Behaviour Interactive Responds to Dead by Daylight Controversy

Behaviour Interactive is facing backlash for backing VTuber TheBurntPeanut after a Halloween stream. Numerous community members object to the controversial streamer over repeated allegations of offensive conduct, alleged viewbotting, and the use of racial and homophobic slurs. The fallout prompted dozens of players to uninstall Dead by Daylight and voice their frustration on social media. Behaviour Interactive is now conducting damage control and has released a statement on the matter.

TheBurntPeanut is currently among the most popular streamers on Twitch. To mark Halloween, he played Dead by Daylight, an online multiplayer game featuring several horror icons, for the first time. The official Dead by Daylight account tuned into the broadcast and awarded the streamer all paid DLC packs. TheBurntPeanut is a highly divisive figure in the gaming community, which is why the episode ignited such a heated online debate. When the streamer apparently declined the gift, citing the controversy it would stir, the DeadbyDaylight Twitch account replied, “We can take the heat!”

Behaviour Interactive responds to TheBurntPeanut controversy in official statement

According to the statement, Behaviour Interactive gifted free items to TheBurntPeanut after noticing a “very large” audience tuning into a Dead by Daylight stream to watch someone who had never played the game before. The post explains that although it is not unusual for the development team to grant content creators in-game content to help promote Dead by Daylight to a new audience, it failed to carry out its due diligence, examine the streamer’s past content, and verify whether he aligned with the team’s values.

The content has since been removed from TheBurntPeanut’s account. Methods for granting free content are being reviewed and updated to prevent similar incidents in the future. Behaviour Interactive underlines that it values respect and diversity, adding that its goal is for Dead by Daylight to be a welcoming space where players feel safe being themselves.

According to the official statement, the decision to gift the items was made hastily by an unnamed team member rather than being considered and discussed collectively by the team. Behaviour Interactive promised that internal action would be taken against those involved, though no further details would be disclosed, as it is a confidential matter. Despite the company’s efforts to make amends with the community, the comments section was flooded with angry fans. Many players felt its justification fell short and that the consequences for the unruly team were minimal.