Stranger Things Chapter 2: Vecna, Eleven, and Dustin Enter The Fog

As of January 7, 2026, the Upside Down is officially bleeding into the Entity's Realm once again. Following the series finale of Stranger Things on New Year's Eve, Behaviour Interactive has opened the Steam Public Test Build (PTB) for Stranger Things Chapter 2, with a full release scheduled for January 27, 2026.

This update marks the first time a license has received a second full chapter in Dead by Daylight, introducing a new Killer, two Survivors, and several fan-favorite Legendary skins.

 

New Killer: The First (Vecna)

Henry Creel, known in-game as The First, is a high-mobility "world-warper" designed to control the map through the corruption of the Upside Down.

• Special Ability: The Upside Down & Undergate: Vecna can sink into the ground to enter the Upside Down, allowing him to traverse the map invisibly and at high speeds. He can re-emerge via an "Undergate" attack, which creates a large area-of-effect blast that curses any Survivors caught in the radius.

• Special Ability: Vine Attack: Vecna can summon sinister vines from the terrain to lash out at Survivors. Getting hit by vines applies Worldbreaker tokens; once a Survivor has enough tokens, Vecna’s abilities deal direct health damage instead of just status effects.

• The Grandfather Clock: Grandfather clocks spawn around the map. Interacting with them is the only way for Survivors to "snap out" of Vecna’s reality-warping curse and clear their Worldbreaker tokens.

 

New Survivors: Eleven and Dustin Henderson

For the first time, players can take control of the show's core younger cast.

• Jane "Eleven" Hopper: Her perks focus on her psychic connection to the Killer.

  • Extrasensory Perception: Allows Eleven to see the Killer's aura whenever her own aura is revealed to them.

• Dustin Henderson: His perks reflect his role as the team's "intel and tech" expert.

  • Bada Bada Boom: Allows Dustin to "trap" a window after repairing a certain percentage of a generator. If the Killer vaults the trapped window, they are momentarily slowed or blinded.

  • Change of Plans: Allows him to scavenge and transform one item type into another (e.g., turning a Toolbox into a Med-kit while inside a locker).

Legendary Skins & Additions

If you want to play as other members of the Hawkins crew, the Stranger Things Chapter 2 Collection includes:

 

• Eddie Munson: A Legendary Outfit for Dustin (featuring his iconic Hellfire Club shirt and guitar). 

   

• Robin Buckley: A Legendary Outfit for Nancy Wheeler (including her Scoops Ahoy and Season 4 combat looks).

   

• Jonathan Byers: Returning as a Legendary Outfit for Steve Harrington.

The Full "Stranger Things" Team

With this update, it is finally possible to run a full four-person "Hawkins Team" (Steve, Nancy, Eleven, and Dustin) against the very monster that started it all. Note that while there is already a Dungeons & Dragons version of Vecna in the game (The Lich), this new version is a separate Killer with powers specifically themed around the Netflix series.

Are you planning to main Eleven for those psychic aura-reads, or are you joining the "Eddie Munson Main" cult the moment those legendary skins drop on the 27th?

Would you like me to track the PTB patch notes for any balance changes to Vecna's "Undergate" speed before the official launch?