Key Highlights:
- Dead by Daylight officially confirms a crossover with AMC’s The Walking Dead.
- Teaser image hints at Rick Grimes and iconic hospital scene from the show.
- Full reveal set for July 8, with speculation pointing to multiple Survivors and new Killer.
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After years of speculation and fan demand, Behaviour Interactive has confirmed that Dead by Daylight is officially crossing over with AMC’s The Walking Dead.
A teaser image posted via the game’s official X account has sparked widespread excitement across the community, with many interpreting the visual cues as confirmation that Rick Grimes will finally be joining the fog.
The teaser shows two chained hospital doors painted with the words “don’t open, dead inside,” a direct visual lifted from the pilot episode of The Walking Dead.
Behind the doors, the grasping hands of several walkers (zombies, in Kirkman’s terminology) claw through, echoing the panic and dread the series became famous for.
The reference is unmistakable, and fans immediately recognised the imagery as a clear homage to Robert Kirkman’s original story, adapted for television by AMC.
While Behaviour hasn’t confirmed character specifics, the overwhelming consensus is that Rick Grimes will lead the charge as the featured Survivor, given his central role in the franchise and long-standing fan campaigns requesting his addition to the game.
Long-Time Fan Campaigns Pay Off
The campaign to bring Rick Grimes into Dead by Daylight has been ongoing for years, led in part by a fan-run X account titled Rick Grimes for DBD.
Earlier this year, that campaign gained traction when Chandler Riggs, who played Carl Grimes in the AMC series, recorded a personalised message on Cameo asking Behaviour Interactive to include his character’s father in the game.
Riggs also expressed his personal love for Dead by Daylight, which didn’t go unnoticed by developers.
While there’s no official confirmation yet on whether Carl, Michonne, or other major Walking Dead characters will join Rick, the crossover certainly opens the door.
With previous DLCs including expansive content for franchises like Resident Evil and Stranger Things, it wouldn’t be a stretch for Behaviour to launch a full collection.
After all, the latter was jumping from TV to mainstream gaming, just like TWD is.
DBD x TWD Crossover Reveal Date Set for July 8
A cryptic message accompanying the teaser stated: “Together, we endure. Alone, we fall.”
Behaviour Interactive has confirmed that fans will “learn more tomorrow,” meaning July 8th will bring more concrete details about what the crossover includes.
If past DLCs are anything to go by, expect a blend of Survivors, a Killer, a possible new map, and a set of cosmetic skins inspired by iconic characters from AMC’s The Walking Dead universe.
This crossover ranks among the most requested in the game’s history, second only perhaps to the recent addition of Five Nights at Freddy’s content, which brought a new wave of attention and younger audiences to the horror title.
Additional Features Coming With the Update
The Walking Dead crossover is part of a broader update hitting the Public Test Build (PTB) on July 9, and includes far more than just new characters.
Behaviour Interactive has confirmed that the crossover will introduce two new licensed Survivors, each arriving with three unique perks. While their identities haven’t been revealed, this confirms a more expansive Survivor rollout than usual for a licensed chapter.
While there’s a strong possibility of Michonne, Carl Grimes or Daryl Dixon being included, don’t expect Negen anytime soon due to licence complexities.
A new item called the Fog Vial is being added to the game. Survivors can use this vial to release a fog cloud that offers temporary concealment by:
- Obscuring scratch marks
- Muffling in-game audio
- Blocking aura-reading for anyone inside
The fog cloud expands outward and dissipates over time. It features a cooldown-based recharge system, meaning Survivors can use it multiple times per trial, similar to token-based items from past events.
Mouse and keyboard support is being introduced for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series platforms, offering greater control flexibility for console players.
Players will now have access to seven customisable perk loadouts and seven cosmetic presets per character. Each can be named individually, improving organisation for players with extensive collections.
Alongside the crossover, a large number of Killer perk changes and balance tweaks are being introduced. Killers such as The Pig, The Knight, The Clown, and The Executioner are receiving meaningful updates to movement speed, abilities, and cooldowns. Several Survivor perks are also being rebalanced in tandem.
The Walking Dead stands as one of the most influential horror dramas of the last two decades, redefining post-apocalyptic storytelling and spawning numerous spin-offs.
Despite some fatigue in later years, its characters remain beloved. The chance to control Rick Grimes inside Dead by Daylight’s deadly trials is both nostalgic and symbolic of how far the horror genre has come in games and TV over the years.
For Behaviour, this crossover not only fulfils a long-standing request, but also strategically taps into The Walking Dead’s broad legacy – one that extends across TV, comics, mobile games, and now one of the most successful asymmetric horror games on the market.
With the full reveal just around the corner, Dead by Daylight’s latest partnership is shaping up to be a landmark moment.
Whether you’re a die-hard Kirkman fan, an AMC loyalist, or someone who just wants to see Rick swing his hatchet one more time, there’s plenty to look forward to on July 8.
