Dead by Daylight's Portrait of a Murder Chapter Revisited
Dead by Daylight Portrait of a Murder revives original lore with new characters and Epic Games Store debut, boosting diversity and horror appeal.
I’ll be honest with you: the weeks leading up to Portrait of a Murder were not exactly chill for Dead by Daylight players. Behaviour Interactive was facing backlash over NFTs, and the Stranger Things content was leaving because the licensing agreement expired. That combo hurt. Then the studio announced Portrait of a Murder, and I instantly felt that older Dead by Daylight energy creeping back. It was billed as a return to the game’s roots, with completely original characters and a brand-new location. That was exactly what I needed.
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Even now, from a 2026 perspective, I remember how refreshing that reveal felt. Instead of another licensed crossover, we got a chapter built around original lore. The biggest highlight for many players was the inclusion of the game’s first Mexican American character. Representation like that matters, and it gave the chapter a special weight beyond the usual killer-versus-survivor setup.
The Artist: Carmina Mora
The new Killer was called The Artist, but her real name was Carmina Mora. She was a Chilean painter who nearly ended her own life before a murder of crows saved her. After that, she used her art to expose local corruption. Powerful premise, right? Unfortunately, she was eventually kidnapped and maimed by the people she threatened. Before they could finish the job, the crows swarmed her attackers. The Entity took her, and Carmina became The Artist. Based on the lore, I expected her power to revolve around commanding crows, and Behaviour delivered on that eerie fantasy. A painter who weaponizes birds is such a great horror concept.
Jonah Vasquez: The Survivor
On the survivor side, we got Jonah Vasquez, a CIA codebreaker. He had been seeing a specific string of numbers everywhere since his teenage years. During one assignment, he uncovered a formula that led him to a lost cemetery in Chile. That cemetery, called The Forsaken Boneyard, was where The Artist was murdered. The crows were waiting for Jonah there, which tied the two characters together in a cool way. I always appreciate when Dead by Daylight puts real narrative effort into its original chapters, and Portrait of a Murder did not disappoint.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the cast and setting:
| Role | Character | Backstory Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Killer | The Artist / Carmina Mora | Chilean painter, crow powers, corruption revenge |
| Survivor | Jonah Vasquez | CIA codebreaker, haunted by numbers |
| Map | The Forsaken Boneyard | Lost cemetery in Chile, tied to The Artist |
Epic Games Store Arrival
There was more news beyond the chapter itself. For years, PC players could only grab Dead by Daylight through Steam. That finally changed when Behaviour announced an Epic Games Store release for December. The Epic version would include the base game, all previous editions, and all DLC available at launch, including Portrait of a Murder. Cross-play and cross-platform progression between Steam, Stadia, and Epic were also confirmed. That was a big deal for accessibility. More ways to play usually means a healthier community, and I welcomed the change.
A Conjuring Leak on the Horizon
Of course, people immediately started asking what would come next. There was nothing official at the time, but a leak pointed to Dead by Daylight eventually receiving content based on The Conjuring series. Supposedly, that crossover would arrive in the chapter after Portrait of a Murder. The leak did not specify which entity from The Conjuring universe would become the Killer, so speculation ran wild. I remember thinking that a Conjuring chapter could be terrifying if Behaviour nailed the atmosphere.
Where You Could Play
At that point, Dead by Daylight was available on Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Yeah, the list was already huge. That kind of platform support helped the game remain a multiplayer horror staple.
Overall, Portrait of a Murder felt like a course correction. It brought original storytelling back into focus and gave us memorable characters in Carmina Mora and Jonah Vasquez. The NFT and Stranger Things situations were still messy, but for a while, the community could simply enjoy a fresh chapter. Looking back from 2026, I still consider Portrait of a Murder one of Behaviour’s stronger original releases. It reminded me why Dead by Daylight works best when it leans into its own weird, crow-filled mythology.