Dead by Daylight Error Code 8018 on PC and Xbox: Causes and Fixes

Dead by Daylight error 8018 means the game client cannot connect to the game’s online services. The message reads: “Cannot connect to online services. Please try again later. Error code: 8018.” It can appear during a Behaviour Interactive service outage, a platform-service disruption, an unstable internet connection, a router or modem problem, or traffic blocked by firewall or antivirus software.

There is no published official explanation assigning every 8018 failure to one unique cause. Check service status first, then restart the game and hardware, test another network, and apply the PC-specific checks only when you have ruled out a broader outage.

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What error 8018 means

Error 8018 is a connectivity failure between your copy of Dead by Daylight and the online services required to reach the game. It is not, by itself, proof that your account, console, or computer is damaged. The same code can be produced by conditions on different parts of the connection path.

• Service-side incident: Dead by Daylight services may be unavailable or degraded.
• Platform outage: Xbox services or the PC storefront’s online functions may be having an incident.
• Local network instability: Wi-Fi interference, packet loss, a failed DNS lookup, or a temporary loss of internet access can interrupt the connection.
• Router or modem state: A device can remain connected to your home network while its internet session is stuck.
• Security software: Windows Firewall or an antivirus product can block the game or its launcher from reaching required servers.

Because those causes look similar from inside the game, the order of your checks matters. A service outage cannot be repaired by reinstalling the game, while a local network problem will not clear merely because you wait for a status page that shows normal service.

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Check service status before changing anything

Start with current Dead by Daylight announcements from Behaviour Interactive and the status information for your platform. Look for a scheduled maintenance notice, an incident affecting login or matchmaking, or reports that other players are seeing the same error.

If the game service or Xbox service is down, stop at this stage and wait for the incident to clear. Repeated reinstalls, firewall changes, and router resets cannot restore a server that is unavailable. A short-lived 8018 during a known incident is best treated as a service problem rather than as a fault in your installation.

If no incident is listed, continue with local tests. Status pages can lag behind a newly developing problem, so widespread reports from other players are useful context, but they do not replace testing your own connection.

Run the low-risk recovery sequence

These steps apply to both PC and Xbox unless a step is identified as PC-only. Perform them in order; each one either clears temporary state or gives you information about where the failure is occurring.

1. Close Dead by Daylight completely

Exit to the desktop on PC or close the game from the Xbox dashboard. Do not leave it suspended in Quick Resume on Xbox. Launch it again after it has fully closed. A complete exit removes a stale session that a simple return to the title screen may leave active.

2. Restart the PC or Xbox

Use the operating system’s normal restart command on PC. On Xbox, choose the restart option from the power menu rather than only turning off the display. This refreshes the game process, console or Windows networking state, and the platform sign-in session.

3. Power-cycle the modem and router

1. Turn off or unplug the modem and router.
2. Wait long enough for both devices to shut down fully.
3. Power the modem first and wait until its internet indicators settle.
4. Power the router and wait for Wi-Fi or wired networking to return.
5. Reconnect the PC or Xbox and try Dead by Daylight again.

A power cycle clears temporary router state. It does not improve a service outage, and it will not fix a damaged cable or a failing internet connection.

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4. Confirm that other devices can reach the internet

Open a known website or online service on another device connected to the same router. If several devices are offline, address the home internet connection before changing Dead by Daylight settings. If other devices work normally, continue to an isolation test rather than assuming the game servers are at fault.

5. Test another network

Connect the PC or Xbox to another Wi-Fi network or, where your plan and device support it, a mobile-data hotspot. If 8018 disappears on the second network, the original router, ISP path, Wi-Fi environment, or network configuration is the leading suspect. If the error follows you to the second network while service status is normal, the game, platform session, or account path deserves closer attention.

A wired test can remove Wi-Fi variability. Use a Cat6 Ethernet cable with a compatible router and device, but treat it as a diagnostic step: a cable cannot restore Dead by Daylight services during an outage.

PC-specific checks

Behaviour Interactive’s PC troubleshooting sequence escalates from basic requirements and connection checks to drivers, file verification, a clean boot, and finally a reinstall. Work through the earlier checks before using the disruptive options.

