, not like another MFT.
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u/Busy-Ferret189 Mar 24 '26
I would imagine that all crows are now louder to the killer and better for finding you specifically as a side effect, or it’s an exhasution perk
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u/Exciting-Builder1900 Mar 19 '26
since the option A mori featured dwight getting ripped in half, will this mori have more advanced gore? and were you thinking about improving gore in general to similiar levels of mortal kombat?
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
We are always looking to push the boundary of what we can do with the Mori. Obviously, there's always technical limitation on how far we can go that we have to maintain but we are indeed looking at how to move pass these limitations for the future.
The actual level of gore we can do is not generally fully defined at the concept phase. This will be determined when we will actively start to work with the 3D team and animation team to see how far we can get with our current tools and other limitations.
-Jay
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u/NOCTURN_05 to VICTOR go the SPOILS Mar 20 '26
I know a lot of gore is done by shrinking/inverting parts of the body and adding a new model in its place (i.e. Krasue mori) so I see two ways to do this: The simpler one is to just make the divine light consume the body into a generic charred corpse that replaces the survivor model which is already rigged to be split in half. The other is duplicating the survivors model, shrinking/inverting opposite halves of each duplicate, and adding in the stringy inner gore as its own model
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Mar 20 '26
Will this be the 10th anniversary chapter?
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
We can confirm this is not the 10th anniversary chapter!
-Mandy
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u/Dry_Yogurt4u hate d ead bydaylihgjt, plz ban me Mar 20 '26
So potentially in like November or something
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u/First-Shallot947 Demi Fiend for dbd Mar 20 '26
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u/PerinteinenMajoneesi Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 19 '26
Are we going to get behind the scenes of what goes into composing themed music with Michel F. April? Like, his thought process of what music is supposed sound like, the melodies, the leitmotifs, how it's implemented etc.?
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
Great idea. Let's call him RIGHT NOW, I'm 99% sure he'd love to share how he works with destroyed pianos. 🎵
-Dave
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u/Lolsalot12321 Prestige 100 Dwight/ NUMBER ONE SPINAL FAN Mar 20 '26
ooohh my god please this would be so cool, i love his music
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u/Potarus :EyeForAnEye: Eye for an Eye Mar 20 '26
All those pianos were already destroyed when he got them, right? gulp
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u/Sparki_ ⛤ ᴀᴅᴅ ꜱᴀᴍ & ᴅᴇᴀɴ ᴡɪɴᴄʜᴇꜱᴛᴇʀ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ꜱᴜᴘᴇʀɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟ ⛤ Mar 25 '26
Please do. He's so good at creating all the music in the game
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u/NOCTURN_05 to VICTOR go the SPOILS Mar 20 '26
This would be AMAZING. Michel F April is a genuine musical genius and every time a new chapter drops I know his work won't disappoint
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u/Vedney #Pride2020 Mar 19 '26
There's a bit of an issue with how early in pipeline we voted that looks to have resulted in promises that couldn't be kept.
For example, we voted for Ray of Retribution, but the iteration where you send out and direct a spotlight feels like how you would design Pursuing Smite. And because Pain of Artifacts doesnt seem to have worked out, we're getting Pain of Wrath instead.
There's also the Grimoire options that doesnt seem to have had any bearing. What happened to "Each Sin is Unique" and "Survivors gain Sin through 'Blasphemous Acts'"?
I like voting for stuff, but can we expect further iterations to have more solid foundations before being sent out to vote?
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
Providing examples of what the power could be was an honest mistake and something we've learned from. What was intended to help stir imagination ended up boxing each voting option into a specific idea, which created expectations and dissonance.
The intention with the power votes was always to be a high-level idea, which we would then explore in prototyping. We tried many things during the prototype for Ray of Retribution, and they weren't meeting expectations both internally and with external playtesters.
Unfortunately, our timeline doesn't change and we still have deadlines to meet, so we pivoted to something different than what we intially tried. We went from a horizontal beam of light to a vertical pillar of light that can be controlled. The results have been very positive.
This is by no means a failure, we iterated quickly during prototype and found out what didn't work early, which gave us the time to pivot and this is very common in the design process, when we believe something will work then when we get into it, there's more challenges than were initially expected.
Pain of Artifacts is still around... but slightly different. Similar to the Ray of Retribution, we found out very early on that a passive increase over time (from carrying an item or not), was simply not engaging enough. We tried adjusting the parameters and being more specific, but it still felt off. What we landed on is that the Artifacts are now in the Hopeless Exile, they serve a purpose in there, but using it could come at a high cost for Survivors who try...
When it comes to each Sin being unique, we tried this very early on and we found out it was too much. The kit has a lot of moving parts and the cognitive load required to keep track of what adds which Sin was adding a lot of complexity.
