Robert Englund’s Freddy Krueger Could Finally Be Coming to Dead by Daylight
Fortnite’s upcoming Fortnitemares 2026 collaboration with the classic Freddy Krueger could be a major clue that Robert Englund’s iconic version of the character may finally make its way into Dead by Daylight.
For years, Dead by Daylight players have had access to Freddy Krueger, but there has always been one major catch: the version featured in Behaviour Interactive’s asymmetrical horror game is based on the 2010 A Nightmare on Elm Street remake, starring Jackie Earle Haley.
Now, however, Fortnite is about to introduce a very different Freddy.
As part of Fortnitemares 2026, Epic Games has officially announced Freddy Krueger alongside several other major horror characters, including Slender Man. The event begins on October 1, and the Freddy featured in the promotional material is unmistakably based on the classic incarnation made famous by Robert Englund — complete with the iconic fedora, striped sweater, burned face and razor glove.
And that could be much more important for Dead by Daylight than it initially appears.
Dead by Daylight already has Freddy — but not Robert Englund’s Freddy
Freddy Krueger has been part of Dead by Daylight since 2017, introduced as The Nightmare alongside Quentin Smith and the Badham Preschool.
However, Behaviour Interactive’s version of Freddy was created around the 2010 remake. The character’s appearance, therefore, is based on Jackie Earle Haley’s interpretation rather than Robert Englund’s classic version from the original A Nightmare on Elm Street movies.
That distinction has remained particularly frustrating for fans who have wanted to see Englund’s Freddy represented in modern horror games.
The situation is especially unusual because Freddy is arguably one of the most recognizable horror characters in history, yet the classic cinematic version has been surprisingly difficult to find in contemporary video games.
Fortnite is now changing that.
Fortnite is bringing classic Freddy back to gaming
The upcoming Fortnitemares collaboration represents a significant moment for the character.
Rather than using the 2010 remake design, Fortnite’s Freddy is based on the classic version associated with Robert Englund and the original A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise.
This does not mean that Robert Englund himself is necessarily providing new voice work for Fortnite. At the time of writing, there is no official confirmation that Englund recorded new material for the collaboration.
Nevertheless, the visual distinction is important.
For the first time in years, a major modern live-service game is prominently featuring the classic Freddy Krueger design.
And that immediately raises an obvious question:
Could Robert Englund’s Freddy eventually come to Dead by Daylight?
There is already a precedent involving Fortnite
The theory is not coming completely out of nowhere.
One of the most interesting aspects of the recent horror crossover landscape is the growing overlap between Fortnite and Dead by Daylight.
During Fortnitemares 2025, Fortnite featured several major horror collaborations, including Jason Voorhees, Art the Clown and Scooby-Doo.
Then, in 2026, Behaviour Interactive announced that those same properties would be coming to Dead by Daylight.
Jason Voorhees officially arrived in Dead by Daylight in June 2026, while Art the Clown was announced for an upcoming chapter and Scooby-Doo was also confirmed as part of the game’s collaboration lineup.
That creates a very interesting pattern:
Fortnite → Fortnitemares 2025 → Dead by Daylight in 2026
It happened with Jason.
It happened with Art the Clown.
It happened with Scooby-Doo.
Now, just as Dead by Daylight continues expanding its roster of licensed horror icons, Fortnite is introducing another extremely important character: the classic Freddy Krueger.
Of course, this does not prove that Behaviour Interactive has a Freddy collaboration planned. There is no official confirmation that Epic’s Fortnite collaborations are being used as a direct pipeline for future Dead by Daylight content.
But the precedent is certainly enough to make fans pay attention.
The timing makes Freddy particularly interesting
Freddy is arguably an even more intriguing case than Jason or Art the Clown because Dead by Daylight already has the character.
The problem is simply which Freddy.
Behaviour would not necessarily need to introduce an entirely new Killer. The existing Nightmare could potentially receive a new licensed appearance based on the classic Robert Englund incarnation.
Such a collaboration could finally give players the Freddy that many fans have wanted for years without necessarily replacing the existing character.
