"Is Dead by Daylight free?" gets a messy answer on Reddit because it depends on your platform and which subscriptions you already pay for. We checked every store on 9 November 2026 and wrote it all down. The live game is Patch 10.2.2a (the backend fix dated 29 October in Behaviour's Steam news feed), and the Terrifier chapter is listed for 24 November.
Quick answer / TL;DR: No. Dead by Daylight is not free-to-play on any platform. It costs $19.99 on Steam and $29.99 on Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch (US stores, no discount on 9 November 2026). You can play it through a subscription you may already have: PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium, Xbox Game Pass Premium and Ultimate, and PC Game Pass. On consoles the game also needs the platform's paid online service. The last free weekend was 21 June 2025 on Steam, PlayStation and Xbox, and none has been announced since. The free mobile version shut down on 20 March 2025.
Is Dead by Daylight free-to-play?
No. Dead by Daylight is a buy-to-play game with optional in-game purchases. Steam's API returns is_free: false for app 381210, and none of the console stores list it under free-to-play.
The confusion comes from three things:
- Subscriptions. Millions of players get DBD through PS Plus or Game Pass, so to them it looks free.
- Free weekends. Behaviour has run free weekends almost every year since 2018, most recently in June 2025, so "it was free last weekend" posts are still all over search results.
- Free content inside the game. Maps are free, three chapters were always free, and the game regularly hands out codes and event rewards.
Once you own the base game, most of the grind is free. Every original (non-licensed) Killer and Survivor can be unlocked with Iridescent Shards, which you earn by playing. Licensed characters are the main thing you have to pay for.
How much does Dead by Daylight cost on each platform?
Here is what each US store charged for the standard edition on 9 November 2026:
| Platform | Base price | Included with a subscription? | Online play needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC, Steam | $19.99 | No | Nothing extra |
| PC, Epic Games Store | Paid (not in Epic's free-games list this week) | No | Nothing extra |
| PC, Windows / Xbox app | Paid | Yes, PC Game Pass | Nothing extra |
| Xbox One, Series X/S | $29.99 | Yes, Game Pass Premium and Ultimate | Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate |
| PS4, PS5 | $29.99 | Yes, PS Plus Extra and Premium | PS Plus |
| Nintendo Switch | $29.99 | No | Paid Nintendo Switch Online |
| Mobile (iOS, Android) | Shut down | n/a | n/a |
Sources: Steam store page, xbox.com store page, PlayStation Store page, and Nintendo's eShop listing. Nintendo's US product page wouldn't render a price for us, so the $29.99 Switch figure comes from two independent price trackers, gg.deals and allkeyshop.
Two things stand out:
- Steam is $10 cheaper than every console. Steam charges 19.99 in both the US (dollars) and Germany (euros), and 17.19 pounds in the UK.
- The console editions come with more characters. Behaviour's PlayStation Plus announcement and its own Xbox store description both list 7 Killers and 9 Survivors: The Trapper, The Wraith, The Hillbilly, The Nurse, The Hag, The Huntress and The Doctor, plus Dwight, Meg, Claudette, Jake, Ace, Nea, Bill, Feng and David. The Xbox text adds "two cosmetic add-ons packed with outfits". The Steam base game starts you with 5 Killers and 7 Survivors (no Hag, Doctor, Ace or Feng). So part of the extra $10 buys four characters.
If you're planning to buy chapters as well, the base price matters less than the DLC bill. Our Dead by Daylight DLC price guide works out what all 32 non-overlapping chapters cost on Steam and which ones to buy first.
Is Dead by Daylight free on PS5 with PS Plus?
Yes, with PS Plus Extra or Premium. It isn't included with PS Plus Essential.
This isn't the first time. Dead by Daylight was one of the PS Plus monthly games in August 2018, according to the PlayStation Blog. If you claimed it then, check your library before paying, because monthly games stay playable while your PS Plus is active.
It then joined the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog on 16 August 2022. Behaviour's announcement spells out the rules:
"We're thrilled to announce that Dead by Daylight is coming to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog Lineup on August 16th, available to play for all Extra and Premium members." (Behaviour Interactive)
The same post adds the catch: "If you cancel or switch to the Essential PlayStation Plus plan, you will no longer be able to access Dead by Daylight." DLC chapters still have to be bought separately.
Is it still in the catalog? On 9 November 2026 the PlayStation Store page shows the game as "Included" with the message "Subscribe to PlayStation Plus Extra to access this game and hundreds more in the Game Catalog". So yes, more than four years after it was added. Sony rotates the catalog every month, so check that label before you rely on it.
