Stranger Things is back at the front of Dead by Daylight this week. Lights Out: Stranger Things Edition starts on 5 November, new outfits for Steve, Nancy and Vecna arrive with it, and the search for "DBD Vecna" now returns two different Killers.
This page covers all of it: the event, the new cosmetics, both Stranger Things chapters, all 18 perks at live values, and the delisting story. Verified on 4 November 2026 against live Patch 10.2.2a and the 10.3.0 Terrifier PTB notes.
Quick answer. Lights Out: Stranger Things Edition runs 5 to 12 November 2026 (Behaviour's 10.2.2 patch notes). It is the fourth Lights Out run: no perks, no Terror Radius, no Scratch Marks, near-total darkness. New Collection outfits for Steve Harrington, Nancy Wheeler and Vecna release the same day; the wiki lists 1,080 Auric Cells per full outfit. There are two chapters: CHAPTER 13: Stranger Things (17 September 2019, the Demogorgon, Nancy, Steve) and Stranger Things Chapter 2 (27 January 2026, The First, Eleven, Dustin), which Behaviour numbers Chapter 42. None of the 18 perks changed in 10.2.0 through the 10.3.0 PTB.
When is Lights Out: Stranger Things Edition in DBD?
Behaviour put the dates in writing in the Patch 10.2.2 notes on 20 October 2026:
"Event will run from November 5th - November 12th. Check out the available quests for rewards!"
— Behaviour Interactive, 10.2.2 Bugfix Patch notes
That is 7 days. Behaviour has not printed a start hour for this run. The first Lights Out, in February 2024, ran from 11 AM ET to 11 AM ET. US clocks fell back on 1 November, so if Behaviour keeps that slot it means 16:00 UTC on 5 November. Treat that as precedent, not a promise.
This is the fourth Lights Out. The full run history:
| Run | Theme | Dates | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| V1 | Original | 7 to 14 February 2024 | 7 days |
| V2 | Castlevania | 12 to 19 September 2024 | 7 days |
| V3 | Summer Screams | 4 to 11 August 2026 | 7 days |
| V4 | Stranger Things | 5 to 12 November 2026 | 7 days |
V1 and V2 dates come from Behaviour's own launch articles. V3 and V4 come from the wiki event tracker, and V4 is confirmed by the 10.2.2 notes. The run was first announced on the October of Horror Broadcast on 1 October. It closes out that broadcast's six-week plan, which our DBD roadmap tracks week by week.
How does Lights Out work?
Behaviour summed up the mode when it brought Lights Out back in 2024: "players will find themselves without Perks, a HUD, Terror Radius, or Scratch Marks, stripping things down for a nail-biting bare-bones experience." The map is dark enough that even a map you know well becomes hard to read.
Behaviour has not yet published a rules article for this run, so the list below comes from its 2024 articles plus the wiki's pre-release page, which carries the previous rules forward:
- No loadout. No perks, items, add-ons or offerings on either side.
- No Terror Radius and no Scratch Marks. Footsteps are also suppressed, according to the wiki.
- Chests are the item source. The wiki lists 11 chests per map. Behaviour's 2024 article says they only hold Rare or better items. The wiki's table puts the odds at Rare 20%, Very Rare 10%, Ultra Rare 10% and the Lantern 60%. Chests never give Keys.
- Generators start at 5% so Survivors can find them by sound. The wiki puts Survivor repair speed at +20% (1.2 charges per second).
- The Lantern. Hold it to see the nearest unfinished generator, place it on a generator to show that generator to everyone within 32 metres. The wiki lists 90 charges, and says a Lantern on a completed generator blocks the Killer's generator aura reading for 15 seconds. The Killer can destroy a placed Lantern, and Survivors drop it when downed.
- Wiki-listed rules for this run: Endurance after an unhook lasts 60 seconds, the anti-camp range doubles to 32 metres, and a Hatch the Killer closes stays closed.
Patch 10.2.2 already shipped 7 Lights Out fixes before the event. Two of them matter in a match: Common and Uncommon items no longer turn up in chests, and Treatment Theatre no longer spawns only 10 chests. Our DBD patch notes hub lists the rest.
