Key Highlights:
- Dead by Daylight Design a Cosmetic Contest returns with four categories and an entry deadline of 19 August 2024.
- Players can submit Killer Outfits, Survivor Outfits, Badges and Banners, with shortlisted designs going to a community vote.
- Winning designs will be added to the game, with their creators also receiving 25,000 Auric Cells.
The Dead by Daylight Design a Cosmetic Contest has returned for 2024, giving players the opportunity to create original outfits and other customisation items that could eventually become part of the game.
Behaviour Interactive announced the competition on 29 July, confirming that Dead by Daylight players can submit designs across four categories: Killer Outfit, Survivor Outfit, Badge and Banner.
Submissions opened on 29 July and close on 19 August at 11:59pm ET (20 August at 4:59am BST). Successful entrants will receive 25,000 Auric Cells, worth approximately $200, alongside having their creations adapted into official in-game cosmetics.
This year’s competition also introduces two notable changes. Badges and Banners replace the previous Charm categories, while the final winners will be determined through a community vote rather than being chosen entirely by the developers.
Behaviour will first use a three-person judging panel to shortlist submissions based on originality, execution and how well they fit the game’s characters. Community voting is scheduled to run from 19 to 26 September, with the winners expected to be announced on 3 October.
There are several restrictions on what players can submit. According to the official contest rules, entries must be original and respect the intellectual property requirements established by Behaviour.
Killer and Survivor outfits should also follow these design principles:
- Fit the chosen character’s existing lore and personality.
- Offer something visually distinct from their current cosmetics.
- Qualify as Very Rare Outfits without altering the character’s body.
- Avoid excessive visual effects or connected cosmetic pieces that cannot be equipped separately.
Submissions must feature original Dead by Daylight characters rather than licensed crossover characters. Entrants must also meet the competition’s age and regional eligibility requirements, which restrict participation to adults in specified countries.
Early Community Designs Are Already Attracting Attention
Players have started sharing their ideas on Reddit, including several concepts for characters introduced through the All Things Wicked Chapter earlier this year.
One submission gives The Unknown a cinema worker-inspired appearance, complete with a ticket attendant theme. Another, titled Black Heart, reimagines Sable Ward with a gothic black-and-white outfit.
However, a particularly interesting creation is The Crooked Man, a work-in-progress concept shared by Reddit user Mr_ShadowBlood on 30 July.
The design transforms The Unknown into a twisted, grinning figure carrying a walking cane. Rather than presenting a conventional illustration, the creator has assembled a three-dimensional model using modified game assets.
Of the concepts I’ve seen, The Crooked Man stands out because the artist has gone beyond a costume sketch to demonstrate how the character might actually appear in-game.
There is still some uncertainty surrounding the community voting process. Popular characters could receive more attention than less frequently used members of the roster, regardless of the quality of individual submissions.
Nevertheless, Behaviour’s decision to shortlist entries before allowing players to vote provides some control over which designs reach the final stage.
The 2024 Design a Cosmetic Contest offers another opportunity for players to influence Dead by Daylight’s appearance, with the winning designs set to arrive in future updates rather than immediately after the results are announced.
Later Update: Behaviour Interactive subsequently expanded the competition to 12 winners, with three designs selected from each of the four categories. The official winners announcement arrived on 1 October 2024, confirming more than 3,000 submissions. Winning outfits included Gothic Romance for Sable Ward, Unsolved for The Unknown and Fear of Reminiscence for The Dredge.
