The fog is shifting again. Honestly, just when you think you’ve got the meta figured out, Behaviour Interactive drops a mid-chapter update that flips the table. The dbd 9.1.0 patch notes are officially here, and they aren't just minor number tweaks. We’re looking at a massive overhaul of items like Keys and Maps, a huge buff for Pyramid Head, and—wait for it—The Pig is actually faster.
If you've been away from the trials for a few weeks, the game feels different. It’s "The Walking Dead" crossover era, but the balance changes are the real stars of the show.
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Pyramid Head is the New King of the Hill
Pyramid Head, or The Executioner if you’re being formal, has been in a weird spot for years. He’s always been strong but felt clunky. That changes now. The devs decided to lean into his "Punishment of the Damned" range, bumping it up to 10 meters from the previous 8. Two meters doesn't sound like much on paper, but in a chase? It’s the difference between a Survivor making it to the pallet or getting sliced through a wall.
They also doubled the maximum duration of his Rites of Judgement to 10 seconds. You can leave trails everywhere now.
The Add-on Rework is Ridiculous
Forget what you knew about Pyramid Head's add-ons. They were mostly garbage before. Now, we have things like the Obsidian Goblet allowing Punishment of the Damned to destroy pallets and breakable walls.
- Lead Ring: Increases range by 25% but makes the attack narrower.
- Mannequin Foot: Trails now inflict Exhausted for 10 seconds.
- Rust-colored Egg: Hits with your power replenish 30% of your charge.
Basically, if you aren't dodging like a pro, a good Pyramid Head is going to keep you Tormented and Exhausted the entire match.
The Pig and The Knight Get Much-Needed Love
Let’s talk about Amanda. The Pig has been the "nerf" meme of the community forever. Kinda ironic that she finally got some serious buffs. Her crouch movement speed is up to 4.0m/s, and she transitions in and out of stealth way faster. The "Ambush" attack also feels snappier. You’ve probably noticed that the Terror Radius fades more quickly now, making her actually viable as a stealth killer again.
Then there’s The Knight. The 9.1.0 update gave him a lot of quality-of-life improvements. You can now hold the input to start a patrol path immediately as it becomes available. His guards spawn at different rates now—The Assassin and Jailor are faster (4 seconds), while The Carnifex is slower (8 seconds). It makes your choice of guard actually matter for the situation you’re in.
Keys and Maps: No Longer Total Trash
For the longest time, if you saw a teammate bring a Map, you probably rolled your eyes. Not anymore. Maps have been reworked into "Beam" items. When you use a Map, you can create a beam of light that only Survivors see. It reveals generators within that range to everyone. It’s basically a massive beacon for the team.
Keys also got a facelift. You don’t just "use" them to see auras anymore; they have a "charge" system that’s much easier to manage.
- Broken Key: 48-meter aura reading for 8 seconds.
- Skeleton Key: 64-meter aura reading and can still open the hatch.
The coolest part? You can use a Key to unlock a chest instantly. Once you do, the chest stays yellow for other Survivors, and someone else can "rummage" through it to get another high-rarity item. It turns the Key into a team-wide resource rather than a selfish escape tool.
New Survivor Items: The Fog Vial
The dbd 9.1.0 patch notes introduced a brand-new item: the Fog Vial. This is a game-changer for stealth players. When you pop it, a cloud of fog expands around you. Inside that cloud:
- Scratch marks don’t spawn.
- Auras cannot be read by the Killer.
- Audio is muffled.
It’s the ultimate "lose the Killer" button. If you're running through a jungle gym and the Killer is right on your heels, dropping a Fog Vial can literally make you vanish. Just watch out for the recharge time; you can’t spam these things.
Perks You Need to Re-read
A bunch of perks got changed, and some of the old "never-used" ones are actually meta now. Insidious now activates in just 1 second at Tier 3. That’s terrifying for basement builds. Franklin’s Demise no longer drains charges over time but instead has a massive 64-meter aura reading range for dropped items.
On the Survivor side, Potential Energy is way more forgiving. You don't need to sit on a gen for 8-12 seconds before you can start charging it. You can basically start banking progress immediately. Any Means Necessary also got buffed—picking up a pallet only takes 3 seconds now.
Why the "The Walking Dead" Content Matters
While the patch notes focus on balance, we can't ignore Michonne and Rick. Michonne’s perks, like Last Stand, allow you to stun the Killer after a fast vault if you’ve been in their Terror Radius long enough. It’s a literal life-saver. However, there was a technical glitch during the PTB where Michonne wasn't playable, but she’s fully live now.
Practical Steps to Dominating Version 9.1.0
If you want to keep your win rate up after these changes, you need to adjust your playstyle immediately.
- Killers: Give Pyramid Head a try with the new Obsidian Goblet. Breaking pallets with your power is a massive time-saver. Also, keep an eye on Survivors using Fog Vials; if the scratch marks disappear, they haven't gone far—they're probably just crouching inside the fog.
- Survivors: Start bringing Maps. The ability to show your whole team where the final three generators are by using the beam is worth its weight in gold. Also, if you’re playing against a Pig, remember that her ambush is faster. Don't linger at loops as long as you used to.
- The Preset System: Take advantage of the 7 loadout presets. With so many perk changes, you’ll want different builds for different map types.
The game is faster and more focused on info-sharing than ever before. Whether you're a casual player or a Red Rank sweat, these changes are going to force you to rethink how you approach every trial.