Do Stranger Things perks matter in Lights Out?
No, and this trips up players every run. The loadout is disabled, so Surge, Hex: Hive Mind, Babysitter or any other perk does nothing during Lights Out. Killers still have their powers, so the Demogorgon's portals and The First's Upside Down work as normal. What you lose is every perk slot, so the Stranger Things content that carries into the event is the character, its power and the outfit. If you want to try the perks, play them in normal Trials, where the full breakdown below applies.
What new Stranger Things outfits come out on 5 November?
The Stranger Things Collection gets its eighth addition on 5 November, tied to Lights Out. The wiki lists three outfits:
| Character | Outfit look | Wiki price |
|---|---|---|
| Steve Harrington | Reversed Baseball Cap, Worn Leather Jacket, Brown Slacks | 1,080 Auric Cells set, 400 per piece |
| Nancy Wheeler | Tight Curls, Bold Bandolier, Painter's Jeans | 1,080 Auric Cells set, 400 per piece |
| Vecna (The First) | Living Nightmare, Dimension Walker, Gateway Opener | 1,080 Auric Cells, sold as a linked set |
The flavour text references the fight against the Mind Flayer. Steve's reads "Battling the Mind Flayer head-on left him more determined than ever to protect the Party". Nancy's reads "nothing was more important than taking down the Mind Flayer". All three are pre-release wiki listings. Behaviour has not published store prices, so check the in-game store on the day before you budget for them. Our Auric Cells price guide shows what 1,080 cells cost in real money.
Which Vecna is in Dead by Daylight?
Two of them, and they are different Killers from different licences:
- The First is Henry Creel from Stranger Things. Behaviour's own chapter page calls him "new Killer The First, also known as Vecna". He arrived with Stranger Things Chapter 2 on 27 January 2026, and he is the Vecna getting a new outfit on 5 November.
- The Lich is Vecna from Dungeons & Dragons. Behaviour lists him as "Vecna, The Lich" in Chapter 33, which released on 3 June 2024 with Aestri Yazar and the Forgotten Ruins map.
If a guide or a friend says "Vecna" without a franchise, ask which one. They share nothing beyond the name: different powers, different perks, different DLC.
What is in the original Stranger Things chapter?
CHAPTER 13: Stranger Things arrived with Patch 3.2.0 on 17 September 2019. It added one Killer, two Survivors and one Realm: Hawkins National Laboratory, whose only map is The Underground Complex. It is one of the 20 Realms on live servers; our full map and Realm list has the breakdown.
The Killer is The Demogorgon, whose power Of the Abyss places up to 6 portals around the map. An Inactive Portal is invisible to Survivors and cannot be sealed. Travelling through a portal turns both ends Active, which makes them visible and sealable, and grants Undetectable for 12 seconds after emerging. Channelling Of the Abyss also triggers Killer Instinct within 4 metres of each Active Portal. Its second ability, Shred, is a charged lunge at 19 m/s that breaks pallets and breakable walls. Patch 10.2.1 fixed two Demogorgon bugs, including one where he turned invisible when teleporting to a portal with a Survivor on top while lagging.
The Demogorgon's spot among all 44 Killers is in our DBD Killer tier list.
What is Stranger Things Chapter 2 and when did it release?
Stranger Things Chapter 2 went live on 27 January 2026 in Patch 9.4.0, with hotfixes 9.4.1 on 3 February and 9.4.2 on 10 February. Behaviour's own chapter record numbers it Chapter 42.
It added three characters and no new map or Realm. The Underground Complex is still the only Stranger Things map.
- Henry Creel, "The First": Killer, also known as Vecna. Movement speed 110% (4.4 m/s), a 32 metre Terror Radius, average height. Voiced by Andrew Morgado.
- Jane Hopper, Eleven: Survivor, drawn from Season 5. Voiced by Abby Espiritu.
- Dustin Henderson: Survivor.
How does The First's power work?
The First's power is Test Subject #001. It has three moving parts.
Vine Attack. Charge with the Power button, then press Attack when fully charged to create an area on the ground. Survivors caught in it take 1 Worldbreaker Token.
