For the past five years, Behavior Interactive Dead by daylight has become home to some of the most famous horror characters, from Halloween to Hellraiser, from Saw to Stranger Things. The next licensed trait of the asymmetrical horror game is both inspired and perhaps a bit unexpected: Chapter 23 of Dead by daylight is based on Ringu, the Japanese psychological horror franchise based on Koji Suzuki’s novel, which has resulted in numerous film adaptations and sequels, including three Hollywood films (The ring, The ring two, and Rings).
Behavior Interactive and Editor Kadokawa revealed plans for Chapter 23 of the Dead by daylight on Tuesday, which revealed that the The ring comes to the game in March 2022.
Details about the collaboration between Behavior and Kadokawa are few, but we know that the The ring Kapitel will be based on both Suzuki’s original book and Hideo Nakata’s 1998 film adaptation. No company has confirmed which character (s) of The ring would appear in Dead by daylight, but given the notoriety and iconic looks of the antagonist Sadako Yamamura – plus a teaser trailer that shows The ringShe’s easy to spot – she obviously seems to suit a new killer.
In a press release, Dead by daylight Game Director Mathieu Côté said: “This new chapter will offer our players something intensely dark and unsettling, a real heart-pounding experience that will add to the already high intensity of our game.”
“It has been 30 years since the novel was first published The ring and 22 years since the film The ring“Reiko Imayasu, producer at Kadokawa, said in a statement to Polygon. “Cooperation with Dead by daylight is without a doubt a new challenge for the Ringu franchise. As an IP from Japan, we are entering the fog for the first time … shiver with fear while you wait! “
Read on for an email interview with Côté and Imayasu with further insights into the collaboration.
How did this special partnership come about? This seems one of Dead by daylightis rather unexpected [properties] of your choice.
Mathieu Côte: The ring was at the top of my wish-list for possible collaborations! So we can say that creating a new chapter based on this Japanese masterpiece is a dream come true.
The franchise has become a worldwide horror phenomenon. The images that now live on our minds as a result of this famous franchise are deeply disturbing and frankly impossible to forget. Dead by daylight is a possibility for us to bring the fears and nightmares of other cultures closer to our fans, the Northern European folklore for example with the chapter Binding of Kin or the Latin American heritage with our new chapter Portrait of a Murder. It is an honor and a very exciting project for us to offer players all over the world a deep insight into this jewel of Japanese culture. The ring will also give us the opportunity to play with psychological horror, which we seldom touched on in our game.
But to be honest, the more important a franchise is, the more scared I get too! Not just because it’s one of the most terrifying and disturbing stories out there, but because it’s such a well-made and powerful piece of art that the bar is very high to create a chapter Dead by daylight that will honor the source material.
Reiko Imayasu: We’ve seen Dead by daylight‘s big killers in action, dreaming that one day our characters could make a name for themselves alongside the other horror legends.
It’s a great honor to see what we’ve been dreaming of as a team for years. It’s not finished yet, but Behavior Interactive’s ideas are very promising. Cant wait for people all over the world to play it and I hope so Dead by daylight will give the world more opportunities to experience the Ringu universe.
Given that Dead by daylight‘s interpretation of The ring based on the original novel and the film adaptation, how is the killer depicted differently or similarly in the game as in the film appearances?
Mathieu Côte: Since the killer is a character who already exists in other forms of entertainment, he comes with a set of expectations, he already exists in the minds of fans. Most of the work for us is to create a look and a force that stays true to the source material and bring that character to life in a way that surprises and impresses our partner, in this case the Kadokawa Corporation, and our fans, which are at the same time in the Dead by daylight World.
Aside from the visual aspects, the key element on which we base our character creation decisions is gameplay. No matter who the new killer we bring into the mist, it has to be fun to play and fun to play against. When we think about the possible options for killers, the character’s narrative and backstory will often influence our decisions. For example, with our current Killer Pinhead, we had to use chains as part of its killer power because it’s such a central element in the movie.
And if I may add, we have quite a surprise for Survivor main courses too! True fans of the The ring The story will be amazed and the less familiar players will want to be significantly more immersed in the story. I can’t say more now.
Reiko Imayasu: When we enter the world of Dead by daylight, we believe there are several things that we can change and use for the merger. Our killer is a little different from its predecessors in the game and specializes in delivering quiet terror. We want it to be beautiful, dignified, and scary at the same time. On the other hand, I hope you will eagerly wait to see if the world of Ringu matches the physical attacks of “hooking” a survivor Dead by daylight.
What elements are the key to The ring and faithfully represent the various elements of this universe?
Mathieu Côte: Without giving away spoilers, I can say that the narrative aspect of the chapter will be very important. The ring is filled with so many disturbing details that the narrative possibilities are huge for us. Also, remember that our chapter will be based on Kōji Suzuki’s acclaimed novel and original film adaptation. Our goal is to be as honest as possible with the original Japanese story, so the storytelling aspect will be central in this regard. As usual, when we create a chapter based on an existing work of art, our challenge is to strike the perfect balance between paying homage to the creation and a “Dead by daylight touch ”, which will integrate this new content coherently into our universe.
Reiko Imayasu: the novel The ring and the film The ring Tell the story of a cursed virus that multiplies and targets an indefinite number of people. The story is about the psychological fear of saving your family in 7 days.
How to portray psychological horror is unique to this work, and I believe that when it is in the world of Dead by daylight, it’s going to be something the fans will be excited about. I think it’s important to have fun in the game while imitating the real thing. So I trust that Dead by daylight Team.
Working with them was very exciting. They had a very deep understanding of both the novel and film versions of The ring, and we were able to quickly discuss the key details. For example, they were eager to suggest things we didn’t yet know how to approach, like the differences between novel and film and how to get rid of the psychological horror of. represents The ring in the game.
I was very impressed with the attitude of the Dead by daylight Team, and that’s why I believe the game attracted so many great franchises and won the support of fans.
Ringu is very different from traditional slasher licenses in Dead by daylighthow was the brainstorming process? Did you feel committed to any particular aesthetic or game mechanic?
Mathieu Côte: You’re right! In case of The ring, let’s talk about psychological horror which is very different from the typical slasher style our fans are used to. So you can expect the new killer to come with features and game mechanics not found in other characters.
When we create a chapter based on an existing production, we list the key elements associated with that IP. We ask ourselves: “Which components are inevitable?” “Which elements have to be integrated in order to offer the fans what they expect?” Then we evaluate the feasibility and check whether these features make sense in our game. Are you adding something interesting? Are they giving the players something new? If the answer is yes, we will likely consider it a feature to incorporate.
Since Dead by daylight‘s licensed killers traditionally come from horror film, television and video games, this is a new medium in some ways. Does The ringIntroducing new licensing options for Behavior?
Mathieu Côte: Great question! This new chapter is based on both the original novel and the film adaptation, but you’re right in pointing it out Dead by daylight isn’t necessarily limited to movies or video game franchises. We are continuing to build this horror museum and it has to showcase all of the different media that have been used throughout history to scare people. From urban legends to books to films and video games. So if it’s scary it could absolutely turn out to be one Dead by daylight Chapter in the future.