The store page also lists "PS Plus required for online play". Dead by Daylight is online-only, so any PS Plus tier is effectively needed to play at all. Extra just covers the game as well. The same page notes that cloud streaming on PS5 and PlayStation Portal needs Premium.
Is Dead by Daylight on Xbox Game Pass?
Yes, on Game Pass Premium and Ultimate, and in PC Game Pass. DBD has been on Game Pass since 30 May 2019, according to the xbox.com product data.
The xbox.com store page shows "Included in Premium" next to the $29.99 buy button, and it lists Premium and Ultimate as the subscriptions that include the game. Microsoft's own Game Pass catalog feeds, which we checked the same day, put the console version in "All Console Games" and a separate "Dead by Daylight Windows" product in "All PC Games". That means PC Game Pass players get it through the Xbox app.
Two lines on that page matter:
"Cloud playable game included with XBOX Game Pass Premium and Ultimate. Game purchase required to stream with XBOX Game Pass Essential." (xbox.com)
"Online multiplayer on console requires XBOX Game Pass Essential, Premium, or Ultimate (subscriptions sold separately)." (xbox.com)
So Essential alone isn't enough. It covers online play, but you'd still have to buy the game. Cloud play is controller-only, and Microsoft caps cloud playtime by tier. Our Dead by Daylight mobile guide covers the cloud hour limits and how to play DBD on a phone in 2026.
Is Dead by Daylight free on Steam or Epic Games?
Not right now. Steam charged the full $19.99 with no discount on 9 November 2026, and Epic's free-games promotion for the week didn't include Dead by Daylight.
The most recent free weekend was announced on Behaviour's official X account on 21 June 2025:
"Play Dead by Daylight for free this weekend on Steam, PlayStation and Xbox. Now's the best time to head into the Fog, with up to 60% off the Base Game and up to 50% off select DLCs on multiple platforms." (@DeadbyDaylight, 21 June 2025)
Before that, the last free trial posted in Behaviour's Steam news feed was in March 2023:
"Experience the world's deadliest game of hide and seek during our Steam Free Trial from now until Monday, March 13th. You can also save 60% off the base game and up to 50% off select DLCs through Thursday, March 23rd." (Behaviour Interactive, 9 March 2023)
The recent history from that feed:
| Free trial | Platforms | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Halloween free trial | Steam | 21 to 25 October 2021 |
| Haunted by Daylight free weekend | Steam | 27 October to 1 November 2022 |
| Steam Free Trial and Sale | Steam | 9 to 13 March 2023 |
| Free weekend | Steam, PlayStation, Xbox | Weekend of 21 June 2025 |
We searched Behaviour's X posts since June 2025 and its Steam announcements on 9 November 2026 and found no newer free weekend, including during Haunted by Daylight 2026. Watch Behaviour's official channels, not Reddit rumours.
Behaviour also runs free character trials for players who already own the game. From 6 to 20 November 2025, it let everyone try The Executioner, The Dark Lord, Cheryl Mason and Trevor Belmont for free. Those trials don't make the base game free, but they're a cheap way to test a licensed character before buying.
The cheapest way to buy it on PC is a sale. Valve has set the Steam Winter Sale for 17 December 2026 to 4 January 2027. The March 2023 and June 2025 promotions both took up to 60% off the base game, which would bring the $19.99 price down to about $8. We can't promise the Winter Sale discount until it starts.
If you buy on Epic, you can still play with Steam friends. Behaviour's Epic launch post confirmed cross-play and cross-progression with a Behaviour Account. Our DBD crossplay guide covers which platforms match together and how to turn it off.
Is Dead by Daylight free on Nintendo Switch or Switch 2?
No. The Switch version costs $29.99 and isn't part of any Nintendo subscription. Nintendo's eShop listing also warns that you need a second paid service:
"This software includes modes or features for which an internet connection and a paid membership to Nintendo Switch Online are required. Any online play modes require a paid membership to Nintendo Switch Online." (Nintendo eShop)
Dead by Daylight has no offline mode, so on Switch that membership is required, not optional. That's the most common misconception in player threads: people assume an internet connection is enough because the game is a download. It isn't.
Behaviour added Nintendo Switch 2 to its cross-progression list on 7 October 2026, so a Behaviour Account carries your progress between Switch 2, Switch, PC and the other consoles. Our cross-progression guide explains what transfers between platforms.
Can you still play Dead by Daylight Mobile for free?
