As Dead by Daylight continues to expand its ever-growing roster of horror icons, one of the minds behind the game’s most recent killer — Springtrap from Five Nights at Freddy’s — has shared his dream project: bringing The Thing to the game.
In a recent interview, Behaviour Interactive developers Dave Richard and Jason Guzzo were asked about dream crossovers they’d love to see added to Dead by Daylight if there were no creative or legal restraints. While names like Pennywise and other horror royalty were expected, Guzzo, who worked on the Springtrap chapter, offered a more surprising and deeply passionate response: John Carpenter’s The Thing.
What is The Thing?
The Thing is a 1982 sci-fi horror classic directed by John Carpenter. Set in a remote Antarctic research station, the film centers on a shape-shifting alien entity that can perfectly imitate any living being. As paranoia spreads among the crew, trust erodes, and the group must determine who is still human — and who is not.
Known for its groundbreaking practical effects and terrifying atmosphere, The Thing has become a cult favorite and a seminal entry in the horror genre. Its themes of isolation, identity, and paranoia would fit naturally into the world of Dead by Daylight, where trust and betrayal are already core gameplay elements.
A Personal Crusade
Jason Guzzo, a member of the development team behind several major Dead by Daylight chapters, shared his passion for adapting The Thing:
“Just to be clear, this isn’t a hint about something that is being worked on. As far as I know, it’s not something that is being discussed above me, but my dream – and probably my favorite horror movie – is the obvious one: The Thing. I would love to get The Thing into DBD. I have been here for two and a half years, and I have been on a crusade to figure out how to get The Thing into DBD.”
Despite acknowledging the creative challenges of translating such a complex and morphing creature into Dead by Daylight’s asymmetric format, Guzzo expressed a deep desire to make it happen someday:
“It has a lot of potential design problems. It’s an internal thing of trying to figure out how to make that character work, but yes, that would be my… I don’t want to say my dream Chapter because every Chapter has been a dream so far. I got to do Chucky and Dracula and Springtrap. I don’t know who on this team gets to talk about being on some of the biggest licenses on the planet, but The Thing is the one that I am on a crusade to get done at some point.”
A Killer with Infinite Faces?
One of the major design hurdles in adapting The Thing would be its shapeshifting ability — a power unlike anything currently in Dead by Daylight. It would require innovative mechanics that could let a Killer take on the appearance of Survivors or perhaps disguise itself to sow chaos among the group. These ideas align with the film’s themes but present significant gameplay and technical challenges.
Still, for fans who crave asymmetry layered with deception and horror, The Thing seems like a perfect — if ambitious — match.
What’s Next?
While Guzzo made it clear that no official work is being done on The Thing chapter yet, the enthusiasm from someone so involved in the development of Dead by Daylight is a hopeful sign. If Behaviour Interactive can find a creative and technical path forward, The Thing could one day stalk the Fog — and players — in chillingly unexpected ways.
Until then, fans can only dream alongside the developers, as Dead by Daylight continues to grow its legendary horror multiverse.
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