The Upside Down. The Secondary Power button sends him in. Inside, he moves at 8 m/s, gains Undetectable, and ignores breakable walls, pallets and windows. Leaving starts a 35 second cooldown, but at the start of a Trial it begins at 50% of that, so his first entry comes early.
Undergate Attack. From inside The Upside Down, he grows an area around himself until it reaches full size, then exits. Survivors inside take 2 Worldbreaker Tokens.
A Survivor holds up to 4 tokens. Worldbreaker starts when any Survivor reaches 2 or 4 tokens, or when one already at 4 is hit again. While it runs, both attacks deal damage instead of tokens. Phase One lasts 60 seconds per Survivor still in the Trial, so 240 seconds in a full lobby. Phase Two lasts 50 seconds. The timer pauses while he carries a Survivor, and 4 Grandfather Clocks let Survivors shorten Phase One. A Survivor on their second hook stage holding 4 tokens can be downed by either attack during Worldbreaker, float, and get a Mind Break Mini-Mori.
His three perks, at live values:
- Hex: Hive Mind. The first time you hook a Survivor, a Dull Totem ignites. Generator auras show their progress. When 1 generator remains, every generator explodes, loses 6/8/10% and starts regressing, then the Hex Totem goes out.
- Secret Project. Blessing or cleansing any Totem blocks a random generator for 20/25/30 seconds. While any generator is blocked, he gains Undetectable for 30 seconds.
- Turn Back the Clock. For 40/50/60 seconds after a hook, he can make a visible generator within 20 metres explode, lose 10% and regress. It also features in our generator regression perk ranking.
What perks do Eleven and Dustin bring?
Eleven. Extrasensory Perception activates after crouching for 4 seconds and reveals auras in a radius that grows up to 44 metres, with Elusive and Oblivious while it runs. It ends when you stand or after 11 seconds, then goes on a 60/50/40 second cooldown. Teamwork: Soft-Spoken shrinks your repair noise range by 15/20/25% per teammate on the generator, plus 5% faster repairs with a partner. We See You earns a token each time the Killer sees your aura (10 second cooldown); at 4 tokens, everyone sees the Killer's aura for 10/12.5/15 seconds.
Dustin. Bada Bada Boom arms after 20% worth of generator repairs and lets you trap a window for 40/50/60 seconds; a Killer vaulting it gets 50% Hindered. Sources disagree on the length: the wiki says 6 seconds, the game-data tracker dbd.tricky.lol says 4. Plan around the shorter one. Change of Plan starts with 2 tokens; in a locker holding a non-event Toolbox, spend one to turn it into a same-rarity Med-Kit with 80/90/100% charges. Teamwork: Full Circuit makes good Skill Check zones 15/20/25% bigger per teammate on the generator, plus 5% faster repairs with a partner.
Our Survivor perk tier list shows where these land.
Why was Stranger Things removed from Dead by Daylight?
Behaviour announced the removal on 16 August 2021, and the content left the store on 17 November 2021. Players who already owned it kept the Demogorgon, Nancy, Steve and their cosmetics. The map was pulled from everyone, owners included. Behaviour's FAQ: Stranger Things Returns (6 November 2023) says so directly:
"It is important to note that except for the Hawkins Underground Complex being completely removed, all players who owned the Stranger Things content did not experience any change in gameplay or appearance with the removal of the content."
When did Stranger Things come back?
On 6 November 2023, Stranger Things Day, in Patch 7.3.3. Characters, cosmetics and the map returned together with their original names and icons. The perks came back as General Perks first; Patch 7.4.0 on 28 November 2023 made all nine character-exclusive again.
Every 2019 Stranger Things perk and its old name
All nine 2019 perks were renamed in Patch 5.3.0 on 19 October 2021, before the store removal. The Stranger Things name is the original; the other was a placeholder.
| Character | Original name | Placeholder name (2021 to 2023) |
|---|---|---|
| The Demogorgon | Surge | Jolt |
| The Demogorgon | Mindbreaker | Fearmonger |
| The Demogorgon | Cruel Limits | Claustrophobia |
| Nancy Wheeler | Better Together | Situational Awareness |
| Nancy Wheeler | Fixated | Self-Aware |
| Nancy Wheeler | Inner Strength | Inner Healing |
| Steve Harrington | Babysitter | Guardian |
| Steve Harrington | Camaraderie | Kinship |
| Steve Harrington | Second Wind | Renewal |
What do the 2019 perks do?
