Developer Behaviour Interactive is celebrating the fifth anniversary of Dead by Daylight through the release of in-game challenges and cosmetic rewards. The multiplayer survival horror game, which launched back in June 2018, allows players to control either a terrified survivor or a ruthless killer. Groups of survivors must work together to escape the monster, while the lone killer must hunt down and sacrifice the survivors to win.
Alongside killers and survivors which are wholly original creations of Behaviour Interactive, Dead by Daylight is well-known for its crossovers with iconic horror franchises. Cinematic serial killers such as Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers and Leatherface are all available for players to control, releasing alongside matching survivors and maps as well. A 2019 crossover between Dead by Daylight and the supernatural Netflix series Stranger Things added teen protagonists, Nancy Wheeler and Steve Harrington, alongside the deadly Demogorgon creature, to the asymmetric multiplayer game. A recent update expanded this crossover through the addition of Stranger Things survivor Jonathan Byers.
Dead by Daylight's five-year anniversary event has been revealed by Behaviour Interactive. The big birthday celebration will see the return of Anniversary Crowns. In addition, cosmetic items which can be worn by players if they locate the item within a map and then go on to win the current match. Earning Anniversary Crowns will also further a huge community challenge, with shared goals being completed to unlock additional cosmetics and charms. Environmental decorations such as balloons and confetti will also adorn the Entity's Realm level, ensuring that even the most terrified survivors get into the spirit of celebration.
In addition to crossovers with iconic horror films and television series, Dead by Daylight recently crossed over with long-running survival horror game series Resident Evil. The Resident Evil collaboration kicked off on June 15, adding franchise protagonists Leon Kennedy and Jill Valentine as survivors alongside the biological monster weapon Nemesis. The update's RCPD Station map was quickly disabled due to game-breaking bugs, but the map was recently added back into Dead by Daylight's rotation. Some fans have expressed concern that Nemesis is overpowered compared to the rest of the game's ruthless roster, particularly due to his use of zombie henchmen. The grotesque goliath can summon the Resident Evil franchise's iconic undead to aid in catching survivors, and these zombies can make life very difficult for other players.
Dead by Daylight is an excellent example of asymmetric multiplayer done correctly. Survivors and killers both have intense and enjoyable tasks to accomplish, and neither side is given a clear advantage over the other. The game's five-year anniversary celebration decorates the Entity's Realms map with festive remembrances of the occasion, while Anniversary Crowns are both a fun cosmetic item and a fitting community challenge.
Dead by Daylight is available on all platforms.