Dead by Daylight the 'Most-Played Horror Game in History,' Its Developer Has Said

Dead by Daylight is “the astir played fearfulness crippled successful history,” developer Behavior Interactive has said up of its 10th birthday.

While Behavior hasn’t revealed an updated income fig for the asymmetrical 4v1 multiplayer, unrecorded work fearfulness game, it did accidental it had much than 70 cardinal players implicit the people of the decade, and presently averages implicit 1 cardinal players a time crossed each platforms. Dead by Daylight is peculiarly beardown connected Steam, wherever it’s remained among the apical 15 best-sellers for 9 years.

Other contenders for the most-played fearfulness crippled crown see titles successful Capcom’s Resident Evil franchise, Konami’s Silent Hill series, the Five Knights astatine Freddy’s games, Phasmophobia, and Outlast. But it’s worthy noting that Dead by Daylight’s assertion to fame relates to subordinate numbers for an idiosyncratic title, not a franchise arsenic a full — and determination aren’t galore fearfulness video games that person proven truthful fashionable implicit the people of 10 years to vie with it.

And Dead by Daylight appears to beryllium growing, with Behavior saying revenues person accrued by much than 50% implicit the past 12 months. When Dead by daylight launched backmost successful 2016, 30 radical were moving connected it. Now, the squad is astir 500 strong. Behavior says it’s the largest Canadian gaming workplace with much than 1,200 employees dispersed crossed its offices successful Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Dallas, Middlesbrough and Rotterdam.

“When Dead by Daylight launched successful 2016, it pioneered a genre: the asymmetric multiplayer fearfulness game, wherever 1 slayer faces 4 survivors,” Rémi Racine, Behaviour co-founder and CEO, said.

“Initial forecasts predicted income of astir 300,000 copies. 10 years and much than 70 cardinal players later, I’m astounded by however the crippled continues to scope caller heights. 2025 was Dead by Daylight’s astir palmy twelvemonth truthful far. We welcomed implicit six cardinal caller players and delivered grounds performance. This maturation has continued into 2026 — implicit the past 12 months, the game’s revenues person accrued by much than 50%. For immoderate crippled to endure 10 years is an achievement. To scope that milestone and inactive beryllium increasing is incredible. I profoundly admit each 1 of the players who person supported america connected this journey.”

Part of the crushed Dead by Daylight has enjoyed specified enduring entreaty is its high-profile crossover events. It’s collaborated with a fig of well-known fearfulness franchises, including Alien, Five Nights astatine Freddy’s, Resident Evil, Friday the 13th, and Stranger Things.

The announcement comes arsenic Behaviour prepares to invited much than 3,000 fans to Montreal for a 10-year day lawsuit wherever the aboriginal of the crippled volition beryllium revealed during a livestream. It’s acceptable for 5pm PT / 8pm ET connected Sunday, June 14.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].