Summary
For the last almost eight years,Dead by Daylighthas struck an intriguing balance between crossover DLC and original expansions. While some fans prefer wholly original DLC Chapters that bring a completely new Killer and Survivor to the game, some fans prefer a crossover DLC, where an iconic horror character or two have come over from the realm of movies or TV. Thankfully,Dead by Daylightoffers both options, usually in an alternating form.
In all fairness, the last fewDead by DaylightDLCshave all been crossover-focused, with the last original DLC Chapter occurring all the way back in June 2023. But these crossover DLCs have also been some of the bestDead by Daylighthas ever seen, and that looks to be true as well for itsAlan Wakecrossover, which lands on January 30. A Survivor with plenty of torch-based Perks, Alan Wake is undoubtedly going to be a fan-favorite character for a while, and thoughDead by Daylighthas shared no plans to prove otherwise, it’d be a shame if this one Survivor DLC was all that fans got fromAlan Wakeand the Remedy Connected Universe.
Resident Evil’s Dual Wave Approach Was Necessary
Back in June 2021,Dead by Daylightreceived its first video game crossover in the form of aResident EvilDLC Chapter. A fully-fledged expansion, this DLC not only came with the Nemesis Killer but also with two Survivors, Leon Kennedy and Jill Valentine, along with a slew of unique Perks for each, all themed after their original video game appearances. While thisResident EvilxDead by DaylightDLC Chapterhad everything that fans could want and more, it still felt like it was only scratching the surface of what theResident Evillicense had to offer a game likeDead by Daylight.
It seemed Behaviour Interactive agreed, as in August 2022, just over a year later,Dead by Daylightreleased its secondResident EvilDLC, this one titled “Project W.” Here, another two Survivors—Ada Wong and Rebecca Chambers—join the fray, alongside Albert Wesker as the DLC’s menacing new Killer. With so many potentialSurvivors, Killers, and Perk ideas, it’s only natural thatDead by Daylightwould want to return to theResident Evillicense at least once more in its lifetime, and there’s still a ton of potential there for a third DLC if it was to ever want one.
Right now, theDead by DaylightxAlan Wakecrossoverwill see the titular paranatural writer head to the game as a Survivor. Along with a slick design based on the recent critical darlingAlan Wake 2, this DLC Survivor will come with three themed Perks, with “Champion of Light” increasing the power of handheld torches, “Boon: Illumination” showing the aura of nearby chests and generators for those in range, and “Deadline” increasing the frequency of skill checks while injured.
But while that’s all great stuff, it still feels likeDead by Daylightis only scratching the surface of whatAlan Wakeand the rest ofthe Remedy Connected Universehas to offer. It would be great to see a second wave ofAlan WakeDLC hitDead by Daylightin the future, potentially adding co-protagonist Saga Anderson to the game, or maybe even adding Mr. Scratch as a Killer. If Behaviour really wanted to go above and beyond, then it could even add in characters from the wider Remedyverse, such asControl’s Jesse Faden. There’s a ton of potential still there forDead by DaylightxAlan WakeDLC.