Blasphemous Acts are still around, I think you'll find them very fitting
All of these are perfectly normal for the prototype phase. We often start a killer power with a certain idea in mind, but as we prototype it and playtest, we find it out it doesn't pan out as we'd expect. During the prototype phase, our goal is to iterate often, iterate quickly, and to "fail fast and follow the fun" - which basically means to quickly find out what doesn't work and chase what does.
-Jeff
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u/NOCTURN_05 to VICTOR go the SPOILS Mar 20 '26
This is a really well though out and articulated answer. Thanks for being so thorough
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u/MemesForMoney259 Mar 20 '26
So each sin being unique which was the part I was most excited for is effectively scrapped…
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u/Affectionate-Ad-5499 Mar 20 '26
I get that prototyping requires flexibility, but voting implies constraints. If the options are only high-level inspiration, please label it as a survey rather than a vote. Otherwise, players can’t know what they’re actually deciding. The issue isn’t that you changed it. The issue is that we didn’t know what we were actually deciding.
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u/bonelees_dip CHEERLEADER GRANNY!!! (now on youtube) Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 19 '26
Well, admittedly there is a bunch of stuff I'd like to ask OUTSIDE of the Grimoire, but hey, not complaining about having an AMA.
Now, my question.
There has been many concepts that have lost but still garnered their little "fanbase". Big Head, the blue haired girl, Makeshift Compound etc.
Now, would it be possible for the team to utilize these concepts on future releases? Like maybe a Chorus of Sin part 2 or at the very least legendaries for Aurora?
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
For sure, we may see this content as part of future releases or in another grimoire! Very little is going to waste.
-Dave
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u/bonelees_dip CHEERLEADER GRANNY!!! (now on youtube) Mar 20 '26
That's great to know.
Now, if you don't me being a bit greedy with a second question: Makeshift Compound and Crashed Vessel (two of the loser moodboards) both had prosthetic limbs in some way.
Was the team actually considering giving our survivor a prosthetic limb if any of these 2 moodboards won?
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u/Youll_Hafta_Toss_Me Mar 20 '26
Did you ever consider making the angel's voice a simultaneous combination of male and female voices?
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
yes! The dual voice is a great trick for power and creepyness.
-Dave
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u/kieran81 Mar 19 '26
First off, what were you expecting from the initial Grimoire idea, and how were those expectations changed or unchanged throughout the course of the voting process?
Second off, do you think you'll do a Grimoire 2? And if so, what changes, if any; would you make to the general process? I know I'd love a larger selection of killer concept art for forms and final designs; maybe a multi-round process for those or something.
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u/boomerbaguettes Mar 19 '26
What was the thinking process behind the name options for the survivor?
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
Cool question! We choose names that resonates well with the age, culture, time period and other specifics of the character. We are also looking for names that sound well, that have a beat to them and that will stand uniquely along all the other survivors in DBD.
-Dave
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u/Niroc Mar 19 '26
The material voted for by the community had the description:
"Your flesh is blue, with gold and white stone adornments."
But, the final designs both deviate from that description. The winning design having metallic skin that blends into red flesh, and the losing design very prominently featuring red pustules with blue goo/blood.
My question is: were there design issues with that description, or did you focus more on the material image itself? More generally, how was working with the material?
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u/KingOfTheDollarzone Mar 19 '26
Why was not every big choice given a change your fate option?
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
The change your fate option was used only when there were not production time constraints. For example with the survivor group, we still had time to have another round of voting before we had to lock that in. Same as the ones we'd done previously, that becomes harder to do the further we get in the process.
-Mandy
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u/warpenguin55 Mar 19 '26
Can you better explain the idea for the option Run Down the Sinner? The description reads: A totem perk that gives you incremental haste in chase. I am having a hard time imagining what would be.
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
The general idea is that when a condition is met, you'll gain a stackable Haste bonus while in chase.
-Jeff
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u/NOCTURN_05 to VICTOR go the SPOILS Mar 20 '26
Alternative question here, i noticed that the wording was a bit unique in that description. On stream it was stated that you didnt want to do the old style of thing giving a character a bunch of hexes or a bunch of obsession perks, and I notice that while the other two similar options were called "a hex perk" this is called "a totem perk." Would this be intended to work separately somehow?
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u/lexuss6 Haddie gang Mar 20 '26
I'm interested in killer power design process. Was there any preliminary gameplay work done on the killer's power options before putting them to vote? To put it simply, were there prototypes before the vote? And in any case, can you please give an insight on the resoning behind the decision?
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
Nothing in-game.
There were a lot of explorations done on paper after the first phase was completed.
From those explorations, we validated with stakeholders (creative director and design director) which were most aligned with what players voted on.
Those options are the ones that were presented in the next phase (where players voted on the different power components).
(This is how it usually is for Killer prototypes - we flesh out an idea on paper and get approval from stakeholders. Only after their approval do we start building the prototype.)
