November 17th 2021 was a sad day for the Dead by Daylight community. It was the date that the game’s most popular collaboration – the Stranger Things chapter – left for good. Players could no longer purchase the characters, and the game removed the Hawkins Lab map.
2 years later however, Dead by Daylight has announced the immediate return of the Stranger Things chapter to the game.
The Stranger Things Chapter in Dead by Daylight
The Stranger Things chapter was one of the most popular licences to be added to Dead by Daylight, alongside the two Resident Evil chapters. The collaboration released with two new survivors – Nancy and Steve – as well as the playable killer, The Demogorgon. Plus, an entirely new map – The Hawkins Lab – was also playable.
Each character released with their own 3 unique perks, only able to obtain through purchasing these characters or the in-game ‘Shrine of Secrets’. Later on, they added more cosmetics for the characters, including Steve’s legendary cosmetic – Jonathon Byers.
Why was the Stranger Things Chapter Removed from Dead by Daylight?
Terror struck for Dead by Daylight fans when the developers revealed that they had lost the Stranger Things licence, and that the characters would be leaving the game. Whilst players who had already purchased the characters could keep them and continue to play with them, new players could not buy the Stranger Things characters or ever experience the Hawkins Lab map for themselves.
The game held a final sale for the characters and their cosmetics before their removal in November 2021. Some players who had not purchased the chapter before this point took extreme measures, such as buying accounts with the Stranger Things content for extortionate prices.
The developers never revealed why they removed the chapter, but that didn’t stop people from pointing fingers at whether Behaviour Interactive or Netflix was to blame.
The most likely theory is that Netflix removed the content to focus on a gaming portion of their streaming service. Their collaboration with Fortnite was removed (and subsequently re-added) almost simultaneously as their Dead by Daylight chapter. This signals that the blame most likely lies with Netflix.
Stranger Things Returning to Dead by Daylight
2 long years later, nature has finally healed. Announced on 6 November 2023, the two juggernaut franchises meet again, with the Stranger Things content immediately returning to the game. This meant that players can now purchase the Stranger Things characters and cosmetics again. Plus, the chapter’s unique map – The Hawkins Laboratory – is playable once more, much to the joy of new and veteran players alike.
The developers also released an FAQ about the collaboration’s return. For example, the perks will regain their original names, and all the cosmetics will be up for grabs!
Have Other Chapters Been Removed from Dead by Daylight
Fortunately, Dead by Daylight has only ever removed one licensed collaboration – the Stranger Things chapter. But the community’s had constant talks whether the game might remove other collaborations and chapters in the future.
For example, earlier in 2023, rumours surfaced that everyone’s favourite basement-camper Leatherface would leave the game. The developers ended up releasing a playful announcement that Leatherface would be staying for the foreseeable future, calming the community’s concerns.
That’s been a bit of history about the Stranger Things chapter in Dead by Daylight. Hopefully, the collaboration stays for good without anymore hiccups. Many players are even hoping for the release of Vecna – the show’s main villain in season 4 – as a playable killer. Only time will tell, but for now, we’re happy enough with Stranger Things returning to Dead by Daylight
