On May 27, Dead by Daylight launched one of its most highly anticipated Public Test Builds (PTB) — the long-awaited collaboration with Five Nights at Freddy’s. While the reveal of Springtrap as the Killer excited many, the overall community response has been lukewarm, with growing criticism aimed at the lack of a Survivor and perceived creative shortcuts in both the Killer’s design and the map.
No Survivor? Fans Left Wanting More
One of the major points of contention is the absence of a Survivor alongside Springtrap. Traditionally, many licensed chapters in Dead by Daylight include both a Killer and a Survivor, giving fans characters to play on both sides of the match. However, in the case of FNaF, Behaviour Interactive opted to release only the Killer and a new map — leaving a noticeable void for fans who were hoping to step into the shoes of a recognizable FNaF protagonist.
Dave Richard, Creative Director at Behaviour Interactive, addressed this disappointment in a recent interview:
“In early discussion in our planning, and how we wanted to tackle this Chapter and what we had access to when we started this, having a Survivor was, for many reasons, challenging and not a perfect fit that we wanted to make happen. So, yes, I understand the disappointment, like, 100%, but in our mind, we were in the first game, where, at that point in the story, security is anyone. It’s the player. It’s you, right?”
Richard also left a door open for future FNaF content:
“I’d like to say… maybe we’ll get the chance to do it eventually, or do something else. I definitely think that would be really cool, especially knowing that FNaF is vast. It’s a large franchise, and that’s something we’ve done before, with big licenses. We’ve done more content after the first release. So, maybe that would be a possibility.”
Springtrap’s Power Feels Too Familiar
Another major complaint from the community is Springtrap’s power. Many players have pointed out that his ability — which involves throwing axes and teleporting through vents — feels like a blend of existing Killer powers. Specifically, fans are comparing it to The Huntress, who throws hatchets, and The Xenomorph, who uses underground tunnels to traverse the map.
While the leaks months ago suggested Springtrap’s power involved an axe, most fans dismissed it at the time, considering it non-canon for the character. Now that the axe is officially part of his toolkit, players are questioning the creativity behind the decision. Many had hoped to see a power that integrated the other animatronics in ghostly form, similar to how The Knight summons phantom guards — or even something as original as Ken Kaneki’s wall-scaling mechanic from the Tokyo Ghoul chapter.
Map Design Draws Criticism
Even the new map hasn’t escaped scrutiny. Several players quickly noticed that the FNaF map feels heavily inspired by Greenville Square, a previously released map, with only the central structure changed. Longtime fans of the FNaF franchise were also disappointed by the lack of key visual elements like the surveillance room, famous hallways, and Foxy’s mask — all iconic staples of the original games.
What’s Next?
Despite the backlash, there’s still hope among fans that this collaboration could evolve into something more expansive. Behaviour Interactive has a history of releasing follow-up content for large franchises, such as Resident Evil, which brought multiple chapters featuring different characters and gameplay mechanics.
For now, however, the FNaF chapter feels like a missed opportunity to deliver something truly unique — especially for what was arguably the most requested crossover in the game’s history. Whether due to creative restrictions, licensing limitations, or technical constraints, fans can only hope Behaviour will take the feedback seriously and deliver more in the future.
P.S.: FOLLOW LEAKSBYDAYLIGHT ON FACEBOOK, TIKTOK, TWITTER/X, INSTAGRAM, DISCORD, BLUESKY:
Stranger Things Chapter 2 Info New Contents! Read More…
Pennywise is Coming to Dead by Daylight? Read More…
Renjiro Yamaoka as March Survivor in DbD? Read More…