Hello guys, thanks for taking your time for this interview. Before we begin, could you please introduce yourselves to the community?

Phil: Hey! My name is Filip Ivanovic, I am the Art Director on Dead by Daylight and I’ve been on the project for approximately two years.

Damien: Hi guys, my name is Damien Devaux, and I’m Lead Character Artist on Dead by Daylight. I’ve been on the project for about three years.



Could you tell us more about Dead by Daylight? The game was released two years ago but is still very popular. How does this affect the type of content you’re still producing for it?

Phil: Dead by Daylight is an asymmetrical action and survival horror multiplayer game in which one crazed, unstoppable killer hunts four survivors through a terrifying nightmarish world in a deadly game of cat and mouse. It was first released on Steam in June 2016 and then on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One home consoles in June 2017.

Last June, we released the in-game store, which affected the type of content we create. We now produce way more outfits for the characters. Our players want new content, and we work hard to give them what they want. We’re constantly working on new ideas to keep the players engaged.



How about the art direction of Dead by Daylight? Where do you get your references and your inspiration?

Phil: When I first joined the team, the style focused mainly on hand-painted textures. I really wanted to push things further and use more of the latest shaders and tech available.

I really wanted to go darker and have more of a story-driven world (including the characters). In terms of inspiration, I’m a big horror movie and dark author fan, from the old horror movies of the ’80s to the twisted world of H.P. Lovecraft. I always question myself when I brainstorm for a new killer. Could we do a movie about them? Is it something that would look awesome as cosplay? And most importantly, is it new and fresh for our game?

Damien: The art direction was quite different at the beginning; it was more about sharp edges and stylized hand-painted textures. The art direction eventually evolved towards a more realistic approach as you can see today.

Here’s a first pass on Dwight, before we changed the art direction.