Once asymmetrical horror hit Dead By Daylight started licensing killers from other franchises, there was one collaboration that rose to the top of player wishlists. It makes perfect sense, as Five Nights at Freddy's appeals to the same jumpscare-loving group that has seen DBD grow to more than 60 million players. Many of those players have spent a few nights locked in Freddy Fazbear's creepy pizzeria.
When Behaviour Interactive made the official announcement at PAX, the crowd cheered so loud the building shook. But taking on a property as popular as FNAF is a huge responsibility. Designers played the games, soaked up all the lore and even binge watched Markiplier to better understand the community.
There was also the problem of changing FNAF's single-player experience to DBD's multiplayer horror. This is the first time players have stepped into Springtrap's fuzzy feet, so the experience had to be epic.
Designers didn't want to simply make "The Animatronic" a stealth-based killer, as the game has a lot and they're typically not the most powerful. But Springtrap without jumpscares just wouldn't feel right. Their solution was a Springtrap-specific mechanic: Security Doors. They appear throughout the map and are usable by both survivors and killers.
Survivors will get the classic FNAF security camera view with a battery, and can see the other side of the security doors. You can teleport to any door, but you run the risk of bumping right into Springtrap. The killer doesn't have camera access but can teleport to any door he likes. It definitely generates those "Oh crap" moments that FNAF is famous for. The camera and doors have a battery for survivors, but Springtrap can always use them.
Springtrap also has a fire axe capable of pulling off some ridiculous trick shots, some of which you have probably already seen on social media. If the axe hits a survivor, it becomes embedded and must be removed.
Of course, they had to add the iconic location of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, which will be the third map in the Withered Isle region of The Fog. Knowing how excited players would be to run and hide on this particular map, there's now a map-specific queue. This is a feature Behaviour will incorporate into every new map in the future.
But wait, there's more! For the legendary Springtrap skin, DBD went to Matthew Lillard, the actor behind the murderous William Afton in the hit Five Nights at Freddy's movie. He's delivering all kinds of fun Easter eggs, including specific voice interactions with Nicolas Cage. For the uninitiated, yes Nicolas Cage is a DBD character, playing himself.