Confirm the basics

• Make sure the PC meets Dead by Daylight’s current minimum requirements.
• Use a stable internet connection and repeat the test after the modem or router has completed its restart.
• Confirm that the correct Steam or Epic Games account is signed in and that the launcher itself is online.

Update Windows, DirectX, and hardware drivers

Install pending Windows updates. Update the graphics and audio drivers supplied for your hardware, and ensure DirectX components are current. Restart Windows after updates so that the launcher and game load the new components. Driver updates are relevant to the official PC troubleshooting path even though 8018 is a connection message; an incomplete or outdated system can interfere with launch and online initialization.

Verify the game files

Use the file-repair option in the launcher where you own the game.

• Steam: open the Dead by Daylight entry in your library, open its Properties, find the installed-files section, and run the option to verify the integrity of the game files.
• Epic Games: open your Library, use the game’s three-dot menu, choose Manage, and select Verify.

Allow the process to finish before launching. It can replace missing or corrupted files; it does not bypass an outage or change a blocked firewall rule.

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Review firewall and antivirus rules

Check Windows Firewall and any installed antivirus or endpoint-security product for blocked entries relating to Dead by Daylight or its launcher. Permit the game and launcher through the appropriate private-network rules when you trust the installation. Avoid disabling protection permanently. If a temporary test with security software paused changes the result, turn protection back on and create a precise allow rule instead of leaving the computer unprotected.

Try the launcher with the required permissions

If the launcher cannot write to its files or establish its normal network session, close it and start it with the permissions required by your Windows account. Use an elevated launch only as a troubleshooting test and return to the normal configuration if it makes no difference. Permission changes do not solve a server-side failure.

Perform a clean boot

A clean boot starts Windows with nonessential startup programs and services disabled. It can identify a background VPN, overlay, traffic filter, or security utility that interferes with the game. Record which services you disable, restart Windows, and test Dead by Daylight. If 8018 disappears, re-enable items in groups until you identify the conflict, then restore normal startup for anything unrelated.

Reinstall only after the earlier checks fail

Uninstall and reinstall Dead by Daylight when service status is normal, another network has not helped, file verification has completed, and firewall or driver checks have not changed the result. Reinstallation is disruptive and consumes download time; it is an escalation step, not a first response to one occurrence of 8018. Keep your launcher credentials available and allow the game to complete all updates before testing again.

Xbox-specific checks

On Xbox, begin with a full game close, a console restart, and a modem/router power cycle. Then test another network if one is available. These actions distinguish a temporary console or home-network state from a broader service problem without altering installed game data.

Check current Xbox service information as well as Dead by Daylight announcements. If Xbox services are disrupted, wait for recovery. If only Dead by Daylight fails while other online games work, note that distinction for support. The available guidance does not identify a guaranteed, code-specific Xbox repair beyond these service, restart, and network-isolation steps, so avoid random changes to account or network settings that you cannot reverse.

Which fix should you try next?

When error 8018 keeps returning

After service checks, restarts, network isolation, and the relevant platform steps, collect evidence before contacting Behaviour Support. Include:

• The exact message, including “Error code: 8018.”
• Whether you are on PC or Xbox; on PC, identify whether you use Steam or Epic Games.
• Your PC or Xbox model and the approximate date and times of the failures.
• Your connection type, such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and whether another network was tested.
• Whether other devices and other online games work at the same time.
• What the Dead by Daylight and platform status pages showed.
• Every step you attempted, including file verification, firewall review, clean boot, or reinstall.

Those details help support distinguish an incident affecting many players from a problem limited to your device, storefront, or network. Do not repeatedly reinstall or disable security software while waiting for a response; preserve the configuration and notes that make the failure reproducible.

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Common mistakes to avoid

• Reinstalling during an outage: it adds download time without restoring unavailable services.
• Assuming a working browser proves the game path is healthy: a browser test confirms general internet access, not every service route used by Dead by Daylight.
• Changing several settings at once: you lose the diagnostic value of each test and may not know which change helped.
• Leaving antivirus or firewall protection disabled: use a narrow allow rule and restore protection after testing.
• Treating one successful launch as a permanent fix: record what changed and watch whether the error returns under the same network and service conditions.

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