June 3rd marked the end of Dead by Daylight’s newest mode Chaos Shuffle. Originally to end on May 23rd, Dead by Daylight (DBD) revealed the mode has been queued up eighteen million times and extended the mode until June. While this has been the most popular modifier Dead by Daylight has given players, are there any ways BHVR (pronounced behavior and the developers of DBD) could improve upon it?
Dead by Daylight’s New Modes
![Michael Myers stalks a victim.](https://totalapexgaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/dbd07.jpg)
For those unaware of how to play Dead by Daylight, we must quickly explain the game before looking at the mode. The premise of Dead by Daylight is simple. A malevolent being known as The Entity has taken captive survivors from various times and dimensions (you’ll recognize some of them from movies and shows). The survivors are to fix five of seven generators within a map, power at least one of two exit gates, and leave.
The problem is that each trial has a killer intent on making things difficult. The survivors must avoid, outrun, and outwit the killers. If not, the survivors will find themselves hanging on a hook. Find yourself hooked three times or on a hook for too long and The Entity comes to capture their souls.
Chaos Shuffle is not DBD’s first attempt at creating a new game mode. Two other modes came before it: Lights Out and My Little Oni. Lights Out was as it sounds. The game map was almost pitch black and survivors and killers could not use perks. While the mode was novel, many thought it got old fast.
My Little Oni ran around April Fools for just a few days. Survivors were extremely tiny and fast while Oni, the only playable killer in this mode, was gigantic. It was enjoyable speeding around the map as a survivor and hiding from the Oni. It was equally enjoyable striking tiny players with Oni’s Kanobo and then stomping them out of existence.
The most recent, and most popular, addition to Dead by Daylight has been Chaos Shuffle. The mode was originally planned to run from May 16-23 but BHVR extended its time to June 3rd due to its popularity. Chaos Shuffle randomized the four perks for each killer and survivor. This was viewed as a refreshing change as some players only played Chaos Shuffle while it was around. How did this game mode stack up?
Chaos Shuffle’s Positives
![Nicolas Cage works on a generator with a killer nearby.](https://totalapexgaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/dbd06.jpg)
One of the main problems within the Dead by Daylight community is the META. Many survivors only run perks like Adrenaline, Decisive Strike, and Dead Hard to name a few. Killers would run regression perks such as Pain Resonance, Pop Goes the Weasel, Sloppy Butcher, and others. Chaos Shuffle was a ray of hope as killers and survivors no longer saw the same perks ad nauseam. This change made each game feel fresh and different.
I have a confession to make. Despite having almost 1,400 hours of game time in Dead by Daylight, I tend to use the same perks. Chaos Shuffle changed that. Chaos Shuffle forced players to try out new and different perks. Players had to check to see their new perks, and quickly make a game plan handling the rest of the game.
I even had the opportunity to see synergy I never realized existed. I was able to survive one match with Wake Up and Sole Survivor. After my team died, both perks allowed me to open the exit gates quickly and escape. This led Dead by Daylight to feel fresh. Playing the same game for a lengthy period can grow old. Adding new modes can add longevity to a game. The game seems newer, fresher, and more enjoyable to veterans while adding another reason for newer players to join the fold.
Chaos Shuffle’s Negatives
![Starting a trial in Dead by Daylight.](https://totalapexgaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/dbd05.jpg)
Tunneling and camping have always been a problem in Dead by Daylight. While BHVR has set forth measures to help prevent these acts, killers still find a way to do both. I have never seen more tunneling than in Chaos Shuffle. There are two reasons this may have occurred. Some killers may have been too used to using generator regression perks and a change in perks made pressuring survivors more difficult without tunneling.
Another problem may lie in how BHVR handles the killer perks. The reason why generator regression is part of the meta is because these perks are so strong. The rest of the perks may be much weaker causing killers to resort to tunneling.
While a change of perk combination is refreshing, Chaos Shuffle sometimes leaves you with a combination you could not use. On the last day of play a friend received Plot Twist (a perk that heals a character’s health state) and No Mither (a perk that leaves a character in a constantly injured state without the ability to be healed). I was once stuck playing a game with three exhaustion perks. While this was nothing terrible, it could be frustrating at times.
The final issue with this mode was the repetition I experienced with some of the perks. As of this article, Dead by Daylight has 261 different perks (140 for survivors and 121 for killers). This should have led to countless combinations of perks each side would receive. I played many games with Dramaturgy, Blood Rush, Boon: Dark Theory, and Fixated mixed with my other perks. Seeing the same perks takes away from the feeling of randomness.
Many players have expressed the hope Chaos Shuffle returns to become a permanent fixture while BHVR has stated that any mode popular enough could do that. Players can look forward to the 2Vs8 (two killer vs eight survivors) mode coming at a later day. That does not mean we give up hope at a return to Chaos Shuffle. Hopefully, if it does return BHVR will work out some of the problems with the mode to make it even better a second time.
About the Author
Andrew Crowe is not good at writing biographical material. He is an avid mental health advocate. He is a graduate of three schools holding degrees in Computer Science, Human Services, and Human Development. He co-hosts “What Makes a Good Game?” with friend Cosmironic.
Andrew likes some of the worst things in life. He enjoys b-movies, bad licensed video games, and music most no one enjoys. He streams at least three days a week on Twitch. He is husband to a talented writer, Corinne, and a father. Both are viewed as his most important titles.
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