Dead by Daylight developer apologizes after gifting streamer $300 in DLC

Behaviour Interactive apologized after a team member gave YouTuber TheBurntPeanut free in-game content and currency during a livestream over the Halloween weekend. The gifted items, which reportedly included DLC characters and perks worth about $300, were awarded without the required approvals (Behaviour Interactive).

Dead by Daylight · official art via IGDB

The studio said the decision happened because staff saw a large audience watching a new streamer in the Twitch directory. While the team sometimes unlocks content to give creators a preview, Behaviour Interactive said this specific decision was made quickly and without group discussion. The studio also noted that they normally review a creator's past content to ensure it aligns with their values of inclusion, but they did not do so in this instance (Behaviour Interactive).

During the stream, TheBurntPeanut offered to return the items when concerns were raised. An official Dead by Daylight account responded in all caps, telling the streamer the items were his to keep (reports say). Behaviour Interactive said this response showed a disregard for the situation and escalated the conflict.

The incident led to players review bombing the game and prompted reports of abusive language and threats being directed at staff. Behaviour Interactive said it has removed the gifted DLC and is rewriting guidelines for how the team interacts with creators and approves content requests.