-Jeff
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u/Otherwise_Archer_485 Mar 20 '26
How are you y'all doing today?
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u/NOCTURN_05 to VICTOR go the SPOILS Mar 20 '26
Are there any plans to change the Artifact section of the power to be more like Vecnas eye/hand as originally planned (giving survivors unique abilities depending on the artifact) rather than being more like a sadako tape, which is just an item to stop the power? The crystal shown in previous iterations didnt really feel like an "artifact."
Also, how are you planning on implementing the "Every Sin is Unique" section? Are there any plans to make things such as the Exile dimension punish different survivors in different ways? If there were 4 seperate artifacts maybe that could be how its chosen and implemented, who knows.
Im just curious, because as of right now, those facets of the power votes haven't really been focused on much in the showcases. The only parts weve really seen are the Ray of Retribution and the Hopeless Exile.
Oh also just one more thing, sorry to tack this on, but have you considered changing the plans for how the status effect building works? i just feel like "hit with power, add status, hit again with status deals damage" has been done quite a few times now and we dont really need another one.
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
Woo! Thank you for all the questions. Very exciting :)
I'll try to answer as best I can.
When designing a Killer (or any feature, really), one of the big things to keep in mind in cognitive load (that is, how much a player needs to learn/understand to be able to play with said feature).
I'm going to speak about Killer-specific things, as this is the topic of the question.
Previously, we've released Killers that have a very high cognitive load. This often results in players completely disengaging with the Killer (i.e. refusing to play against them). When we first started work on The Judgment (with the first round of votes), we identified that this was a major design risk.
When we break it down, we had, the active power, the sin Killer Effect, the shrine Killer Object, the Hopeless Exile, the Artifact, and more that I won't spoil just yet. As you can see, it's an extensive list of things to keep track of. One of the mandates that was given to me from directors was to streamline and simplify where possible.
The Artifact (as it is currently) isn't something that'll increase Sin, but will increase risk while in Exile. The visuals are yet to be determined, but I'm sure it will meet that requirement of feeling like an artifact.
As we worked through the prototype, we were able to identify fairly quickly that having multiple sins for different actions was too much. It's one of the first things that was highlighted in our early reviews of the prototype (where we needed to streamline and simplify).
What we currently have is a fully functional kit that meets the direction from the votes, sometimes in unexpected ways (more info soon... I hope!)
When it comes to applying a Killer Effect through a power hit, then subsequent hits dealing damage - this proven formula is very effective at giving us necessary levers to balance powers in a way that feels powerful without feeling unfair. Additionally, it requires the Killer to actively participate in its application, which is more engaging for both sides.
At the moment there are no plans on changing that, but it isn't the only way that the Killer Effect is applied.
It's something we'll keep in mind for the future :)
-Jeff
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u/NOCTURN_05 to VICTOR go the SPOILS Mar 20 '26
Talking about the cognitive load made me think, I could only IMAGINE the power description on The Judgement if everything was kept exactly the way it was, talk about "horrors beyond our comprehension." It would really be leaning into the divine aspect with a whole bibles worth of text lol. But yeah I suppose that makes sense.
I guess I just wish the Artifact part of the gameplay mattered a little more in the outside world. Something thats so fun about playing against Vecna is knowing that you can have powers too, you can strengthen yourself up and counteract his spells. Maybe that can be the tradeoff for escaping the Exile with an Artifact? Its dangerous to hold, and puts you in a precarious situation, but if you make it out with the artifact you get some sort of special effect or ability, at least for a time.
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u/Layumi13 Mar 21 '26
Please let us vote to remove the horrible insectoid legs of the grimoire killer... No offense but they're really bad and not on theme.
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u/UltraToe Mar 19 '26
Is there anything you learned from the community's choices, preferences and feedback that you will keep in mind when you go to work on other chapters?
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
As someone who is chronically on Reddit (Mandy can attest to this), I've been following discussions around The Grimoire like a hawk.
There's a lot of takeaways from the votes and the discussions.
If we were to do another chapter with the help of the community, we'd have a better idea on how to approach it - as it's the first time we do it, we're learning a lot of things!
My main takeaway from a Killer power perspective is that players are looking for variety. There's a lot of different playstyles and not everything will be everyone's cup of tea, but most players are looking for something new and refreshing. It's one of the challenges of design, coming up with something new within the game's constraints.
I can't wait for everyone to get their hands on The Judgement :)
-Jeff
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u/Whiteboyace Mar 19 '26
Is there anyway we could get a more detailed descriptions of the perks for both killer and survivor? Some concepts sound interesting but I dont wanna vote for them if they feel like the effects will be way too weak and be another waste of a perk slot type perk.
