Behaviour Shut Downs Rumors that a Spider Killer is Coming to Dead by Daylight 

Another week, another Dead by Daylight community controversy – and this time, it’s all about spiders.

A new rumor began circulating when leaker RuthlessLeaks posted that the September chapter might introduce The Jorōgumo, a killer based on Japanese folklore. The Jorōgumo is a shapeshifting arachnid yokai that transforms into a beautiful woman to lure in unsuspecting men – a creepy and fascinating piece of mythology that certainly fits DBD’s horror roots. Ruthless claimed the killer’s power involves “shapeshifting and trapping survivors in silk webbing.” 

This initially lined up with the confirmation from the devs that the September killer will be based on Asian folklore. Plus, players noticed an arcade machine labelled “Jorogumo” in the new Five Nights at Freddy’s map on the Public Test Build, adding fuel to the fire.

The rumor circulated on social media, sparking heated debate over whether a spider-themed killer should even be added. Some fans called for an arachnophobia toggle, noting that fear of spiders affects up to 6% of the global population. Other games like Grounded, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and Hogwarts Legacy have implemented such features for accessibility.

Not everyone agrees online. Critics of the arachnophobia toggle argue that Dead by Daylight is meant to be scary, with killers that embody phobias, such as The Clown or The Plague, who vomits onto survivors. In response to the growing conversation, the official DBD Twitter account shut down the rumors of the Jorogumo, stating:

“While we love the speculative discussions going around,  The only spindley limbs we currently plan to have in the Fog are those of The Entity!”

One of the community managers, Eric Pope, also tweeted, “Note the word currently, it’s simply a fact that currently we aren’t working on a spider killer, doesn’t mean that’s always going to be the case.”

These two responses largely debunk the idea that the September killer is the Jorōgumo, as it would be strange for the developers to make such a clear denial only to announce her shortly afterward.

However, horror developers have been known to pull fast ones. Just this weekend, Capcom said we’d have to wait longer for the announcement of Resident Evil 9, only to debut the trailer 20 minutes later at Summer Games Fest.

Unfortunately, the debate online quickly turned heated, with Eric Pope imploring people to “please stop yelling at people for being afraid of spiders”.

What’s your opinion on a potential spider killer in the game? How do you think Behaviour Interactive should handle its addition, and do you think it should come with some accessibility options? 

And remember, please be kind to each other online, regardless of your opinion.