The asymmetrical horror experience that is Dead by Daylight is a unique one within the industry. It rules an entire genre of gameplay entirely to itself, and it has done so for a decade as of this year. With the game being so old, you’d be forgiven for eventually anticipating a sequel – but it’s not happening!
Speaking to IGN at the Game Developers Conference, developer Behaviour Interactive’s future intentions for Dead by Daylight were made clear through partnership lead Mathieu Cote and creative director Dave Richard. When asked about a potential Dead by Daylight follow-up, they promptly shut down any potential for a sequel in the future.
Richard said that the potential of a sequel to start from a blank slate would be “far easier” for them as a company, but doing so would “never make sense for the fans”, specifically because of how they “invested time and money on Dead by Daylight.”
In Dead by Daylight, players can purchase additional killers or survivors which come with new perks and gameplay mechanics, depending on the character. Pushing out a sequel would likely breach many of the historically problematic licensing agreements the developers have for their licensed killers, and could ultimately require players to repurchase characters they already had.
Emphasizing their commitment to sticking with the original Dead by Daylight, Richard said “we can continue to put the effort so that they can have fun and still have value for the money.” It’s reassuring to know that the characters players have invested in won’t be disappearing with a sequel anytime soon, as Cote affirms that “it’s […] very possible to take your game […] into the next decade.”
Whilst Dead by Daylight players won’t be hit by a sudden sequel refresh, the game still has a turbulent history with licensed characters. Just a few months ago Halloween‘s Michael Myers became unavailable to purchase for new players, following in the footsteps of Hellraiser‘s Pinhead. Likely in part due to this, Behaviour seem determined to keep expanding on their original character roster too.
