Dead by Daylight DLC totals $400

A post on X on May 22 put Dead by Daylight’s long-running add-on model back into view after one user said they wanted to try the game but stopped when they saw downloadable content totaling about $400. The complaint centered on the cost of buying into a 10-year-old multiplayer horror game all at once, rather than on the base game alone. Dead by Daylight, developed by Behaviour Interactive, sells a base game and then layers on paid Chapters, character packs and cosmetics across its official store ecosystem. Behaviour’s own site says Chapters unlock new Killers, Survivors and exclusive items, while maps remain free for all players. ### Where does the “about $400” figure come from? Steam’s Dead by Daylight DLC page shows a long list of paid add-ons spanning years of releases, including individual Chapters priced at $7.99 or $11.99 and larger character bundles such as Maddening Darkness, Old Wounds and Macabre Tales. The storefront also includes older licensed packs and newer releases such as Stranger Things Chapter 2, which Steam lists at $11.99 with a Jan. 27, 2026 release date. (deadbydaylight.com) The “about $400” claim is consistent with a player adding up a broad set of paid DLC on the official PC storefront, though the exact total can move with sales, bundles and platform differences. Steam’s page shows that Dead by Daylight has accumulated dozens of add-ons over time rather than a single expansion pass. ### What are players actually paying for in Dead by Daylight? (store.steampowered.com) Behaviour Interactive says paid Chapters are designed to unlock playable characters and exclusive items. On the official Chapters page, the company says purchasing a Chapter unlocks new Killers, Survivors and exclusive items, and that maps remain free for all players. Dead by Daylight’s official game pages also show the split between free and paid content. (store.steampowered.com) The core game is a 4-versus-1 multiplayer horror title, while the monetized layer is built around expanding the roster and cosmetic inventory over time. That means a new player can access the game without owning every add-on, but a completionist trying to buy a large share of the roster at once will see a far higher price than the base game alone. (deadbydaylight.com) ### Why does the price discussion keep resurfacing? Behaviour’s storefront structure makes Dead by Daylight unusually easy to total up because the paid content is broken into many separate products. Steam’s DLC page lists individual Chapters beside bundle packs and soundtrack items, creating a storefront total that can look large even before cosmetics sold through the in-game store are considered. (deadbydaylight.com) The official game site also underscores how much content has been added since launch. Behaviour’s character page says players can choose from multiple Killers and Survivors, and its news and Chapters pages continue to add new releases, including 2026 updates and licensed tie-ins. ### Does a new player need to spend $400 to start? Behaviour’s official materials do not say players must buy every Chapter to play. (store.steampowered.com) The company describes Dead by Daylight as a base multiplayer game and says maps are free for all players, with paid Chapters expanding access to specific characters and items. Steam’s current storefront is the clearest place to see what a player would pay today on PC, and Behaviour’s official Chapters page shows which add-ons exist in the current lineup. (deadbydaylight.com) Those two pages are the next stop for anyone trying to check the live total, compare bundle pricing or decide which licensed or original characters to buy first. (store.steampowered.com) (deadbydaylight.com)