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DBD Castlevania update release date, new killer and survivor, and more

Dracula finally comes to Dead by Daylight in chapter 33, so here are all the DBD update details, including new killer and survivor perks.

Trevor Belmont looks down at a totem in the new DBD update: Chapter 33: Castlevania.

When is Dracula coming to Dead by Daylight? New chapters seem to be arriving in Dead by Daylight all the time, with new characters, maps, perks, and more coming to the horror game. Thanks to regular communication from the developer, we can use the roadmap to determine when the next content update arrives.

With around four new chapters a year, it’s a wonder the team at Behaviour are able to come up with new perks and powers for the new DBD killers and survivors. Somehow they do, and the year nine Dead by Daylight roadmap confirms a total of nine new characters once again. We’ve had Vecna as part of the Dungeons and Dragons chapter, and Lara Croft arrived mid-season – now, Dracula is swooping in for the Castlevania update in DBD Chapter 33.

Dracula looks on with red glowing eyes in the new DBD chapter: Castlevania.

DBD Castlevania release date

The DBD Castlevania release date is August 27, 2024, at 9am PDT, 12pm EDT, 5pm BST. Chapter 33 includes a new killer and a new survivor, and some map changes.

Dracula has been a killer that DBD fans have long been asking for, and our dreams are now being fulfilled thanks to the Castlevania update, bringing the licensed Dracula from the series alongside handsome vampire hunter Trevor Belmont as a survivor character. Both characters come with three new perks, while Dracula has an incredibly fun power, which we detail below.

Full chapters usually include a new map, and we’re a little disappointed to report that that isn’t the case with DBD chapter 33. However, Castlevania instead comes to all original DBD maps. Whenever you play against Dracula on an original map, his castle appears in the distance, looming over you as you fight for your life.

 

DBD Castlevania PTB

The Castlevania DBD PTB is live now, and runs until August 20, 2024. The PTB also features changes to some killers, perk changes, and some bug fixes.

The latest killer changes affect The Doctor, The Dredge, and The Nemesis. One of the most notable changes is the reduction in The Dredge’s sound, since the killer’s high volume often gave away his location even when undetectable.

Meanwhile, a selection of survivor perks have been altered, mostly to reduce cooldown or activation time. Some examples of these perks include Dance With Me, Blast Mine, and Chemical Trap, but all are confirmed in a recent blog post.

A red-eyed bat flies among a colony of other bats in the DBD Castlevania update.

DBD new killer power and perks

The Lich, added with the Dungeons and Dragons chapter, was the first killer to include multiple abilities, selected on a tool wheel. Clearly that was a popular addition, as The Dark Lord also has selectable power variants. Dracula’s bat, wolf, and vampire form are chosen with two button clicks, and, while each has its own cooldown, their three powers can all be used in quick succession – again, like The Lich.

  • Vampire form: Dracula’s default form, his vampire form allows his to attack as an M1 killer, but he can also cast Hellfire. This creates pillars of fire in a straight line, similar to Pyramid Head’s Punishment of the Damned.
  • Wolf form: The Dark Lord’s wolf form can more easily track survivors, and grants the killer a dash attack, similar to Chucky’s Slice and Dice. This can be used twice before entering cooldown.
  • Bat form: Finally, Dracula’s bat form allows him to fly above objects, so is perfect to counter a pallet drop. Bat-ula can also teleport to windows across the map.

The Dark Lord perks

  • Hex – Wretched Fate: After one generator has been repaired, a random dull totem becomes a hex totem and curses the Obsession. The Obsession has a repair speed penalty up to 33%. They can see this Hex totem’s aura within 12 meters. This effect persists until the Hex totem is cleansed.
  • Human Greed: You see Unopened Chest auras, and Survivor auras are revealed for three seconds when they enter an eight-meter range of the chest. You can also kick chests to close them. Survivors unlock closed chests 50% faster.
  • Dominance: The first time each totem and each chest is interacted with by a Survivor, it becomes blocked by The Entity for up to eight seconds. The auras of blocked totems and chests are revealed to you in white.

Trevor Belmont looks off into the distance in the new DBD chapter: Castlevania.