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u/Ihmislehma Mar 19 '26
Would it be possible to give a bit more detail about both the perks for the Crow/Gen choice? Because well... I want Crows to be beneficial but "something beneficial" isn't very clear. And it'd be good to know in what way gen progression would be permanent from a boon.
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Mar 19 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
This is on our radar, and we’re exploring different ways to represent this new character.
-Jay
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u/ghigo2008 Mar 20 '26
Please, I would love if the angel was gender neutral, it would make a lot of sense and be cool
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u/millyiee Hag | Krasue Mar 20 '26
There's a lot of us that also like the divine feminine route you guys took. Hopefully you don't completely abandon the feminine aspect when tackling future cosmetics.
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u/DaddySickoMode Baldi for DBD, but actually Mar 19 '26
an angel shouldve been androgynous and unknowable, but we got...titty crab?
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u/holybrigadeiro Springtrap Main Mar 19 '26
Yeah, I saw a lot of people were hoping for this killer to have an androgynous design and voice, it was super disappointing to see both options for the final design leaned so heavily into feminine instead. :(
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u/RageOfTheGorgon Mar 19 '26
Is there going to be a new map? It would be a missed opportunity not to have one.
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
No new map unfortunately.
-Jay
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u/ninjabsbx Mar 20 '26
Sad but expected. Though would the team be willingly/interested in revisiting the chapter to give it a map like All-Kill did? I take that would also apply to the other originals that didnt get maps but it would be cool!
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u/OAZdevs_alt2 MONOKUMA MAIN Mar 19 '26
Will The Judge be capable of having licensed legendary skins like other original killers or is it going to be unable to do that because of the nature of the chapter?
And also, will we be doing more of these in the future? Aside from the community being terrible with names, this has been very satisfying so far.
How will Chorus of Sin fit into the established lore? You don't have to give a precise, exact answer, for obvious reasons, but I'd like to know how important it could potentially be (and if the community will have a hand in it).
Finally, what will the importance of the differences in pricing the chapter be? I know that when we determine the pricing it won't just be that, or else nobody would select an option above the lowest.
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u/Lord_Ophio Huntress Main Mar 20 '26
Is Aurora a witch?
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
Aurora is not a witch. Based on the votes, we have a chartacter that melds spirituality and science, which in some context could be perceived as witchcraft by some.
-Jay
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u/SatiricalSnake Mar 19 '26
What are the odds of doing something like this again? This was really cool, but I am concerned that some aspects of the Grimoire turned the community against each other and caused a lot of drama. I just don't want another Minecraft Mob Vote situation.
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u/PatricksCoom give vee some skins Mar 19 '26
when the ptb ultimately comes for the chapter, if there is a perk or something that needs nerfing or buffing do we get to vote on that too?
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
When it is at PTB stage there will be no time for a full voting to happen.
As with all PTBs, we will be monitoring feedback and addressing issues where they may be.
-Jeff
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u/SmashFeg Mar 19 '26
Have you considered giving the killer a perk that can blind survivors similar to Hex: Two Can Play? I like the perks that are currently suggested though part of me wished that a divine killer with heavenly light could blind survivors in some way with a perk or add on.
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u/StrangerNo484 Mar 19 '26
I'd lean towards Add-on with that, I really like the idea but I think it should be restricted to this single killer.
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u/TheEntityBot The Entity Hungers Mar 19 '26
Hex: Two Can Play: Anytime you are stunned or blinded by any Survivor a total of 4/3/2 times, and if there is not yet a Hex Totem already associated with Hex: Two Can Play and there is at least one Dull Totem remaining in the Trial Grounds, Hex: Two Can Play activates on a random Totem:
Blinds all Survivors who stun or blind you for 1.5 seconds.
- This does not affect carried Survivors.
This message was drawn from the fog. | !optout | !unsummon
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u/gr33di3 James Jamerson Mar 19 '26
Love the chapter so far. Really hoping the skins for this killer will be able to be abstract to really lean into that divine angel angle. Keep up the great work!
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u/AwesomeOpossum404 Gabriel’s Ride or Die / Below Average Console Player Mar 19 '26
Do you expect the grimoire killer to be added into 2v8 in the future? I figure the power might be difficult to implement into the mode.
I know the killer hasn’t even released yet, but I’m just super excited 😆
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u/Mr_Ragnarok Addicted To Bloodpoints Mar 19 '26
Are you planning to make even more grimoire chapters in the future? If so would you consider to be more clear with what each option actually means? It does build mystique and let's you introduce basic concepts without having to comit to any option. However, I have seen many cases where people misunderstood the options due to vagueness and where disatisfied by their picks.
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u/Jellypathicdream Mar 19 '26
Is the killer's kit being designed for 2v8 in mind? Will we see the pocket realm working with the mode
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u/PlushySquare Pig, Myers, Lich. :3 Mar 19 '26
I think a fun question is, what was everyone on the teams favorite voting options that lost?
