Dead by Daylight hits new all-time peak player count, proving live service isn't dead

Dead by Daylight is a game developer’s dream (or nightmare) come true. Akin to Warframe, it launched to somewhat lukewarm reviews, but has continued to expand as the years have gone on, cementing itself as perhaps the premier multiplayer horror experience on both PC and console. Myriad DBD-likes have popped up in its wake, but none of them have quite had the staying power despite their strong IP licenses and gory throwbacks. Ten years on, DBD is very much here to stay, and the launch of Friday the 13th’s Jason Voorhees proves it.

Jason’s late addition to the DBD Killer roster is, perhaps surprising – we’ve already got horror staples like Freddy Kreuger and Michael Myers. Players have been asking for him for some time, and his debut has been nothing short of jaw-dropping. While Dead by Daylight’s player count was already on the rise following a stacked tenth anniversary showcase, it’s exploded overnight, shattering expectations and, by proxy, in-house records.

Per SteamDB, the horror game has reached its highest concurrent player count ever, with over 125,820 players logging in on Valve’s platform last night. That’s not the only record it’s beaten, though, as over 250k players haven taken to The Fog across all platforms. Likely a combination of Jason’s release, a free week (which runs until Monday, June 22), and a deep 60% discount, it’s been an absolutely amazing week for Behaviour Interactive, and I can honestly say I’m beyond excited for them.

“There’s no better way to celebrate ten years in The Fog than with a new record!” writes the official DBD X account. “Dead by Daylight has now surpassed its highest concurrent player count across all platforms, with over 250K players! Thank you for stepping into The Fog. We can’t wait to continue the celebrations with the release of Shane Wiigwaas and our tenth Anniversary in-game Event on June 25.”

Dead by Daylight’s Jason chapter is live now, and is available for $4.99 / £4.29, or as part of the game’s Jason Edition, which includes the DLC and DBD. That’s priced at $11.68 / £10.04 as part of Dead by Daylight’s wider 60% off sale, that lasts until Thursday June 25. You can pick it up here.

The future of Dead by Daylight is genuinely exciting. There’s the huge, ground-up overhaul that fully reworks character animations (I can’t wait to see The Trickster in 4k), map visuals, and ambient audio. Behaviour is also opening Dead by Daylight up to modding, while backfilling Survivor voiceover and collaborating with even more iconic IPs. I rarely find myself getting excited over multiplayer games these days, but Dead by Daylight is the sole exception.

More generally, however, I’m just excited to see a little bit of celebration. Gaming has felt a little doom and gloom these days – especially the live service sphere – so to see something doing well really does make me smile. I’m excited for the next ten years of DBD; I want more K-pop songs and jump scares.