Beloved slasher franchise Friday the 13th shared an update recently about its plans for the future. This includes a large expansion into a new era with the launch of Jason Universe. With this project, which aims to span the franchise across multiple platforms, what could this mean for a potential collaboration with Dead by Daylight?
Known for its countless crossovers, the asymmetrical horror is not one to shy away from a big franchise. In 2023 alone, Child’s Play‘s Chucky and Alien‘s Xenomorph made it into the multiversal slasher title. Even with many huge horror licenses, one highly-requested killer has sadly never looked likely: Jason from Friday the 13th.
Why Has It Taken So Long?
With the unfortunate closure of Friday the 13th: The Game, things weren’t looking great regarding collaboration with DbD or with anything, for that matter. Historically, there have been many disputes regarding ownership of the license. This meant that gaming enthusiasts would have to come to terms with the fact that the iconic villain may never make the cut. That is until Horror, Inc. announced Jason Universe.
So much iconic horror stands together, but without Jason, it doesn’t feel complete
Per IGN, Horror, Inc. has shared its intentions. Partnering with screenwriter Victor Miller, they wish to expand the franchise into a multi-platform universe across entertainment, video games, merchandise and so much more. This finally opens up a window of opportunity for collaboration with the ultimate slasher-fest: Dead by Daylight.
In an interview uploaded back in October 2023, hosted by YouTuber The King with Mathieu Côté, Game Director and Head of Partnerships at Behaviour Interactive, the developer confirmed that he not only hopes to bring Jason Voorhees in one day but that he has actively pursued the license in question on multiple occasions. With this recent news, there could be promising potential for a substantial compromise.
As confirmed in the interview, if BHVR noticed a good way into the license, they would attempt to acquire it. With this, players might finally see a Chapter dedicated to one of the kings of slashers. Jason Vorhees would without question be the new killer, and if this were to be a large content drop, a survivor and a map could accompany him. The potential is exciting, but nothing has been announced yet, this is all just speculation for now.
In the meantime, players can continue to enjoy the recent anniversary revelations. Look forward to Vecna, coming soon in Chapter 32: Dungeons & Dragons with update 8.0.0 on June 3rd.
(Interview with Mathieu Côté video published by The King)