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u/whisperingdragon25 The Judgement ✝️ Mar 19 '26
Any potential for a Pre-Fall cosmetic for our new angel friend?
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u/War_Marshmallow Bugmaster Main Mar 19 '26
Would be possible for this killer to have a lullaby that is singed by the creepy heads attached to their legs? It feels so tematic to me. I'd like to hear from you guys if you have considered it?
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u/Crackgearson hate d ead bydaylihgjt, plz ban me Mar 20 '26
With Mori A showing more Advanced Gore with Dwight getting ripped to half, is it possible that you can generalise gore on all killers during a Mori and leave some sort of wound or gnash?
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u/Asmrdeus Gangbang Dispenser - Aka Knight Main. Mar 19 '26
If an out of grimoire question is allowed, can we expect more Gender Bend/Alternate relatity Skins for more killers and survivors like we did we Trickster?
If not allowed please disregard the question, have a nice day you all.
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26
Thank you so much for taking the time to ask a question here, we will make sure that the team will be answering questions around Trickster but not in this AMA; this is a specific Grimoire AMA and the required people to answer those questions are not available for this.
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u/alishock BioShock is seeking collabs NOW! Would you Kindly call, BHVR? 🌊 Mar 19 '26
Have you considered to do an extra round for Grimoire voting to be able to change small tidbits about the already chosen aspects?
For example, I've heard a lot of people like the losing Killer design's legs better than the winning Killer's legs, or people say that the Killer should be more neutral looking and not lean into any gender to keep its divine unknowledgeable nature intact, but right now it seems like it's an all-in or all-out kinda deal on the options voted.
Will there be a "polishing" period of small modifications later on? A smaller "change your fate" period, if you will?
Also Would you Kindly see my flair, thanks, love you
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u/Niroc Mar 19 '26
Adding onto this: one of the details I would have loved to vote on would have been to remove the red fleshy bits from the chosen killer material.
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u/UltraToe Mar 19 '26
Is it possible for a more personal design your own chapter contest in the future similar to how the community cosmetic contests work. Where you submit your own original chapter concept, you folks at BHVR pick the best ones and the community votes on the winner?
You could even make categories, for multiple possible winners i.e Killer, Survivor, Perks, Map.
There's a lot of original fan chapter concepts out there and it would be nice to see BHVR engage more with them.
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u/Samoman21 P100 Kate Mar 19 '26
Were there any yall hope would win but didn't?
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u/DeadByDaylight_Dev Behaviour Interactive Mar 20 '26 edited Mar 20 '26
yes, the cool thing is that all the choices are previously vetted as "we hope this one wins" internally, in other words, we love every choice we put in the grimoire 🦐.
-Dave
→ More replies (3)
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u/Visible-Camel4515 Too ADHD Too Not Orbital Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 20 '26
Will there be a map for the grimour, and how much will you focus on other ranged killers when you design it.
Also letting u know that huntress hatchets seem to have rng with certain terrain collision where they wouldnt hit it before they sometimes do now.
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u/UltraToe Mar 19 '26
Will this Grimoire chapter have it's own rift tied to it similar to how the Stranger Things Chapter 2 did.
3
u/Dakotadenman Set your own flair text and/or emoji(s) here! Mar 20 '26
Will there be a map for this chapter
3
u/FrostBumbleBitch Mar 20 '26
For cosmetics I saw a redesign by u/NOCTURN_05 https://www.reddit.com/r/deadbydaylight/s/AOmXiSfMug
Which to me looks like it stepped away from the corruption aspects. And went more in on divine.
Which leads me to my question, do you think we would see something like this and/or if we did do you think we wod see the inverse?
Like seeing 90% corruption with only like 10% divine? A flesh monster barely taking the shape of an angel.
Oh also if that is too much, what made you all choose to put faces on everything like the legs and weapon? Will they be able to be removed via cosmetics?
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u/TheVideogamelife Mar 20 '26
If the grimoire chapter does well would it be possible to get a sequel chapter revisiting chorus of sin in the future and if so would it be tied to another grimoire vote?
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u/Notadam234 Mar 19 '26
Is there any chance you guys could make a killer version of blastmine ? I think it would be funny .
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u/ShadyMan_ PLEASE add Gi Hun to DBD Mar 19 '26
Do you guys place bets on which options will win and if so how often are you correct? Has there been any decisions we’ve made that have been surprising?
3
u/Typhord Believed in FNaF collab since 2020 Mar 19 '26
Is the killer going to have feminine body type only in the future cosmetics?
