Behaviour Interactive has collaborated with Japanese entertainment publisher Kadokawa on a Ringu crossover for Dead by Daylight, which is set to be released next spring. Ringu, a cult classic, surprised Japanese viewers in 1998 with its cursed DVD storyline; the core concept crept its way westward with 2002’s Gore Verbinski-directed version, The Ring. Ringu appears to be the perfect fit for Dead by Daylight’s horror icon-laden experience, given the iconic and terror-inducing visuals associated with the brand.
Dead by Daylight, an asymmetric multiplayer title that matches Survivors against a lone Killer, debuted in the summer of 2016. It didn’t take long for Behavior Interactive to strike arrangements that brought its famous online adventure into contact with well-known horror franchises. For example, Michael Myers from Halloween appeared as a guest star in an October 2016 update. The next year, the likes of Leatherface and Freddy Krueger joined, with Ghost Face of Scream renown slicing his way through Survivors in 2019. Since then, Dead by Daylight players have had the opportunity to play as or escape from various genre characters such as Hellraiser nemesis Pinhead, Stranger Things Demogorgon, and Resident Evil’s Nemesis. More vintage Japanese horror will join the fray next year.
Ringu will be introduced to the asymmetric multiplayer game in a new Dead by Daylight Chapter, which will be released in March 2022. Behaviour Interactive emphasized in a press statement that their collaboration with Kadokawa Corporation allows developers to produce material based on Kji Suzuki’s 1991 novel Ring and the original Hideo Nakata-directed film version. The specifics of the Ringu crossover remain unknown, while Game Director Mathieu Côté promised that the “intensely dark and distressing” Chapter would provide “a truly heart-pounding experience that adds to the already high intensity” of Dead by Daylight.
Of course, Dead by Daylight’s numerous Killers are no slouches; but, the Ringu crossover could be the terrifying update yet when it arrives next spring. Behaviour Interactive is sure to release more teasers and gameplay footage in the coming months to show off the terror that awaits players in March.
Dead by Daylight has had a long run of success, originally appearing on PC in 2016 before jumping to PS4 and Xbox One platforms the following summer. Behaviour Interactive expanded the dread in the years that followed, with ports for the Nintendo Switch and mobile platforms. Updates for next-generation consoles, as well as a recent release on the Epic Games Store, ensure that even more players can enjoy the ever-popular experience.
