Dead by Daylight is officially welcoming Alien into The Fog, with a new Chapter that features the Xenomorph, Ellen Ripley, and the Nostromo.
When Ridley Scott’s Alien released in May of 1979, it was an experience unlike any other. Viewers were drawn into a futuristic yet grounded world, captivated by slow-burning tension and suffocating silence. When the Xenomorph was introduced and began rampaging through the Nostromo, cinematic history was made as a horror icon burst from a chest and into our hearts.
Since then, Alien has become one of the most iconic and recognizable sci-fi horror franchises of all time, and the Dead by Daylight community has been eager to see the Xenomorph stalking its way through The Fog. Now, that day is finally here. Alien is coming to Dead by Daylight in a brand-new Chapter featuring the Xenomorph, Ellen Ripley, and the Nostromo.
FEAR THE XENOMORPH
The Xenomorph is a highly efficient killer. As anyone who has seen the film knows, it managed to pick off nearly every member of the Nostromo’s crew. The lone Survivor, Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley, managed to escape with her life – though the horrors of her experience would not be forgotten. Nor was it forgotten by Dead by Daylight’s Creative Director Dave Richard, who reveals that seeing Alien was one of his first horror experiences.
“The Xenomorph leaves a lasting impression” explains Dave Richard, Dead by Daylight’s Creative Director. “In the original film, it operates like a classic slasher, picking off the crew members one by one. It’s always great when a character fits that archetype, as it’s an integral part of our game’s roots.”
“It doesn’t hurt that the Xenomorph’s appearance alone is enough to strike fear in even the bravest,” he continues. “It’s a sleek, terrifying killer from the depths of outer space, and it was important to deliver an experience worthy of the Xenomorph’s iconic legacy.”
For that to be realized, a few key aspects needed to be translated into gameplay, which presented a unique and exciting challenge for the Game Design team.
DESIGNING THE XENOMORPH
“The Xenomorph is nearly indestructible,” explains Michael Nielsen, Lead Game Designer. “Our game is already structured around Killers being unstoppable forces, but we took extra measures to make the Xenomorph especially damage-proof. To emphasize this, we gave Survivors defensive Turrets, but they don’t even leave a scratch – they only slow the Xenomorph down temporarily.” “Another enticingly scary ability of the Xenomorph is its ability to stalk silently through its environment and ambush its prey,” continues Nielsen. “We wanted a system that provided those horrifying surprise moments, while opening the door for fun strategic play.”
"We created a new kind of teleport that grants Map-wide mobility, but unlike other teleport Killers, the Xenomorph can attempt to detect Survivors or change destination along the way – something that felt very connected to the original character,” explains Janick Neveu, Game Designer on Dead by Daylight.
“Another key component we wanted to include was the Xenomorph’s tail, and ultimately decided on a strike attack. Having an active ability in chases always increases that character’s skill cap, and that’s something our players enjoy very much.”
THE CHALLENGES OF CREATION
When designing a Killer based on an existing property, finding creative ways to adapt those abilities in game is far from the only challenge. As the scope of Dead by Daylight expands, so too do the possibilities for new mechanics, which sometimes pose new challenges on the technical side.
“It’s hard to not break the rules,” admits Janick, reflecting on the process of bringing a conceptual Power concept to life. “We must primarily think about the repercussion of new Killer mechanics on pre-existing rules. At first, we run and validate this process in our heads, making sure that little to no concerns come to mind, before moving to the next step. We then use our prototype phase to validate those concerns. If an issue arises, we must rethink the mechanic or add limitations to cope for any potential imbalances.”
“Technically, the Xenomorph’s Tunnel system was our biggest risk. We’d never created a sub level that only the Killer could access, least of all one beneath the Map. This was tested significantly in our first prototype iteration, and after a few follow-up iterations our engineer figured out the way to make it work. The result is just wild, and we really hope our players enjoy it!”
And of course – there's the Mori, which is sure to please Alien fans across the board. “Who could forget the Xenomorph’s signature inner mouth?” teases Nielsen. “We would be doing the world a disservice if we didn’t allow you to destroy a victim by unleashing your inner jaw, which of course, we did.”
Stalk beneath the surface as the Xenomorph in Dead by Daylight’s brand-new Alien Chapter, available on August 29th.
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