Dead by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive is facing significant backlash following an incident where a community manager gifted Vtuber TheBurntPeanut every piece of content available in the game over the Halloween weekend. The studio subsequently apologized, stating that the decision was made without appropriate approvals and that the employee's subsequent conduct did not align with the game's core values. While unlocking content for creators to preview is not unusual, the unauthorized nature of this specific action has drawn sharp criticism from the player base.
The controversy stems from allegations that TheBurntPeanut harbors a toxic fan base. The streamer, known for appearing as a faceless peanut character, has faced scrutiny due to viral clips where he appeared to use or joke about slurs, alongside supporters who frequently employ offensive language and anti-woke rhetoric on social media. Screenshots from the incident show the Dead by Daylight moderator writing in Twitch chat, "WE CAN TAKE THE HEAT! THEY ARE YOURS TO KEEP," as they gifted the free content. This apparent endorsement of the streamer's ethos caused many community members to balk at the studio's actions.
In a statement, Behaviour Interactive acknowledged the fallout unfolding across the community and expressed heartbreak over the inflammatory language now being directed toward players. The studio emphasized that while they stand with the community in upholding shared values regardless of popularity, threatening employees is never acceptable. They have apologized for letting the community down and announced that internal processes are under review to prevent similar incidents.
The situation has escalated into a mutual review-bombing campaign on Steam. While Dead by Daylight maintains a "mostly positive" rating overall, an influx of negative reviews from opposing factions has dragged the score down. Some reviewers criticized the developers for "folding like a lawn chair under woke pressure," while others condemned the company for supporting a figure they associate with racism and transphobia. The streamer himself addressed the backlash on stream, noting that some players requested refunds citing his collaboration and the communication team's response as reasons for not supporting "racist transphobes." He questioned whether he had ever discussed transgender people in the last two years of streaming.
The dispute has also spilled over into the game's Discord server, where slow mode was enabled in off-topic channels amid accusations that fans of TheBurntPeanut were swarming the community. Additionally, at least one apparent member of the Dead by Daylight creator program faced backlash for calling LGBTQ identity a "mental illness" before deleting their account. As the controversy continues, both sides remain entrenched, with longtime users expressing frustration over the parasocial nature of the conflict.
Sources: Kotaku.