No. It's gone. Dead by Daylight Mobile was free-to-play, but NetEase ended the service. Per the closure notice, the game was removed from the App Store and Google Play on 16 January 2025, and the servers went offline on 20 March 2025:
"Due to ongoing shifts in NetEase Games' development and operational strategies, the decision has been made to end service for Dead by Daylight Mobile as of March 20th, 2025." (Dead by Daylight Mobile team)
Any APK you find today can't connect, because the game needed Behaviour's servers to run. To play DBD on a phone now you need cloud streaming: Xbox Cloud Gaming with Game Pass Premium or Ultimate, Xbox Cloud Gaming with Game Pass Essential if you bought the Xbox version, or GeForce NOW. GeForce NOW requires you to own the game on Steam or Epic.
What can you get for free once you own Dead by Daylight?
More than most paid games give you. Once the base game is unlocked:
- Every map is free. Behaviour's chapters page says "Maps remain free for all players". You never pay for a Realm.
- Three chapters were always free. The Last Breath, A Lullaby for the Dark and Left Behind still show no price on Steam. That's where the Nurse, the Huntress, Nea, David and Bill come from.
- Every original character can be earned. Behaviour's store philosophy post set the rule in 2018: "all our non-licensed killers and survivors will be unlockable with Iridescent Shards". You earn Shards by levelling up. Most licensed characters, such as the Stranger Things cast, need real money or Auric Cells. Bill Overbeck is the exception, because his Left Behind chapter was free. Our survivor list gives the unlock price of each one.
- Codes. Behaviour and its partners regularly release redeemable codes for Bloodpoints and cosmetics. The newest one, NOTTODAY, gives a Spiked Bat Charm and must be redeemed before 6 December. Our DBD codes page lists every code that still works, and the Bloodpoint codes page covers the 600,000 Bloodpoints you can still claim.
- Events. Seasonal events such as Haunted by Daylight hand out free cosmetics and extra Bloodpoints during their run.
What isn't free: licensed chapters, most outfits, and the Rift Pass premium track. Those cost Auric Cells, which come in packs from $4.99 for 500. Our Auric Cells guide shows the cost per cell for every pack.
What's the cheapest way to start playing Dead by Daylight?
It depends on what you already pay for:
- You already have PS Plus Extra or Premium: download it from the Game Catalog. It costs you nothing extra.
- You already have Game Pass Premium, Ultimate or PC Game Pass: same thing, install it from the Xbox app or the console.
- You only have a PC: wait for a Steam sale if you can. Valve's Winter Sale starts 17 December. The full price is $19.99, and there's no subscription on top.
- You're on Switch: budget for $29.99 plus a Nintendo Switch Online membership, since no subscription includes the game there.
One thing to watch with a subscription: you're renting access. Behaviour's PS Plus post says it plainly: cancel or drop to Essential and "you will no longer be able to access Dead by Daylight". Game Pass works the same way when a game leaves the catalog or your plan lapses. If you know you'll play for years, buying on Steam during a sale is the cheaper long-term route.
Two dates matter this month. Steam's Chucky Last Chance Sale starts on 10 November at 50% off, and Chucky is delisted from every store at 11am ET on 24 November. The same day, Terrifier brings The Terrifier (Art the Clown) and Sienna Shaw, with no price announced yet. Neither one changes the base-game price.
More Dead by Daylight guides that we keep current with the live patch:
- Dead by Daylight DLC: every chapter and price
- DBD codes this month
- DBD killer tier list (Patch 10.2.2a)
- Every DBD Killer, listed
FAQ
Is Dead by Daylight free-to-play? No. Dead by Daylight is a paid game on every platform: $19.99 on Steam and $29.99 on Xbox, PlayStation and Switch in the US (checked 9 November 2026). The only free-to-play version was Dead by Daylight Mobile, which shut down on 20 March 2025.
Is Dead by Daylight free with PS Plus? Only with PS Plus Extra or Premium. It has been in the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog since 16 August 2022, and the PlayStation Store still showed it as "Included" on 9 November 2026. PS Plus Essential doesn't include the game, but you need some PS Plus tier for online play.
Is Dead by Daylight on Game Pass? Yes. Xbox lists it under Game Pass Premium and Ultimate, and the Windows version is in PC Game Pass. Game Pass Essential only covers online play, so you'd still have to buy the game.
When is the next Dead by Daylight free weekend? Behaviour hasn't announced one. The last one was the weekend of 21 June 2025, on Steam, PlayStation and Xbox, with up to 60% off the base game. Before that, the last Steam free trial ran from 9 to 13 March 2023.
Do I need Nintendo Switch Online to play Dead by Daylight? Yes. Nintendo's eShop listing says any online play mode needs a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership, and Dead by Daylight has no offline mode.
Can I get Dead by Daylight characters for free? Yes, the original ones. Every non-licensed Killer and Survivor can be unlocked with Iridescent Shards, which you earn by playing. Most licensed characters need money or Auric Cells. Maps are always free.