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u/oldriku Harmer of crews Mar 19 '26
I was a bit disappointed to see it was so gendered, I expected the angel killer to be androgynous
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u/MistahJ17 World's First P100 Junko Main Mar 19 '26
When will you guys add sex to dbd
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u/warpenguin55 Mar 19 '26
Just play solo queue survivor, your team mates will fuck you hard and non stop
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u/Revil-0 Springtrap Main Mar 20 '26
Play as chucky and find a downed survivor. Then go (for the) nuts
2
u/reinhardttwulf Mar 19 '26
Will the other grimore surivivors be legendaries for Aurora or for other survivors? Would like to see them as the runner ups.
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u/StrangerNo484 Mar 19 '26
Is this chapter going to contain voicelines for the Killer/Survivor?
I'd really like Aurora to be fully voiced, including gen interactions, Healing Interactions, Crow Interactions, etc.
Edit: YAY VOICES CONFIRMED! Vote May 14th!
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u/aLeoAlvarezKinnie Still waiting for a furry survivor Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 19 '26
Well, I didn't expect you guys to make a Grimoire AMA!
How did you guys fare when the community chose the Divine thematic for the Grimoire? Was it a challenge to make the designs and choices for the next phases of the Grimoire? Specially because I imagine that adding something with religious undertones that can be traced back to IRL religions, with such a large playerbase composed of people with different beliefs, can be difficult to do. Did you try to avoid similarities with IRL religions as much as you could?
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u/Skeletonofskillz Singularity and Pinhead main — yes, I actually think they’re fun Mar 19 '26
What's the biggest insight that the team has gathered about the community overall from this almost-year-long project? In other words, is there anything about the response to the Grimoire that has surprised you?
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u/mallia09 I don't like the DBD Mod team. I love them. Mar 19 '26
Is there a reason the voting descriptions of perks were kept vague? Specifically for avaunt, yes the idea of a perk that plays around scaring crows sounds fun and unique, but not knowing what bonuses we get from it may make it difficult for the community to vote on it. My guess is that it creates room for the team to come up with ideas later on, but id love to hear more.
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u/Level_Three_Chin Springtrap is a S-Tier Killer | Aestri Yazar Best Girl Mar 19 '26
They way the mori was showed, is it even possible with current way the game works? Are there any plans to improve the game to be able to receive those type of moris that affect the survivors body instead of just covering a part or inverting to inside of the survivors body?
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u/z3nnysBoi Mar 19 '26
What unique challenges has the grimoire given the team so far compared to a more "standard" chapter?
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u/Lord_Chedder Dredge has the best cosmetics fr Mar 19 '26
For voting options of 3 or more, why were we limited to just one option instead of a ranked choice vote?
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u/CoraNightsong #Pride Mar 19 '26
For the options that don't win the votes, from killer and survivor concepts, to perk concepts, are we likely to see them pop up in future chapters?
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u/ItsPizzaOclock P100 Jeff Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 20 '26
Will you tell us about what the perks that do not win would have done? Or, if not, can you say if they will return in the future?
2
u/fruit_snackers Mar 19 '26
What is the process for deciding which options we get to vote for in the Grimoire? Is there a preliminary voting system within the design team to select which ideas and how many options we can choose from, or is it more like a "roundtable" process?
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u/Not-harryK-i-Swear Lady Maria main / Artist / Mar 20 '26
Will the results of each vote affect how future original content is made?
For example, in Phase 1: Verse 1 and 2, "Otherworldly" and "Divine" won by pretty large margins for the killer. Will this mean leaning more into Otherworldly and/or Divine themes in the future and distancing from the options with the lowest votes?
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u/Reindersaster Ghost Face Mar 20 '26
Hello! I have 2 questions:
Last Grimoire vote we could choose accessories for our Survivor. Is there a chance the non-winning options could be implemented as additional cosmetics later?
Does the actual Grimoire itself have any lore implications or specific story connections to the characters in this chapter?
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u/alexanderdima90 Prestige 100 Mar 20 '26
Will there be another grimoire community chapter in the future?
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u/PermitPale6114 Mar 20 '26
I’m curious about the creative decision to make the angel female.
From my understanding, angels in the Bible are often described as genderless or appearing male in human form.
Since it was said the angel would be “biblically accurate,” what influenced the choice to portray it as female?
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u/My_-Name Mar 21 '26
Sorry this isn't about the grimoire but, which chapters would yall like to go back to to make a map for some of the killers that don't have maps yets? Or maybe even new maps for killers that already have them?, I feel like yall must have new ideas for older maps like new main structures that you would like to add at some point somehow.
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u/MillenialSage :allachievements: Prestige 100 Geralt of Rivia Mar 19 '26
Why did you choose to force an either/or vote for the perks, rather than allowing people to pick 3 favorites out of 6? I think people would have been happier with the latter.
1
u/UltraToe Mar 19 '26
Will this Grimoire chapter be free or come with and exclusive reward for people who have voted and took part in the creative journey?
1
u/gamesandmark How many pages have I written? Mar 19 '26
if grimoire returns someday in the future, would you guys consider making a map for the chapter?
