Dead by Daylight’s 10.2.0 PTB goes live on September 15 with a much broader perk pass than the initial preview might suggest. A total of 58 perks are being adjusted, while Survivors are also getting a new way to exchange preset messages during a match. Only two perk reworks have been detailed ahead of the complete PTB notes.
The perk pass has three separate goals
This update follows the introduction of Diminishing Returns in version 9.6.0. Rather than introducing sweeping accompanying balance changes in the same update, the developers first monitored selection patterns and looked for problems caused by the new system.
The upcoming work is split into three groups:
- 26 perks are being reviewed because their effects bypass Diminishing Returns, are barely constrained by it, or could be buffed without undermining the system.
- 23 general perks will receive buffs or functional changes intended to make them more approachable for new players and potentially useful in a wider range of builds.
- 9 perks are being adjusted because they encourage unhealthy play patterns or remain oppressive while avoiding the intended limits.
Some lower-tier perk values will also move closer to their fully upgraded equivalents. That should make early versions less punishing for players who have not unlocked the maximum tier, although the full impact cannot be judged until all 58 changes are published.
Do No Harm and Knock Out show the range of changes
The revised Do No Harm focuses more heavily on skill checks while healing another Survivor. For each Hook State on the Survivor being healed, it offers 30/40/50% faster healing, raises the chance of receiving a skill check by 5%, and grants 3% extra progress for a great basic skill check. The intended distinction is that this becomes a skill-check-oriented option rather than another flat healing-speed perk.
Knock Out now creates a six-second window after a Survivor drops a pallet. Moving 10 metres away from that pallet applies 20% Hindered for 3/4/5 seconds. Breaking the pallet removes the slowdown early, including when the effect has already been applied.
This design targets Survivors who abandon the pallet instead of continuing to loop around it. It also illustrates why the complete notes matter: the update includes numerical buffs, redesigned triggers, and changes aimed directly at particular match behaviours.
Survivor Intent adds a new communication layer
The Survivor Intent System will make its first PTB appearance alongside the perk update. It lets Survivors send short, predefined messages for common decisions, such as asking teammates to split up or calling for an unhook.
It will be active by default, with settings for selecting available messages or disabling the feature entirely. Muting and anti-spam protections are included. A visual indicator will identify players who have turned the system off, preventing teammates from assuming that their messages were received.
The developers plan to iterate on the system and add more selectable messages later. For now, the PTB will provide the first test of how much coordination it adds without regular text or voice chat.
What this means for players using software
The September 15 build is a PTB release, not an automatic update to the live client. Test builds may ship with different executables, data layouts, and interface elements, so live offsets and signatures should not be assumed to work. ESP tools, perk trackers, overlays, and input hooks may all require separate validation even when their feature sets appear unrelated to perk balance.
Do No Harm is especially relevant to skill-check automation because it changes how often those events can occur and how much value a great result provides. The Survivor Intent interface also introduces new input and UI paths, making hotkey conflicts or overlay placement worth checking before a full session. Trackers that display perk triggers or timers will need the complete patch notes rather than the two-item preview.
The announcement does not mention an anti-cheat update or new HWID enforcement, so it does not provide a reason to change spoofing arrangements by itself. PTB users should first review the software update status page and use the Dead by Daylight software catalog to find options intended for the relevant game build. If a tool only lists live-client support, avoid treating PTB compatibility as implied.
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