If you’ve ever wanted to try out new killers, survivors, perks, or balance updates before they officially go live in Dead by Daylight, the Public Test Build (PTB) is your best chance. The PTB is a special version of the game available only on Steam that lets players test upcoming content and provide feedback directly to Behaviour Interactive.
Here’s a guide on everything you need to know about how to join the PTB and what to expect.
What Is the PTB?
The PTB is a separate test version of Dead by Daylight that Behaviour releases ahead of big updates, like new content or mid-chapter reworks. It’s a limited-time event, usually about a week long, where Steam players can preview new features, help find bugs, and share feedback before changes are pushed to the live game.
That means, the Public Test Builds are a way for the Game’s Developers to test and gather community feedback on major upcoming changes before their release.
Keep in mind: anything you do in the PTB (like levelling characters or earning points) won’t carry over to your main DBD account.
Who Can Join?
Only players who play on Steam version of Dead by Daylight can access the PTB. It’s not available on consoles or on other PC storefronts like the Epic Games Store or the Microsoft Store.
How to Join the PTB on Steam
If a PTB is live, here’s how to opt in:
- Open Steam and go to your Library.
- Right-click Dead by Daylight in your Steam library and select Properties.
- In the Properties window, click the Betas tab.
- From the drop-down menu, select public-test.
Steam will then download the PTB version. Once that’s installed, you’ll be able to launch the game as usual—just keep an eye out for “public-test” next to the title in your library.
As mentioned before, the Public Test Build uses its own, independent save file.
What If You Don’t See the Option?
If the “public-test” option isn’t showing up, it likely means there’s no active PTB at the moment. These test periods only happen before major updates, so check Dead by Daylight’s official news section, forums, or Twitter for announcements on when the next one begins.
Once the PTB comes out, the devs will usually release instructions telling you exactly how to join it.
What to Expect in the PTB
The Public Test Build is a testing environment, so it plays a bit differently from the live version. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Progress is temporary: The PTB uses a copy of your save from a few days prior. None of your progress in the PTB affects your main game.
- No rewards: You won’t earn real Bloodpoints, Iridescent Shards, or unlocks that transfer over.
- Longer matchmaking times: Fewer players participate in the PTB, and most people want to play as the new killer—so queues can take a while.
- Bots may appear: To help with low player counts, Behaviour sometimes uses bots to fill lobbies during testing.
- Bugs are expected: That’s the whole point of the PTBs! If you encounter issues in-game, consider reporting them to Behaviour through their forums or feedback forms.
How to Leave the PTB
Once you’re done testing, you can switch back to the live game by:
- Going back to the Betas tab in Steam.
- Selecting “None” from the dropdown.
Steam will reinstall the regular version, and your real save data will be exactly as you left it.
Final Thoughts
Joining the PTB is a great way to explore upcoming content early and be part of the development process. Be it testing a new killer’s power, new survivors, or exploring perk changes, your feedback will help improve the horror game for everyone.