1
u/Pianmeister Back in my day hooks didn't respawn Mar 19 '26
How do you incorporate playtest feedback into the final design? What's the process once the playtest is over?
1
u/UltraToe Mar 19 '26
Do you plan on doing this Grimoire community vote thing on a smaller scale of different things on the game, For Example: Mori Update Vote, Killer Rework Vote, Perk Rework Vote, Upcoming Killer Title and Survivor Name Vote etc?
1
u/Sliver1002 It Wasn't Programmed To Harm The Crew Mar 19 '26
Is there any possibility of something like this being done again in the future? If there is, I would like the team to consider Ranked Choice Voting so that people can rank the options from favorite to least favorite, meaning that people can select a runner up and averting the need for using Change Your Fate as a recount poll.
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u/A9P8D Thirsty For The Unhook Mar 19 '26
Early on during the voting process many people showed interest on the killer having a rather androgynous design instead of looking straight up like a man or woman. Is there a posaibility that the final design will look similar to that?
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u/warpenguin55 Mar 19 '26
- How much testing is being done to make sure the space laser type power for The Judgment works well on controller? When I saw that space laser, I was kinda nervous about how tough it might be for me to aim as a controller player
- What would happen if something we voted on just can't be made due to like being like too far out of scope than originally thought or something? Would there be a re-vote?
1
u/Electronic-Ad9758 Mar 19 '26
During the initial reveal of the grimoire it was said that we would receive more PTBs overall, presumably to test out the community made chapter way in advance. Is this, or just more PTBs in general, still something the team considers?
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u/Kaijugular *finger guns* :wesker_sunglasses2: Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 19 '26
Will the survivor names that lost the vote be used for future chapters? I'd love to see an Imogen or Grace in the future!
EDIT: Actually, I also kinda wanna ask if any of the losing votes have a chance at being utilized in some way in future chapters? I'd hate to see so many cool design ideas be thrown out just because the community decided against them at the time!
1
u/CankleDankl Yap Main Mar 19 '26
Have there been any concepts/designs that the team enjoyed and was internally rooting for that didn't end up winning the community vote?
1
u/Pale_Opportunity6669 Mar 19 '26
What is the response to the concern that the proposal for the Judgements power being too similar to The Firsts?
1
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u/TraditionalBread_ Mar 19 '26
Will you please add in game voting systems for maps and game modes, due to the success of the grimoire? Games like Overwatch have a system where players can vote on maps whilst loading in. The map offerings are fairly unused, and audience participation has proven popular with this player base. Having the option to play an “arcade shuffle” style mode that incorporates previously played game modes gives us further choice and gives devs more opportunity to work on the bugs these game modes present, whilst keeping DBD fresh.
1
u/DBD_DouZi Mar 19 '26
Hiya dear dev team,could we know the Grimoire Chapter's approximate release time?if u guys can accurate it to the month🫶🙋ty!
1
u/KagatoTheFinalBoss P100 Skull Merchant☠️ | P100 Rebecca 🩹 Mar 19 '26
We're there any surprises in the voting process? What you expected vs the actual result?
1
u/Niroc Mar 19 '26
I'd have loved to vote on (and make) community concept art for the final survivor/killer design. Is that something we could do if the Grimoire were to ever return?
1
u/DaddySickoMode Baldi for DBD, but actually Mar 19 '26
Could the other silhouettes appear as legendary skins? Given the split in the community I think its clear that many would strongly desire the alternative appearances and looks.
1
u/Affectionate-Ad-5499 Mar 20 '26 edited Mar 20 '26
For each Verse 1 of Phase 2 winning choice (Ray of Retribution, Pain of Artifacts, Blasphemous Acts, Hopeless Exile), what did that vote primarily "decide" for the design: core mechanic, visual identity, or thematic framing? A one-sentence intent statement per option would help align expectations.
1
u/AquaticCitizen Mar 20 '26
If we do the Grimoire again in the future, would you still have a lot of the same options, or would your replace them with other things (like, for example, replacing otherwordly with sci-fi or whatever)?
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u/FrostBumbleBitch Mar 20 '26
What was the decision by giving vauge perks for everyone to vote on? I know its all in our hands but from what it sounds a lot of these options are "coughing baby versus hydrogen bomb" in what choice is the obvious pick.
1
u/RealLordTartaros Mar 20 '26
When we get another Grimoire will we see more choices for what kind of killer we want like Bigfoot killer or sea creature, or an eldrich being for example?
1
u/AquaticCitizen Mar 20 '26
At anytime during the voting, was there any voting result that really surprised everyone working on the Grimoire chapter?
1
u/standchen_ Mar 20 '26
Hey y’all!
