Dead by Daylight‘s 2v8 Mode is a time-limited game mode that doubles the number of players in a Trial. It also mixes up the core mechanics of how characters work, so Survivors all now use classes instead of Perks and builds.
Developer Behaviour Interactive is iterating on 2v8 Mode in Dead by Daylight every time it puts it live for a limited-time event. At the time of writing, it feels a little rough around the edges, but the bones of how this mode should work are there. Killers have buffed powers, and Survivors have set classes so everyone is on a vaguely level playing field. But understanding how each Survivor class works is key if you’re going to try to win a Trial.
All Survivor classes and skills in Dead by Daylight 2v8 Mode
Below, I’ve listed every Survivor class in Dead by Daylight 2v8 Mode and what their skills are. I’ve also included a summary of how this class works and why their skills are good for specific types of play. Note that the Unlockable Skill is the same for all classes, so I’ve written it out once to avoid confusion.
Escapist
- Team Skill: While sprinting, all Survivors within 12 meters gain 150% Haste for 3 seconds. This Team Skill has a cooldown of 20 seconds.
- Aura Skill: Reveals the auras of pallets, windows, and breakable walls within 32 meters.
- Innate Skill: Gain 3% Haste while injured.
- Unlockable Skill: After reaching the second cage state, Survivors gain the ability to self-heal and fully recover. Once a Survivor has fully recovered themselves, having completed at least 25% of their own recovery progression, they gain the Endurance status effect for 20 seconds and a 10% Haste status effect for 10 seconds.
The Escapist class is all about pushing the entire Survivor team to get out of the Trial as quickly as possible. Those running it should sprint with other Survivors when they’re being chased by Killers, likely taking a hit from those Killers in the process.
Since this class reveals pallets, windows, and breakable walls, it pays to keep the Killers occupied because you can run circles around them. Taking a hit actually speeds them up, after all. The Unlockable Skill shows that it’s not only important to get hit and captured by Killers, it’s essential. This skill gives the Survivor another chance to save a fellow Survivor and help as many players through the exit gates as possible.
Guide
- Team Skill: When repairing a generator, reveals your aura and your generator’s aura to your team.
- Aura Skill: Reveals the auras of any generators within 16 meters.
- Innate Skill: Survivors within 8 meters gain an additional 3% bonus progress for great skill checks while repairing generator, and the noises caused by your repairs are reduced by 50%. This does not apply when the Survivor is hiding in a locker.
- Unlockable Skill: Same as Escapist class.
The Guide is a Survivor class that should be focused on repairing generators and little else. It’s interesting because it shows the rest of your team that you’re working on a generator and that they stand a better chance of completing a repair by coming to you. But you can also see the generators other Guides are repairing, and know you should be working with them to speed up progress.
The class is also designed so that you can just hang out near a generator that other Survivors are repairing and still boost their progress. This is handy because a lot of generators in 2v8 Mode have limited available sides, with eight of you running around the map.
Medic
- Team Skill: While healing another Survivor, their aura is revealed to the team. Survivors within 3 meters gain a 25% bonus when healing others. This does not apply while in a chase.
- Aura Skill: Reveals the aura of injured Survivors within 128 meters.
- Innate Skill: Increases healing speed by 35%
- Unlockable Skill: Same as Escapist class.
As you might have guessed, the Medic class is all about healing other Survivors and keeping them on their feet during a Trial. Their Team Skill should attract other Survivors to you when healing assistance is required. It’ll also boost all Survivors healing each other, regardless of whether you’re actively healing them or not.
Being able to spot injured Survivors across the map is extremely helpful and will keep the team from being caged up by the Killers for as long as possible. I do think the Innate Skill is a little dull, but boosted healing speed is never a bad thing when there are two Killers hunting you down.
Scout
- Team Skill: While a Killer is within line of sight within 64 meters, their aura is revealed to the team.
- Aura Skill: Reveals the auras of both Killers when they perform the break action on pallets, generators, or breakable walls.
- Innate Skill: Grunts of pain caused by injuries are reduced while crouching. Increases movement speed while crouching.
- Unlockable Skill: Same as Escapist class.
There shouldn’t really be more than two Scout class Survivors on a team. Their job is to observe and keep an eye out for the Killers while everyone else cracks on with repairing generators, healing each other, and trying to escape.
Their ability to reveal the Killer’s aura is incredibly powerful. It means the entire team can move out of the way at the mere hint of a Killer approaching an area of the map. Given the size of these maps, that’s a strong move to be able to coordinate among players who won’t even have voice chat.
Reduced grunts of pain mean Scouts can maintain their watchful eye even after being hit, which they likely will be. Killers are going to see Scouts before any other Survivors because they’re effectively being hunted by them, so it’s going to pay to be able to keep quiet when the Killers are closing in, and there’s no one around to heal you.
