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Behaviour Interactive Addresses Dead by Daylight Controversy
Behaviour Interactive has responded to criticism after its Dead by Daylight account gifted paid downloadable content to streamer TheBurntPeanut during his first Halloween stream of the game. The move drew backlash because the streamer has faced accusations of offensive behaviour, viewbotting and using racial and homophobic slurs; some players said they uninstalled the game.
The company said the gift was made after staff noticed a very large audience watching the stream, but acknowledged it had failed to review the streamer’s past content or check whether he reflected the team’s values. The downloadable content has been removed from his account, and Behaviour says it is reviewing its approval process and will take confidential internal action. The statement reaffirmed the game’s commitment to respect, diversity and a welcoming community, but many commenters remained dissatisfied.
In short
- Behaviour gifted paid game content to TheBurntPeanut during a Halloween stream.
- The company says it failed to check his past content and values.
- The items were removed, and its approval process is being reviewed.
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The case for
Behaviour’s gift may be seen as an attempt to support a popular stream and introduce the game to a large audience, rather than as an endorsement of everything the streamer has said or done. The company acknowledged that it had not properly reviewed his past content, removed the gift and said it would improve its approval process, steps that supporters may regard as a proportionate response to a lapse in judgement.
The case against
Players may argue that an official gift carries the weight of endorsement, especially when the recipient has faced accusations of using racial and homophobic slurs. Given the game’s stated commitment to respect and inclusion, they may see the failure to check the streamer’s record as a serious breach of trust, and the later removal of the gift and confidential internal action as insufficient to address the harm or reassure the community.