Highlights

  • Vecna, the iconic lich from Dungeons and Dragons, has made his way into Dead by Daylight as a new killer serving the mysterious Entity.
  • Unfortunately, Hawkins residents Steve and Nancy won't have any special dialogue when facing Vecna, despite their encounters with a Vecna in the world of Stranger Things.
  • Behavior Interactive is enthusiastic about the Dungeons and Dragons collaboration and hopes to add more content to Dead by Daylight in the future, including a potential one-shot module in the game's world.

The powerful and sinister lich Vecna has been threatening Dungeons and Dragons players for years. Now, he has crossed through the Fog into the world of the multiplayer horror title Dead by Daylight as the latest killer serving the mysterious Entity. Vecna, along with two original Dungeons and Dragons-inspired survivors and a dungeon-focused map, are being added to Dead by Daylight as part of the game's eighth anniversary celebration. Two pre-existing Dead by Daylight survivors have tangled with a Vecna of their own in their home world - but, unfortunately, they won't have any special dialogue or interactions with the Dead by Daylight version of the iconic lich.

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Vecna Serves As A Villain In Stranger Things Season 4

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The Dungeons and Dragons-loving protagonists of hit Netflix series Stranger Things have a tendency to assign their Upside Down-dwelling foes nicknames inspired by the tabletop RPG. This started with the Demogorgon in Season 1, continued with the introduction of the Mind Flayer, and ultimately resulted in the Upside Down's most powerful resident earning the moniker "Vecna" in Season 4.

The Stranger Things Vecna shares many similarities with his namesake, including his mortal origins, powerful supernatural abilities, and emaciated, skeletal appearance. It's no wonder that the Hawkins teens dubbed him Vecna, although the Dungeons and Dragons version is not known to have a weakness to the song "Running Up That Hill." However, Dead by Daylight survivors from the world of Stranger Things apparently won't make the connection between the two Vecnas - or perhaps they'll simply be too busy running from their lives from this powerful new killer to notice.

Steve And Nancy Won't Have Special Dialogue When Facing Vecna

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A collaboration between Stranger Things and Dead by Daylight introduced Hawkins residents Steve Harrington and Nancy Wheeler as survivors along with the Demogorgon as a killer and the Underground Complex map. The collaboration was first introduced in 2019 before being abruptly pulled in 2021, possibly due to rights issues involving Netflix. However, it returned in November 2023, and currently remains available.

During a press conference attended by Game ZXC, Behavior Interactive senior creative director Dave Richard was asked if there would be any unique interactions should the Stranger Things survivors face Vecna. Unlike his many other cagey answers regarding upcoming Dead by Daylight content, Richard's response was blunt and to the point: "That'd be cool, but no."

More Dungeons and Dragons Content Could Be Added In The Future

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However, just because these interactions do not currently exist does not mean that they never will. Both Richard and Head of Partnerships Mathieu Cote expressed their enthusiasm regarding the Dungeons and Dragons collaboration, which is one they had hoped to make a reality for a long time. Cote and Richard would love to add more Dungeons and Dragons content to Dead by Daylight in the future, with Richard expressing particular interest in the Ravenloft universe.

Another project that isn't currently in development but the team would like to see become a reality is a Dungeons and Dragons one-shot or other module set in the world of Dead by Daylight. "It's not impossible," Cote said. "We've made some great friends at Wizards of the Coast." Dungeons and Dragons is recently experiencing a surge in popularity among video game fans due to the success of titles such as Baldur's Gate 3. For now, though, Dead by Daylight players can choose to recreate Season 4 of Stranger Things by having Vecna chase down Nancy and Steve, but there won't be any fun Easter eggs referencing their encounters with the Upside Down version of this new killer.