In a livestream back in May, Behavior Interactive teased a substantial addition to Dead by Daylight in the form of The Archives. A mysterious new character called The Observer oversees The Archives and the developers touts them as a way to expand the lore of the game world. Now, with the features set to make their around Halloween, Behavior has detailed what players can expect out of the upcoming update. In this guide, we’ll cover everything there is to know, including the main features of The Archives, and the rewards available to those who dare to traverse the Fog.
The Archives are split into two main pillars called The Tome and The Rift. The Tome incentivises players to complete specific Survivor and Killer challenges in exchange for Bloodpoints, new bits of lore, and Rift Fragments which can be used to progress in the battle pass-like Rift system. Below, we’ve detailed how The Tome and The Rift will work when they hit Dead by Daylight sometime soon.
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What Is the Dead by Daylight Archives Release Date?
We don’t know yet! The developers have only said the release date will be in “several weeks.”
What Is The Tome?
At the heart of The Archives is The Tome, a branching path of challenges which Behavior is calling the Auris Web. Each node on the web represents a different goal that can be activated and tracked across Dead by Daylight Trials. These challenges will usually require players to meet specific conditions within a Trial, such as repairing two generators or safely unhooking fellow Survivors. Completing one challenge unlocks access to further nodes on the Auris Web, and finishing a Web in full gifts players with a lump sum of Rift Fragments and a Completion Charm.
Charms are a new cosmetic feature introduced in The Archives update for Dead by Daylight. For Survivors, Charms are accessories which appear on the character model, and are usually tied to their backstory. Equipping a Charm on a Killer will not add anything to the character itself. Rather, it will add an ornament to the hooks in a map. Players can also earn journal entries and cinematics that will viewable in the lore menu.
Once you reach the end of the first Auris Web, you’ll gain access to the next tier of challenges in The Tome. Behavior Interactive has said it plans to stagger the release of new Tome levels in an effort to tell its stories over a longer period of time. For example, the first Web will launch alongside the Archives update, with the second tier releasing around November 5th, the third on November 19th, and the fourth on December 10th. These dates aren’t set in stone, but they provide a general idea of the release schedule Behavior is aiming for. Expect entirely new Tomes to debut at Behavior’s current chapter release schedule of every three months.
In addition to the standard challenges that can be tracked and carried out over several matches, each Auris Web contains a handful of Master Challenges which require players to meet a set of conditions within a single Trial. Typically, the Master Challenges will offer greater rewards. Some of them will require the use of specific Perks, which will be made available for purchase via the Shrine of Secrets for at least one week.
What Is The Rift?
The Rift is Dead by Daylight’s version of a battle pass, complete with both free and premium tiers. Completing challenges in The Tome and playing standard matches will reward you with XP towards your next Rift Fragment. Earning Fragments will bump up your Rift level—up to level 70—rewarding you with new outfits, charms, and Auric Cells—Dead by Daylight’s premium currency. Purchasing the Rift Pass for 1,000 Auric Cells will retroactively unlock all the previous levels of premium rewards earned so far.
It’s important to know Rifts are temporary, with each being available for 70 days. Behavior has said Rift rewards will appear in the Dead by Daylight in the future, but not for at least six months following the end of a Rift period.
That’s all of the major content you can expect in the Archives update for Dead by Daylight. Behavior Interactive intends to roll out the release on PC first, with other platforms to follow in the coming weeks. When we have details regarding the specific rewards, we’ll be sure to let you know!
