Dead by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive has announced that the next update for the game will remove the ability for Leatherface players to wear the face of their victim’s character following reports from players of targeted racist harassment.
The game – an asymmetrical horror title that pits ‘survivor’ characters against some of Hollywood’s most infamous serial killers – features Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Like his movie counterpart, Leatherface is able to ‘wear’ the skin of his victims, and it’s this feature that has caused issues.
One of the game’s survivor characters, Claudette Morel, is a black woman, and Dead by Daylight players have reported that this specific mask is being used to target them for harassment. (You can see this issue being discussed in this video, which some viewers might find distressing and contains strong language.)
In a recent developer update, Behaviour Interactive explained the reasons for the removal of the option:
Members of the community have shared their experiences with people targeting and harassing them while using some of these masks.
These reports were disheartening to hear, and we absolutely condemn this behaviour. We are not comfortable having these masks in the game when they are used as a tool to spread hate. To that end, we will be removing The Cannibal’s unlockable faces in this upcoming Mid-Chapter.
We will not tolerate hateful activity and will continue to take every step necessary to protect the community.
