Dead by Daylight has lost a particularly important license. But is the loss of “Stranger Things” just the beginning? If so, things look bleak for the game.
For fans of Dead by Daylight, the past week has been an emotional rollercoaster. On Tuesday, the bizarre news came that Dead by Daylight is having a big sale on all “Stranger Things” content. The reason for this: The content is disappearing from the shop, as the licensing rights are not being renewed.
This means, in plain terms, that in November, the Demogorgon, Nancy, and Steve will no longer be available for purchase. Only those who already own them can continue to play with these characters; everyone else will be left watching in awe when someone is seen with these characters.
This is particularly bitter for the map “Hawkins National Laboratory” – it will simply disappear from the game without replacement and can no longer be visited in the future.
Unusual: Dead by Daylight loses characters
For many long-time DbD fans – and for me as well – the news came as a surprise. I hadn’t really realized before that Dead by Daylight could lose its licenses again and the consequences that this entails.
My understanding so far was this: Once purchased, the license covers all existing characters and ensures that they are accessible in the game. Sure, new cosmetics or design adjustments would need to be negotiated again, but the existing content stays forever in Dead by Daylight and can always be purchased in the shop. That was my perception.
The fact that this is not the case with the licenses of Dead by Daylight creates a nauseating feeling in the stomach and brings many possible scenarios that could pose a problem for Dead by Daylight.
Dead by Daylight is now considered THE asymmetrical game. Virtually the horror “Super Smash Bros.”, where all sizes of the horror genre gather and appear in a single game. That characters from this large pool can also disappear again is alarming.
Sure – so far this has only become a problem with the “Stranger Things” license. But I can well imagine that in the coming years other rights holders will also choose not to renew their licenses. In light of the current entertainment boom, where many large companies are trying to develop their own closed entertainment systems that include series and video games (like Netflix), this seems at least conceivable.
A problem that can only grow
The long-term consequences for Dead by Daylight could be catastrophic, as it brings two problems:
The game becomes less attractive: The strong licenses of Dead by Daylight have now become major draws. Stranger Things, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, SAW, Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street – all of these are big names in the horror genre. Hardly anything is as cool and alluring for new players as the prospect of being able to play as Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, or the Demogorgon.
At the same time, hardly anything could be as frightening as the knowledge that such killers exist in the game but can no longer be obtained.
If I were to start with Dead by Daylight as a newbie and see a lineup of killers, including Michael Myers and Freddy, and they were no longer available – I don’t think I would develop any interest in Dead by Daylight.
The balance will face issues: I already predict that a few weeks after the Demogorgon disappears from the shop, the first voices will be raised that the Demogorgon is completely overpowered – regardless of whether this is true or not. If killers are only available to an established part of the community, the impression will inevitably arise: The old players have something I can’t obtain, and that’s why they are better.
Sure, so far this is just doomsaying and only a possible future. After all, Dead by Daylight has only lost a single license, and other than that, the game has had a steep rise in recent years. Let’s hope that this will remain the only license to part ways with the game.
What do you think about all this? Do you believe this will remain an isolated case? Or has Dead by Daylight reached its peak, and is this the beginning of the end?