The Demogorgon. Surge: downing a Survivor with a basic attack makes generators within 32 metres explode, lose 6/7/8% and regress, and Survivors repairing them scream. Mindbreaker: Survivors repairing a generator are Blind and Exhausted, lingering 3/4/5 seconds after they stop. Cruel Limits: each completed generator blocks every window for Survivors for 20/25/30 seconds and shows you their auras. Surge also places in our Killer perk tier list.
Nancy Wheeler. Better Together: while you are repairing a generator, other Survivors see its aura, and if the Killer downs someone during that repair you see every Survivor's aura for 20/25/30 seconds. Fixated gives 10/15/20% Haste while walking and shows your own Scratch Marks. Inner Strength: after cleansing a Totem, hiding in a locker for 10/9/8 seconds while injured heals you instantly.
Steve Harrington. Babysitter: the Survivor you unhook gets 10% Haste and leaves no Scratch Marks or Pools of Blood for 20/25/30 seconds, and you see the Killer's aura for 8 seconds. Camaraderie works in the Struggle Phase, your second hook stage: when another Survivor comes within 16 metres, the struggle timer pauses for 26/30/34 seconds. Second Wind: after healing one Survivor, your next unhook leaves you Broken, then heals you after 28/24/20 seconds if you are not downed.
Did any Stranger Things perk change in 2026?
Not since the 10.2.0 perk pass. None of the 18 perks appears in the 10.2.0 live notes, 10.2.1, 10.2.2, the 10.2.2a backend patch or the 10.3.0 Terrifier PTB notes. The one change on the horizon is Surge. Behaviour's 22 October stream recap says Update 10.4.0, due in January, brings "adjustments to around 15 perks (including Eruption, Sloppy Butcher, Surge, Hyperfocus, Shoulder the Burden, and Resurgence)." Behaviour has published no numbers yet.
What do both chapters cost?
Each chapter is 1,500 Auric Cells, and each character inside is 500 Auric Cells. The wiki lists both chapters at $11.99 as standalone DLC. Regional prices vary, so treat the Auric Cell figures as the reliable ones.
FAQ
When does Lights Out: Stranger Things Edition start and end? Behaviour's 10.2.2 notes say 5 to 12 November 2026. No start hour is published. The first Lights Out started at 11 AM ET; the same slot would be 16:00 UTC on 5 November.
Can I use perks in Lights Out? No. The loadout is disabled for both sides, so Survivors find items in chests and nobody runs perks, add-ons or offerings.
Do I need the Stranger Things DLC to play Lights Out? No. Lights Out is a limited-time game mode, not DLC, and you play it with any Killer or Survivor you already own.
Is the Demogorgon the same character as The First? No. The Demogorgon is the 2019 creature; The First is Henry Creel, added on 27 January 2026 with a completely different power.
Is Vecna in Dead by Daylight? Twice. The First is Vecna from Stranger Things, and The Lich is Vecna from Dungeons & Dragons. The 5 November outfit is for The First.
Did I lose anything if I owned the chapter during the delisting? Only the map, and every player lost that. Behaviour's FAQ says owners saw no other change.
Is there a Stranger Things map from Chapter 2? No. The Underground Complex in Hawkins National Laboratory is still the only one.
Want more Dead by Daylight guides? These pages are kept current with the live patch.
- DBD Roadmap 2026: every confirmed event and chapter
- DBD Killer Tier List: All 44 Killers Ranked
- Active DBD codes
Sources: Behaviour Interactive's 10.2.2 patch notes, its 2024 articles Lights Out: Everything You Need To Know and Lights Out Returns, the official Stranger Things Chapter 2, Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons chapter pages, Behaviour's FAQ: Stranger Things Returns (2023), the wiki's Lights Out - Stranger Things (V4)) and Stranger Things Collection pages, and perk values from dbd.tricky.lol. Last verified 4 November 2026 against live Patch 10.2.2a.
