Dead by Daylight has exceeded all expectations. It is now one of the most successful games on Steam.
In many games with item shops, there are accusations that a game is “Pay2Win” – meaning that one can buy real advantages in the shop with real money. Dead by Daylight took the opposite approach and has still become a great success. Because with “Pay2Lose”, they can attract some players as well. Game Director Mathieu Côté spoke with PC Gamer about his game and its unexpected success.
Success exceeds all expectations: When Dead by Daylight was developed, analysts estimated that the game would sell about 400,000 units “lifetime”. This goal was already surpassed after about two weeks. Even now, nearly two years after launch, the game continues to grow steadily. Dead by Daylight repeatedly sets new records for concurrent players.
From the original 30 developers, there are now around 100. Only one developer was taken off for the new game “Deathgarden” – the rest continue to work on Dead by Daylight.
What has made Dead by Daylight successful? According to Côté, there were several reasons for success. The developers have always worked closely with influencers, meaning YouTubers and streamers. This created a direct connection to the community.
Additionally, the fact that Dead by Daylight is also enjoyable to watch. One can get excited along with the streamers and understand the panic when their character is caught.
The bought right to brag: As an example, Mathieu Côté mentions the DLC “80s suitcase”. This allowed players to buy alternative skins for the survivors. Most of these were flashy clothes, like neon-colored T-shirts or colorful stickers on the clothing. This is dangerous in Dead by Daylight, as a colorful appearance is easier for the killer to spot.
Stealth is then hardly possible. Whoever is still good enough to survive with the clothing can brag a bit with it. That was a big appeal for many players.
Dead by Daylight has now reached version 2.0 and has overhauled its business model. Aside from purchasing the base game, almost all content can be unlocked through gameplay. The item shop offers numerous cosmetics, and new ones come every few weeks. However, there are no loot boxes – they consider them inappropriate and wish to avoid them.
Do you play Dead by Daylight or have at least checked it out? Or is the game nothing for you?
