The fog-shrouded realm of Dead by Daylight trembled with anticipation as Behaviour Interactive unleashed a cryptic survey upon its player base. Like a lockpick probing the chambers of horror's greatest vaults, this questionnaire contained tantalizing clues about future crossover possibilities. Players eagerly dissected the 76-franchise list that appeared for select respondents, ranging from blood-curdling classics to bizarre curveballs. The survey felt like a phantom radio transmission from horror's collective unconscious, broadcasting names that made veteran Survivors' palms sweat and Killers sharpen their implements. With over 20 crossovers since its 2016 debut – including genre titans like Resident Evil and Stranger Things – Dead by Daylight proved its crossover strategy wasn't just recycling tropes but conducting a symphony of terror where each new guest performer brought fresh dissonance.

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The Survey: A Glimpse Into the Entity's Wishlist

Behaviour Interactive's survey operated like an ancient Ouija board – unpredictable and revealing different messages to different participants. While all respondents faced questions about game enjoyment and past events, only chosen ones encountered the legendary 76-property roster. This selective approach let developers gather multidimensional data, much like a spider weaving specialized threads in its web. The franchise list spanned dimensions:

  • Gaming Legends: Bloodborne, Dead Space, Nier Automata

  • Cinematic Nightmares: The Shining, Pan's Labyrinth, Terrifier

  • TV Terror: American Horror Story, The X-Files, Squid Game

  • Uncanny Wildcards: Teletubbies, WWE, Fallout

Horror's Ever-Expanding Universe

Dead by Daylight's crossover history resembles a voracious black hole, constantly swallowing new intellectual properties into its gravitational pull. The 2025 survey revealed fascinating patterns in horror evolution:

Trend Examples Player Excitement Level
Anime/Manga Invasion Chainsaw Man, Junji Ito, Death Note ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Gaming Synergy Until Dawn, Little Nightmares ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Retro Revival Universal Monsters, Archie Horror ⭐⭐⭐
Absurdist Twists Teletubbies, WWE ⭐⭐

These potential additions demonstrate Behaviour's willingness to stretch horror like taffy – sometimes into deliciously unexpected shapes. Imagine Ghostface stalking Sidney Prescott while WWE's Undertaker executes a Tombstone Piledriver nearby – a surreal collision that shouldn't work but absolutely terrifies.

September's Symphony of Scares

Even as players dreamed of future crossovers, September 2025 delivered present thrills. The Chaos Shuffle mode returned like a jack-in-the-box cranked by a madman, randomizing perks to create deliciously unpredictable matches. Meanwhile, The Casting of Frank Stone expanded the game's lore like ink bleeding through parchment, its narrative tentacles gripping players with fresh psychological torment. These events proved Dead by Daylight remains a living organism – mutating, adapting, and consuming new inspiration.

The Crossover Conundrum

Selecting new franchises resembles defusing a bomb while blindfolded – one wrong cut could shatter the game's delicate horror ecosystem. Behaviour faces critical questions:

  • How to translate non-horror properties like Fallout into the Entity's realm?

  • Could anime aesthetics coexist with DbD's gritty visual language?

  • Would comedy-horror hybrids (Beetlejuice, Addams Family) dilute tension?

The survey's selective distribution suggests developers understand these complexities, gathering intelligence like spies behind enemy lines before committing resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why include non-horror franchises like Teletubbies?

Behaviour understands horror often stems from dissonance – the contrast between innocence and corruption. A Teletubbies crossover could weaponize childhood nostalgia like a poisoned lollipop, creating psychological terror deeper than any jump scare.

How soon might we see survey results become reality?

Historically, DbD's development cycles move at the speed of creeping dread. While no timeline exists, properties ranking high in player interest (like Candyman or IT) typically manifest within 12-18 months.

Will crossovers affect game balance?

Behaviour maintains rigorous design constraints. New Killers undergo playtesting as intense as water torture to ensure they integrate without breaking existing mechanics.

Why weren't classic franchises like Nightmare on Elm Street included?

Licensing remains a labyrinthine puzzle. Some absences likely reflect rights complications rather than lack of interest.

Could The Casting of Frank Stone characters enter the main game?

The possibility exists, though Behaviour treats such integrations like transplanting organs – requiring perfect compatibility with the host body.

The survey's implications linger like campfire smoke after a horror story – invisible but undeniable. Whether players eventually face Pyramid Head or a Teletubby wielding a deadly custard cannon, Dead by Daylight continues reshaping horror gaming's DNA one terrifying collaboration at a time.