RUMOR: IT’s Pennywise Could Be Dead by Daylight’s Big 10th Anniversary Surprise
For months now, one of the strongest rumors surrounding Dead by Daylight has been the possibility that Pennywise from IT could finally be joining the Fog. And while Behaviour Interactive hasn’t officially confirmed anything, fans have uncovered an increasingly large amount of details that seem to point in one direction.
The latest teaser shown during Summer Game Fest only pushed the speculation even further, with balloons appearing everywhere throughout the trailer — imagery that immediately made many players think of Pennywise.
But let’s go through everything step by step thanks to @Pennywise4DBD.
The Calendar That Shouldn’t Exist
The first major clue dates back to the release of the anniversary calendar, where the Dead by Daylight marketing team circled specific dates for players to keep an eye on for future teasers and reveals.
However, many fans quickly noticed something strange: the calendar ends on June 31st.
There’s just one problem — June 31st doesn’t exist.
Some players believe this wasn’t accidental. When flipped upside down, the number 31 resembles 13. Why does that matter? Because Stephen King is famously associated with triskaidekaphobia — the fear of the number 13.
Coincidence? Maybe. But it was enough to start the theories.
“10 Years of Fear”
Another detail people immediately picked up on was the wording used during the anniversary celebrations.
Usually, Behaviour uses the phrase:
“X years of kills & thrills.”
This year, however, they changed it to:
“10 years of fear.”
Why is that significant?
Because Pennywise feeds on fear.
It’s a simple connection, but one many fans believe could have been intentional.
The Strange “12345” Discovery
Here’s one of the strangest details that surfaced.
The email version of the anniversary invitation contains the number sequence:
12345
If you search “12345 Stephen King,” you’ll eventually find an old Stephen King post featuring the phrase:
“We all float down here. You’ll float too.”
Is that enough evidence by itself? Not even close.
Is it weird enough to keep digging? Absolutely.
The Three Spirals Theory
Down the rabbit hole we go.
The 10-year anniversary badge features three spirals in the background.
Fans noticed that the vessel used during the Ritual of Chüd is often depicted with three spirals representing the Deadlights.
What makes this even more interesting is that the etched lines on that vessel bear similarities to the linework used in the “1” from the anniversary logo itself.
Again — not proof.
But visually, the similarities are difficult to ignore.
Graffiti References: Stephen and Sharks?
The anniversary teaser introduced another batch of suspicious details.
In one scene, many viewers noticed graffiti that appears to say “Stephen” with a crown above it — though some disagree on the reading.
But another detail has sparked even more discussion.
In the background appears the word:
“SHARK.”
On its own, this means nothing.
However, in IT, Pennywise takes the form of a great white shark inspired by Jaws in order to terrorize Mike Hanlon.
The fact that the word is painted in a grey-white colour only made people associate it even more strongly with a great white shark.
Could this all be accidental? Very possible.
But it’s another oddly specific detail.
Twisted Dreams and More Stephen King Connections
While discussing possible Stephen King references, another one stood out:
Twisted Dreams sign in the Entity Trailer.
Stephen King’s short story Big Wheels: A Tale of the Laundry Game later received a film adaptation that was featured at the Milwaukee Twisted Dreams Film Festival.
Another coincidence?
Maybe.
But fans continue adding it to the pile.
The Giant Crow Theory
What might have been the first visual teaser actually goes back further.
The 13-second Portrait of a Murder preview showed Carmina creating a giant crow.
Why does this matter?
Because during the Ritual of Chüd, the first form Pennywise takes is described as a massive crow-like bird.
The visual similarities immediately caught attention.
Some fans even flipped the crow image upside down and argued its silhouette resembles the bird shown on the Ritual of Chüd vessel.
That may sound like conspiracy territory.
But at this point, fans are analyzing everything.
Eyes Watching from the Darkness
One moment from the latest Summer Game Fest teaser drew immediate comparisons.
For a brief second, we see a pair of eyes staring from the darkness.
Many compared this to Jason’s reveal teaser.
Others immediately connected it to Pennywise — a character often associated with watching from shadows before revealing himself.
Later, Behaviour replied to a post using the 👁️👁️ emojis.
On their own, they mean absolutely nothing.
Combined with everything else?
Fans saw more fuel for the fire.
Is “IT” Hidden in the Anniversary Logo?
Another theory focuses on the wax seal from the anniversary invitations.
Some fans believe the logo itself subtly hides the letters:
IT
People specifically pointed out how the endings of the “T” resemble typography used for Stephen King’s novel and the 1990 adaptation.
Intentional design choice?
Nobody knows.
But people noticed.
Summer Game Fest: The Balloon Explosion
This is where speculation truly exploded.
At around 0:16 in the Summer Game Fest trailer, viewers noticed numerous balloons appearing throughout the background.
What makes this interesting is that they are not exclusively red.
Instead, many appear multi-coloured — something fans associated more closely with the 1990 IT miniseries than the 2017 films.
Are balloons exclusive to Pennywise?
Of course not.
But paired with everything else, people immediately connected the dots.
The Tree Trunk Theory
Another blink-and-you-miss-it moment from that trailer.
Some viewers believe body parts and shapes visible near a tree trunk appear to spell:
I T
Whether this is intentional visual design or simple pattern recognition is impossible to know.
Still, fans added it to the board.
The Welcome to Derry Comparison
Another frequently discussed shot shows what appears to be Dwight in a tense sequence in the ‘don’t blink’ teaser.
Some fans compared this framing to imagery from Welcome to Derry, where Pennywise appears standing in a doorway while holding a balloon in front of his face.
The posture.
The framing.
The atmosphere.
People immediately started making comparisons.
Blood Patterns and Georgie References?
One scene sparked heavy discussion about the Summer Game Fest trailer.
On the left side, blood patterns appear to form shapes resembling:
I and T
Some fans even argued the hanging edges resemble the stylised “T” used in older IT branding.
Meanwhile, on the right side, a dismembered limb-like object sparked another debate.
Some think it resembles Georgie’s arm.
Others argue it looks more similar to imagery connected to Adrian Mellon’s attack in IT Chapter Two.
Either way, people noticed.
The Red Balloon Scene
This one barely needs explaining.
A wheel lands directly on top of a red balloon.
The red balloon is arguably the single most iconic visual associated with Pennywise.
Could it simply be horror imagery?
Yes.
Could it also be one of the clearest hints so far?
That depends on how deep you’re willing to go into the rabbit hole.
The Blow-Up Clown
Finally, there’s the inflatable clown.
At first glance, it could just be generic horror scenery.
But fans quickly focused on the colour choices.
The blue sections reminded people of Pennywise’s 1990 costume.
The yellow elements sparked even more comparisons.
Again — nothing definitive.
But it joined the ever-growing list of possible clues.
Thanks to @Pennywise4DBD for summarizing all these clues in a Twitter thread!
So… Is Pennywise Actually Coming?
Right now, none of this confirms anything.
Every single clue discussed here exists firmly in speculation territory.
Many of these details could simply be coincidences, examples of fans connecting dots that were never intended to connect.
But when you combine the strange calendar date, recurring references to fear, potential Stephen King nods, balloons everywhere, hidden “IT” imagery, clown symbolism, and Behaviour continuing to fuel discussion, it becomes easier to understand why so many players believe Pennywise may finally be on his way to Dead by Daylight.
For now, all we can do is wait.
But there are definitely a lot of coincidences pointing in the same direction.
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