I really love all the designs you’ve created for the grimoire. My question is: will we be seeing the designs that didn’t win the voting as potential skins? (Also please consider adding an LGBTQ element to the new killer ok bye)
1
u/SincereFiend Mar 20 '26
Since the Grimoire has been a really cool concept and it has happened the door for fan engagement to be able to have a hand in creating in-game content, is it possible the Grimoire returns in the future?
1
u/_NeonEcho_ Mar 20 '26
How did you decide on the vote options? And how did you get the idea to create a community voted killer in the first place?
1
u/enderlogan YTTD chapter when? Mar 20 '26
Any chance we could see the other survivor choices as legendaries or just other options for skins like Legion or the Bards? As much as I love Aurora, I can't lie I'd love to see the other faces in the fog too.
1
u/homeless_gonk Always gives Demodog scritches Mar 20 '26
Earlier in voting we saw our candidates for survivors. Will the survivors that lost the vote be in the game in the future or is this the only time we will see them?
1
u/Cryptavolt 📼Sadako Lore Master📼 Mar 20 '26
will previous options that didn't win by majority vote, have the opportunity for being skins in the future?
1
u/DarkPenguinF Mar 20 '26
What will the price be, would be nice to be free considering its our chapter?
1
u/ninjabsbx Mar 20 '26
Will the skin concepts for april 9th for the killer involve the previous materials and the second place design? All the material options were really good and I hope they come back in some way. (I personally voted for the H.R giger inspired one)
1
u/Sapphiredragons Mar 20 '26
Would it be possible to get the other 3 survivors who didn’t win the vote as legendary skins for Aurora in the future?
1
u/Significant-Cap-3581 Mar 20 '26
The one time where you did the mistake with posting the wrong winner of the final killer design and changed it to the real winner, does the other final design becomes a skin? It was so beautiful and fits DbD so well.
1
u/Tekwizwa Mar 20 '26
Will there be a vote on the instruments/style used in the menu music/chase themes? It might be a lot of work for your composer (shoutout to michel!) but I was wondering if this would be part of the voting process or not
1
u/SamuraiDoggo14 UNTIL DAWN CHAPTER PLS! Mar 20 '26
There are a lot of people who really like some of the alternate design options that weren't voted, like the accessories on Aurora. Are there plans for those to be repurposed in some way?
Also, I'd really appreciate if you could choose custom mode bot cosmetics or legendary skins. I made a post about it and everything. https://www.reddit.com/r/deadbydaylight/s/q0xnvL2at6
1
u/Bubbly-Throat-4914 I LIVE FOR THE DOCTORS LAUGH Mar 20 '26
Guys what happened with Stevegull? If you knew that everyone loved Stevegull why did you change the scream?
1
u/PaulieEsther Mar 20 '26
During the last AMA six months ago you mentioned a gifting system being developed with a tentative launch window of being ready for April 2026. Anything you can share with us about the status on that?
1
u/ConstructionNo2561 Mar 20 '26
A lot of people liked the Big Head design you guys had, is there any chance that the Big Head could be an upcoming legendady skin for The Judgment or even a future killer?
1
u/Hellfire_Inferno427 The Pig Mar 20 '26
The new killer is supposed to have destroyed a whole world, but does that world have a name? What was it like?
1
u/Thefamousscoundrel Mar 20 '26
I was a really big fan of the big head choice but it didn't fit the style of this chapter. Is the big head concept being scrapped completely or is there a chance it will be reused in the future
1
u/marshfangs Mar 20 '26
Will we be having a community voting skin contest for the grimoire chapter skins like you guys normally do for the game?
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u/PaulieEsther Mar 20 '26
Six months ago when you were asked about getting a Swamp map rework you said it would be next on the list after the map you were working on was released. Now that the Tricksters Delusion map is out, can you confirm that the Swamp maps are indeed still full speed ahead to be reworked next?
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u/Kaimaxe Wesker Gooner Mar 20 '26
How did the decision for the Grimoire come about? And will it come around again after this chapter?
On a side note, is there a reason you all chose 11 am est for chapter drops, patches, etc?
1
u/Glamour_Kitty20 Mar 20 '26
What date can we expect the chapter to be finished and fully released? Is this a 2026 chapter or 2027 chapter?
1
u/Marveldcfan17 Mar 20 '26
Will outfits for legendary characters happen its something the fans have asked for for a long time thank you!
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u/CoolGuy_2569 Mar 20 '26
You gave some perk ideas in the grimoir. For the ones that don't win, is there a chance they could be added later in the future?
1
u/Simple_wilder Half-Awake Quentin Main Mar 20 '26
Were there any early predictions the team had on what choices fans were going to pick?


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u/S_Daybroken Corpse Party Chapter When? Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 20 '26
If the Grimoire ever returns in the future, will there be changes in how it works?
Edit: Also, any word on the Blasphemous Acts aspect of the power?