Summary
Dead by Daylight’s9th Anniversary livestream officially unveiledFive Nights at Freddy’s Springtrap as the latest Killer, who will be coming to the game in June 2025. It was also revealed that Matthew Lillard, who played William Afton AKA Springtrap in the live-action movie, will be stepping into the recording booth to provide the voice-over for the legendary Springtrap skin, which will pay homage to Lillard’s portrayal.
In light of the newFive Nights at Freddy’s chapter, there has been rampant speculation as to which licensed Killers could join theDead by Daylightroster next. Behaviour raised the stakes with Springtrap, but there are still plenty of other iconic horror franchises that could serve as terrifying additions to The Entity’s realm.
1The Conjuring
A Good Way To Close the Chapter On Ed and Lorraine Warren
This fall, Ed and Lorraine Warren’s saga as part of The Conjuring Universe will reach its conclusion. Thefourth installment depicts their final case: the 1986 haunting of the Smurl family in West Pittston, Pennsylvania. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga made their debut as the infamous paranormal investigators in 2013’sThe Conjuring(three years before the release ofDead by Daylight). Ever since, the Warrens and the powerful demon Valak have been a hot commodity for players, who demand to see them incorporated into the game.
Ed and Lorraine are sought-after additions for their notable presence in horror history, but a chapter based on The Conjuring Universe also opens the floor to other antagonists besides Valak.The Crooked Man could be featured as one of the Killer’s skins, but if Behaviour wanted to go the extra mile, Sister Irene and Frenchie fromThe Nunwould make suitable skins for Ed and Lorraine, as well.
2Friday the 13th
A Free-For-All For Franchise Rights Puts Tommy And Jason Up For Grabs
In 2016, a license lawsuit involving Victor Miller and Sean S. Cunningham, the screenwriter and the director of the original 1980 film, put a hold on the release of all content related toFriday the 13th. It was resolved in 2021 after the rights to the franchise were awarded to Miller. Since the license had expired for developer Gun Media,Friday the 13th: The Gameclosed its servers for good at the end of 2024. The franchise has been in a slump ever since, as the lawsuit pumped the brakes on any feature films entering development.
Since the final court’s ruling decided that Miller owned the rights toFriday the 13thin the United States, Behaviour would need the go-ahead from Miller to bring Jason toDead by Daylight.But ever since Michael Myers, Ghostface, and Leatherface were introduced, Jason has been the odd one out ofthe original (and arguably best) slasher villains. Tommy Jarvis would be the ideal choice for a Survivor to go along with him. Otherwise, the potential to add Pamela Voorhees as a skin would add some flair to Jason as a stand-alone Killer.
3Slender Man
The Killer Roster Is Severely Lacking Creepypasta Legends
Dead by Daylightdoesn’t lean too heavily on creepypastas — fictional, internet folklore tales thatoriginated on an imageboard called 4chanin the late-2000s. However, one of the most prominent examples of creepypastas, Slender Man, remains one of the more infamous modern-day supernatural creatures alongside Jeff the Killer, The Rake, and Ben Drowned. Although the 2018 film sought to reintroduce Slender Man to a modern audience, it failed to do the character justice. Now,Dead by Daylighthas an opening to breathe new life into the beloved but underutilized creepypasta.
Since Slender Man has no specific counterpoint in any sole protagonist, it would make the most sense to introduce him in a Killer-only chapter. The only ‘Survivor’ characters in the Slender Man lore are the individuals who have reported sightings of him, and these vary on a case-by-case basis.
4It
Chapter Two Presents The Opportunity To Add The Loser Club
Dead by Daylightalready has an original character that fits the same category as Pennywise, but there’s no denying how poorly The Clown’s popularity fares against other Killers, particularly licensed ones. Tim Curry’s portrayal of Pennywise might be too flamboyant for a Killer intended to be feared. However, Bill Skarsgård’s performancewould fit in perfectly with the monstrous crowd, especially with the glimpses of his true form seen inIt Chapter Two.
Dead by Daylightseems to shy away from the use of minors as Survivors, choosing Steve and Nancy as the Survivors in theStranger Thingschapter with the Demogorgon as opposed to Mike and Eleven. However,It Chapter Twotakes place 27 years after the originalIt.At this point, the Losers Club are all grown adults with jobs, families, and lives of their own. This would make them perfect candidates to be Survivors alongside Pennywise, particularly Bill and Bev. The other Losers could be added as additional skins for those base characters.
5The Candyman
A Great Way To Honor Tony Todd
Horror legend Tony Todd tragically passed away in 2024 after wrapping onFinal Destination: Bloodlines, which was his final film role and subsequently dedicated to his memory.He was a mainstay of theFinal Destinationfranchise, as well as the titular character in theCandymanfilm series, the latter of which is famed as one of the first Black-led supernatural horror movies. He shared the screen with his co-star Virginia Madsen, who played Helen Lyle, a graduate student who stumbles upon the Candyman while researching Chicago’s projects.
Although the races of someDead by DaylightKillers are ambiguous, the first African-American Killer came in the form of The Doctor. The latest Killer, the Houndmaster, is of Caribbean descent, but otherwise, the roster is lacking in diversity. Helen Lyle would be the most obvious choice for a Survivor, but Anthony McCoy from the 2021 sequel would be another solid option.
Fans Are Campaigning For The Sequel’s Beloved Protagonists
Left Behind was the first half-chapter forDead by Daylight,and features William “Bill” Overbeck from the originalLeft 4 Deadvideo game. Bill was the only character from the franchise to be added to the game, which left much to be desired from the sequel,Left 4 Dead 2, and its likable quartet of protagonists. There was no Killer featured with Bill, despite many versions of Infected to choose from.The Witch serves as one of the most formidable enemies, but her design bares too close of a resemblance to The Hag. Boomers, Hunters, and Jockeys are all options, but the smartest move would be to introduce Survivors by themselves.
Not many of the Infected characters inLeft 4 Deadmeet the general criteria to be worthwhile Killers. However,Left 4 Dead 2’s heroes — Coach, Rochelle, Nick, and Ellis — areall immensely popular within the still-active communityand would give players more of a variety besides Bill, even if his additional skins are tempting enough on their own.
7Terrifier
Art And Sienna Have Never Been More Popular
Damien Leone’sTerrifierfranchise began withAll Hallow’s Eve, which became a sleeper hit. It later inspired a full release ofTerrifier, starring David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown. In 2022 and then 2024,Leone continued Art’s storywithTerrifier 2andTerrifier 3, which also introduced Sienna Shaw and Jonathan Shaw, a brother and sister duo whose father had visions of Art. As with Pennywise, Behaviour may choose not to go down theTerrifierpath for fear of overshadowing The Clown, but in the event that it does, Art and Sienna would be the perfect duo for a full-release chapter.
Jonathan could be included as an additional skin for Sienna, but it isn’t necessary. Sienna serves as a memorable protagonist all by herself. However, a skin that incorporates Vicky — AKA Victoria Heyes — would be an interesting way to expand Art’s character.
