Well, well, well, gather 'round the campfire, fellow Entity enthusiasts! It's 2026, and the fog has rolled in with a fresh batch of updates that have me, a professional masochist (also known as a DBD player), cackling with glee and groaning in equal measure. The developers at Behaviour Interactive have been busy in their workshop, tinkering with some of our favorite murderous friends and the tools they use to, well, murder. Let me tell you, diving into these changes feels like trying to use a chainsaw with a new set of instructions – chaotic, potentially messy, but oh-so-entertaining.

First up, let's talk about the ghost in the digital machine, The Onryo. Ah, Sadako. My beloved VHS horror icon. It seems the devs have been listening to the whispers (and probably the screams) from longtime players like me. Remember when her Condemned mechanic felt like an actual, looming threat, not just a mild inconvenience? The update aims to bring back that spine-tingling dread with a focus on two big things: making Condemned truly lock you in, and curbing the wild, map-spanning projection spamming that had turned her into more of a teleporting nuisance than a cursed spirit. It's a balancing act worthy of a circus, trying to please the old guard while keeping the quality-of-life improvements. I'm cautiously optimistic, like a survivor staring at a seemingly un-hooked generator.

Now, hold onto your syringes, because The Blight got a tune-up. Not a nerf bat to the face, mind you, but some very specific, surgeon-like adjustments to his Add-Ons. This guy was already the speed demon of the killer roster, a pinball of pain ricocheting off every wall. The target? Those pesky Add-Ons that tipped him from "high-skill ceiling" into "why am I already on a hook?" territory. We're looking at you, Compound Thirty-Three and Iridescent Blight Tag. The goal is to keep him formidable (because let's face it, a bad Blight is rare and beautiful) without letting his add-ons do all the work. It's like taking a race car and fine-tuning the nitrous boost – still fast, just less likely to explode in everyone's face.

And who could forget the original zoomer, The Hillbilly? His recent PTB changes were a love letter to Billy mains, and now they're polishing that letter with some Add-On buffs. The idea is to give players more than just one or two "meta" choices for his chainsaw. We're talking about making things like Greased Throttle or Thermal Casing actually worth a perk slot. This is huge! It means my Billy gameplay might not just be about slapping on the same old boring screws and filters. Variety is the spice of death, after all. Here's a quick look at what they're messing with:

• The Go-Fast Gang: Greased Throttle & The Thompson’s Mix (Gotta go fast!)

• The Control Crew: Thermal Casing & Ragged Engine (For the precision sawyers)

• The Recovery Squad: Discarded Air Filter & High-Speed Idler Screw (Less downtime, more revving)

But it's not just the killers getting the spotlight! Oh no, two perennial favorite perks have been dragged into the Entity's lab for observation. Save the Best for Last (STBFL) – the beloved obsession-slayer of every M1 killer – has been adjusted. I won't lie, my heart sank a little. As someone who loves stacking those tokens, the change is meant to prevent it from being an absolute must-pick on every single killer who can basic attack. It's still strong, but now you have to think twice. Then there's Quick Gambit. Remember this one? The perk that made generators near hooked survivors fly? It's gotten a tweak too, probably to prevent those insane, coordinated gen-rushes that made killers just want to face a wall and cry.

And here's the real kicker, the cherry on top of this 2026 update sundae: the introduction of the 'Watch List'. This isn't a list of movies to stream. No, this is Behaviour's way of saying, "Hey, we see you using that thing. We're watching it. We're collecting data. Don't get too comfortable." It's a brilliant and slightly terrifying transparency tool. It means perks, add-ons, or mechanics that are potentially problematic are now publicly on notice. Just because something is on the list doesn't guarantee a change, but it does mean the devs have their eyeballs on it. It's like having a teacher stand behind you while you take a test – suddenly, you're rethinking every answer.

So, what's my final take as a jaded, yet eternally hopeful, player? This 2026 update feels less like a seismic shift and more like a careful recalibration. They're not trying to reinvent the wheel; they're just putting better tires on it. The focus is clearly on:

1. Restoring Identity: Bringing back what made killers like Onryo unique.

2. Precision Balancing: Targeting specific overpowered add-ons (Blight) instead of gutting whole characters.

3. Expanding Viability: Making more playstyles and item choices worthwhile (Hillbilly).

4. Managing Expectations: Using the Watch List to communicate long-term balance philosophy.

Jumping into a match now feels fresh. Will my old Blight tactics work? Can I finally make a wonky Hillbilly build and not get gen-rushed into oblivion? Is Sadako actually scary again? The only way to find out is to step back into the fog, heart pounding, and see how these changes play out in the brutal, beautiful chaos that is Dead by Daylight. Just remember, if you hear a chainsaw... maybe don't run in a straight line. Some things never change. 😉