New DBD survivor perks

Trevor Belmont enters The Fog alongside Dracula as the new DBD survivor. His perks are:

  • Eyes of Belmont: When a generator is completed, the aura of the Killer is revealed to you for up to three seconds. Whenever the Killer’s aura is shown for a time, that aura’s duration is increased by two seconds.
  • Exultation: Stunning the Killer with a pallet upgrades your held item rarity to the next tier, then recharges 25% of the item’s maximum charges. Rarity is not kept at the end of the trial. This perk has a cooldown of up to 45 seconds.
  • Moment of Glory: This perk activates after you open or rummage through two chests. When you become injured, you become broken, and automatically heal one health state after 60 to 80 seconds. Then, this perk deactivates for the rest of the trial.

The Dead by Daylight roadmap for year nine, showing a total of nine new chapters and mid-chapter character releases.

Dead by Daylight release schedule

Upcoming Dead by Daylight chapters

The Anniversary Livestream gave us a glimpse at what we can expect from year nine in the horror game. With four full chapters, including three licensed ones, plus a new mid-season licensed survivor and a new original survivor. More game modes and modifiers, including the long-awaited 2v8 mode, are also scheduled throughout the year.

Previous DBD update release dates

  • Chapter 32.5: Tomb Raider – July 16, 2024
  • Chapter 32: Dungeons and Dragons – June 3, 2024
  • Chapter 31: All Things Wicked – March 12, 2024
  • Chapter 30.5: Alan Wake – January 30, 2024
  • Chapter 30: Chucky – November 28, 2023
  • Chapter 29: Alien – Tuesday, August 29, 2023
  • Nicolas Cage – Tuesday, July 25, 2023
  • CHAPTER 28: End Transmission – Tuesday, June 13, 2023
  • CHAPTER 27: Tools of Torment – Tuesday, March 7, 2023
  • CHAPTER 26: Forged in Fog – Tuesday, November 22, 2022
  • CHAPTER 25: Resident Evil: PROJECT W – Tuesday, August 30, 2022
  • CHAPTER 24: Roots of Dread – Tuesday, June 7, 2022
  • CHAPTER 23: Sadako Rising – Tuesday, March 8, 2022
  • CHAPTER 22: Portrait of a Murder – Tuesday, November 30, 2021
  • CHAPTER 21: Hellraiser – Tuesday, September 7, 2021
  • CHAPTER 20: Resident Evil – Tuesday, June 15, 2021
  • CHAPTER 19: All-Kill – Tuesday, March 30, 2021
  • CHAPTER 18: A Binding of Kin – Tuesday, December 1, 2020
  • CHAPTER 17: Descend Beyond – Tuesday, September 8, 2020
  • CHAPTER 16: Silent Hill – Tuesday, June 16, 2020
  • CHAPTER 15: Chains of Hate – Tuesday, March 10, 2020
  • CHAPTER 14: Cursed Legacy – Tuesday, December 3, 2019
  • CHAPTER 13: Stranger Things – Tuesday, September 17, 2019
  • CHAPTER 12: Ghost Face – Tuesday, June 18, 2019
  • CHAPTER 11: Demise of the Faithful – Tuesday, March 19, 2019
  • CHAPTER 10: Darkness Among Us – Tuesday, December 11, 2018
  • CHAPTER 9: Shattered Bloodline – Tuesday, September 18, 2018
  • CHAPTER 8: Curtain Call – Tuesday, June 12, 2018
  • CHAPTER 7: The SAW Chapter – Tuesday, January 23, 2018
  • CHAPTER 6: A Nightmare on Elm Street – Thursday, October 26, 2017
  • CHAPTER 5: A Lullaby for the Dark – Thursday, July 27, 2017
  • CHAPTER 4: Spark of Madness – Thursday, May 11, 2017
  • CHAPTER 3: Of Flesh and Mud – Thursday, December 8, 2016
  • CHAPTER 2: The HALLOWEEN Chapter – Tuesday, October 25, 2016
  • CHAPTER 1: The Last Breath Chapter – Thursday, August 18, 2016

If you’re anything like us, surely you’re counting down the days to the next Dead by Daylight update. While you wait, there are plenty of other horror games and survival games that deserve your attention, and don’t forget to redeem the latest DBD codes for Bloodpoints, cosmetics, and more.