The Konami Code has long been a staple of video game history and lore, and now Dead By Daylight is using the code to give players a special in-game reward. Users can unlock a secret charm with the code. The opportunity presents itself in Dead By Daylight's new Silent Hill DLC.
The Konami Code is a cheat code that has appeared in many video games for over 30 years. It was made popular in the NES version of Contra, when it was dubbed the "Contra Code," and would provide 30 extra lives for players struggling to clear the levels in the notoriously difficult game. The code was created by Kazuhisa Hashimoto. The original version of the cheat code was created for the Nintendo controller, but there are versions for PlayStation, mobile games, and dance pads. The code is up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, START.
YouTuber Paulie Esther made a video explaining how the code works for PC users. While waiting at the menu screen, enter the Konami Code. The Konami code for PC users is as follows: quickly press W, W, S, S, A, D, A, D, right mouse button, left mouse button, and then ENTER. The code doesn't have to be entered at lightning speed, either; Esther entered it at a moderate pace and it worked. If the player enters the code correctly, they will hear a synth version of the Dead By Daylight music, indicating a functioning Konami Code.
Once players have entered the Konami Code in Dead By Daylight's Silent Hill DLC, they can go into the game and find a Very Rare Charm in their inventory. Esther notes the Vic Viper charm is a universal charm in the game. The charm is called the Vic Viper, a "Gradius Memento," which is a callback to Gradius, the game first featuring the Konami Code back in 1986. Hashimoto found the game too hard to play while testing, and created the cheat code to give a player full power ups. The "Vic Viper" is the white and blue star fighter ship featured in Gradius.
The Vic Viper charm in Dead By Daylight is a nice nod to the Konami Code, and Hashimoto, who died in February of 2020. Kazuhisa Hashimoto was 61 years old. As NPR reported, the Konami Code has popped up in various places in pop culture, including the movie Wreck-It Ralph where it's used as a password, and it can also even be used as a command for Amazon's Alexa.
Sources: YouTube/Paulie Esther, NPR