Where do plugins end up in non-editor modes?

I wrote a plugin. When I build using Visual C++ and debugGame-editor mode, the DLL shows up in the binaries folder in the plugin’s folder. When I build in debugGame mode, there is no DLL. I think it gets added to the .exe file for my game.

Is that true? How can I prevent that? I need the DLL to stand alone so I can load it if I need it.

Thanks