It could theoretically be introduced as a new cosmetic, alternate outfit or another form of licensed content.
Nothing like this has been announced by Behaviour Interactive, but the existence of a classic Freddy in Fortnite demonstrates that this version of the character can once again be used in a major modern gaming collaboration.
Robert Englund has not actually disappeared from the role since 2003
There is also an important clarification regarding Robert Englund’s history as Freddy Krueger.
It would be incorrect to say that Freddy vs. Jason in 2003 was literally the last time Englund ever appeared as Freddy.
Englund returned to the role for The Goldbergs in 2018, appearing as Freddy Krueger in the Halloween episode “Mister Knifey-Hands.”
He was also involved with Freddy in the gaming world, including Mortal Kombat.
Therefore, the more accurate statement is that 2003 was Englund’s last feature-film appearance as Freddy in the main A Nightmare on Elm Street movie franchise.
The 2018 Goldbergs appearance was a television cameo rather than a new Nightmare on Elm Street movie, while his involvement with Mortal Kombat was part of a video game collaboration rather than a continuation of the film franchise.
That makes Fortnite’s upcoming collaboration particularly interesting from a different perspective: it is another major modern game embracing the classic Englund-era interpretation of Freddy.
Could Fortnite open the door for Dead by Daylight?
This is where the speculation becomes particularly exciting.
If Epic Games and the rights holders are willing to license the classic Freddy design for Fortnite, then the character is clearly not completely off-limits to modern gaming projects.
And Behaviour Interactive has already demonstrated an interest in bringing major horror properties into Dead by Daylight.
The game has become something of a crossover hub for horror icons, featuring characters from franchises such as Halloween, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Stranger Things, Alien, Saw, Child’s Play, The Ring and many others.
The addition of Jason Voorhees in 2026 was particularly significant because it brought another of the genre’s most famous slasher icons into the game.
With Freddy already technically present, a classic Englund-inspired version would make considerable sense from a fan perspective.
However, there is still one major obstacle: licensing.
The fact that Fortnite has Freddy does not automatically mean that Behaviour has access to the same rights. Different games can negotiate completely separate agreements with the relevant rights holders, and the existence of a character in one game does not guarantee its appearance in another.
Therefore, at this point, Freddy remains speculation.
Slender Man could be another interesting possibility
Freddy is not the only horror character arriving in Fortnite for Fortnitemares 2026.
Slender Man is also being introduced as part of this year’s Halloween lineup.
That has naturally led to speculation about whether he could eventually appear in Dead by Daylight as well.
There is currently no official confirmation from Behaviour Interactive that Slender Man is coming to the game.
But his inclusion alongside Freddy is notable because Dead by Daylight has increasingly expanded beyond traditional movie franchises and has shown a willingness to collaborate with characters originating from different corners of horror culture.
Once again, however, Fortnite’s announcement should be viewed as an interesting precedent rather than confirmation of anything coming to Dead by Daylight.
Nothing has been confirmed — but the possibility is now much more interesting
At the moment, there is no official announcement that Robert Englund’s Freddy Krueger is coming to Dead by Daylight.
There is also no confirmed information indicating that Behaviour Interactive is currently negotiating such a collaboration.
But Fortnite’s Fortnitemares 2026 crossover has changed the conversation.
The classic Freddy Krueger design is returning to a major modern video game.
Dead by Daylight already has Freddy Krueger in its roster.
And several horror properties that appeared in Fortnitemares 2025 subsequently made their way into Dead by Daylight during 2026.
That does not establish a direct connection between the two games, but it certainly makes the possibility worth watching.
For fans, the dream scenario is obvious: Behaviour could eventually give The Nightmare a new appearance based on the Freddy Krueger made famous by Robert Englund.
After nearly two decades without a new A Nightmare on Elm Street movie featuring Englund, and years of fans asking for the classic version in modern horror games, Dead by Daylight would arguably be one of the most natural places for such a return.
For now, however, there is only one thing we can say with confidence:
Robert Englund’s iconic Freddy Krueger is coming back to the world of modern gaming through Fortnite — and that may be the first thing Dead by Daylight fans should be watching.
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