Almost a decade afterDead by Daylightfirst debuted at PAX East, Behaviour Interactive is now coming full circle. Not only with a major anniversary celebration, but also one of the most requested collaborations in the multiplayer horror game’s history. After years of speculation and wish lists from fans, the asymmetrical hit is officially crossing over withFive Nights at Freddy’s.
We sat down with Dead by Daylight game director Mathieu Côté and game designer Jason Guzzo to learn about the creative process, the challenges of blending two distinct horror universes, and what players can expect when the animatronic killer makes his debut.
Bringing Springtrap To Life
FNAF’s sinister mascot-killer Springtrap is stepping into the Fog as a new playable killer, alongside the debut of a Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria map. While no survivor will join the roster this time around, Behaviour promises a faithful and terrifying adaptation that captures the essence of Scott Cawthon’s indie horror phenomenon.
“People want us to shut up and just get to this,” laughed Côté. “Five Nights at Freddy’s is gigantic… it started as one of the first indie horror games and became the juggernaut that it is today.”
While FNAF fans have spent nearly a decade hiding from animatronics behind flickering monitors, Dead by Daylight will offer a first-of-its-kind twist.
“This is the first time you actually get to play as Springtrap in a video game,” Guzzo said. “You get to step into the suit and hunt down survivors.”
This version of Springtrap is lovingly crafted to reflect his role as the core antagonist of the FNAF franchise. Developers want fans to be assured that authenticity is a top priority.
“[Springtrap] has become such a major icon in horror in such a short time, which is really neat,” Guzzo said. “He’s the big bad, the main villain of the FNAF universe. Without him, none of the lore would exist. We wanted to explore the idea of a FNAF game where you play as the killer, the monster wandering the halls of the restaurant, dealing with the cameras and everything that comes with it.”
So why Springtrap over the many other contenders? Guzzo put it plainly: “You don’t go for Riker, you go for Picard.”
Merging Two Very Different Horror Experiences
Bringing a mostly static horror experience like Five Nights at Freddy’s, which famously relies on stillness, timing, and resource management, into the high-mobility, chase-driven gameplay of Dead by Daylight presented a unique challenge.
“The gameplay in Five Nights at Freddy’s is quite different from Dead by Daylight,” Guzzo said. “In FNAF, you sit still, manage your resources, and try not to let the monster get you. In DBD, however, if you sit still, you’re in a lot of trouble. It was really interesting to explore how we could combine these two ideas, especially since, while they’re very similar in spirit and theme, their gameplay styles are very different.”
That duality extended to the survivor experience, too. While players won’t get a new survivor character this time, they will get to face Springtrap in an environment rich with the flavor of FNAF’s tense, camera-monitored dread. The new Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria map is described as being packed with Easter eggs, subtle nods to the franchise’s lore, and “fun scares” designed to evoke simultaneous nostalgia and unease.
Fans of the 2023 FNAF movie will be delighted to learn that one of the killer’s cosmetics is the Yellow Rabbit suit, featuring the voice and likeness ofactor Matthew Lillard, who reprises his role from the film. Behaviour confirmed Lillard recorded all-new voice lines for the chapter.
Collaborating With Scott Cawthon
When asked about the collaboration process, Behaviour’s team made it clear that authenticity began at the top, with FNAF creator Scott Cawthon himself.
“There is no FNAF team. It’s just Scott,” Côté said. “He’s understandably protective of the IP. So, when you do a project like this, you have to deal directly with him. He approves everything.”
That direct line of communication, they said, was essential in making sure both communities, each passionate, vocal, and deeply attached to their respective games, would see themselves in the final product.
“These partnerships need both sides to be involved for them to succeed,” Côté said. “He knows his fans better than we ever could. And the truth is, a lot of his fans are on our team too.”
Research, Prototypes, And Markiplier Marathons
To further verify the crossover felt authentic, Guzzo immersed himself in FNAF lore, specifically hours of gameplay commentary from one of the franchise’s most recognizable fans.
“I watched, no joke, 70 hours of Markiplier, the king of FNAF, playing FNAF,” he said, laughing. “I love him very much. I do, I do. I think he’s great.”
From those hours came pages of notes, observations on what made the FNAF experience so terrifying, and how it could translate into Dead by Daylight’s chase-oriented gameplay. Guzzo took those ideas to the prototyping team and began rapidly iterating.
“I brought all my notes to the programmer, and we said, ‘Let’s just bang stuff out and see what works.’ The desire to have fun and try things is something that’s really felt throughout the team.”
A Long-Awaited Chapter
Dead by Daylight has long been a home for horror icons, from Michael Myers to Pinhead, Ghostface to Resident Evil’s Nemesis, but FNAF has always stood out as the fan dream. So why now?
“There was no bad time for it,” Côté said. “This was just the time when it could happen.”
And with the release right around the corner, the excitement is palpable.
“The thing that keeps Dead by Daylight magical is that every time we release a new killer, we have the opportunity to break the game, to swap around the meta, and ensure that the people who are the best at the game try new things,” Côté said.
The Fog Grows Deeper
The FNAF chapter is part of a much larger slate of content for Dead by Daylight in its ninth year. Alongside five major content drops, three licensed, two original, players can look forward to crossovers with The Witcher and even a “choose-your-own-adventure” original chapter shaped by community votes.
But it’s FNAF that’s grabbing headlines, and is likely to bring in a wave of curious newcomers and nostalgic horror fans.
To veteran Killer Mains and those who spent hours anxiously flicking cameras in FNAF’s cramped security room, Dead by Daylight x Five Nights at Freddy’s promises a horrifying new perspective.
The Fog is waiting. And this time, Springtrap is walking toward you.
