Asymmetrical horror gameDead by Daylightis currently testing out Patch 8.5 prior to its release in the main game. This exciting patch brings a near-complete rework for killer Freddy Krueger, aka The Nightmare, and the introduction of the Character Trial System. Possibly inspired by a similar feature inDead By Daylight’s mobile version, the Character Trial System will allow players to temporarily try out paid characters and survivors for a limited time. This may encourage players to purchase paid DLC characters after getting a chance to try out how they work.
Throughout its lifespan,Dead By Daylighthas released a number of free and paid DLC packs, typically referred to as Chapters. These packs include killers, survivors, cosmetic items such as skins, and more. As of January 2025, the following killers and survivors are only available inDead by Daylightas paid DLC:
Character Trials Will Let Players Briefly Experience These Characters For Free
During Character Trials, players will be able to try out these killers and survivors for a limited time. This allows players to experience how these killers and survivors play, try out different perks and builds, and then decide whether or not they wish to purchase them. How long each trial period will be, and how often they will occur, has not yet been revealed.
However, a similar feature did appear inDead by Daylight Mobile,where players could sometimes try out characters they had unlocked for a period of 24 hours. Ideally,Dead by Daylight’scharacter trials will be longer than 24 hours, as such a short period could cause the game’s servers to become overcrowded and not give every interested player a chance to try out these characters.
Which Characters Will Feature In Trials First?
The public test build featuring the new system indicates thatThe Nightmare- aka Freddy Krueger - and his associated survivor Quentin Smith will be the first DLC characters players get to try out. This makes sense, as Krueger’s play style will be receiving a major overhaul. But which characters could be next up for a free trial?
In general, it will likely be easier for the originalDead by Daylightkillers and survivors to feature in free trials, as there are no potential rights or licensing issues. Recently released DLC characters, like The Unknown andThe Houndmaster, would make sense as they are relatively new to the game and Behaviour Interactive might want to increase the hype for them.
Rumors indicate that the next appearance ofDead by Daylight’s2v8 mode will beResident Evil-themed, meaning that those characters, including the killers Albert Wesker and the Nemesis, could be due for a free trial soon. Another option could be The Lich, aka Vecna, asDungeons and Dragonsis celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025. Finally, upcoming DLC characters, such as the long-awaitedFive Nights at Freddy’scharacter, could have free trials shortly after their release to encourage players to purchase them as soon as possible.
