A new update for Dead By Daylight that introduces characters from the hit mascot horror game Five Nights at Freddy’s has caused controversy among fans – here’s why.
The much-anticipated content update to competitive horror multiplayer game Dead by Daylight, which is set to add a variety of crossover characters, maps, and content from several games, is set to release as part of its ninth anniversary.
As well as adding costumes designed by Dragula co-hosts The Boulet Brothers, developers Behaviour Interactive revealed that the fan-favourite animatronic Springtrap would be joining the game’s roster of creepy characters.
The character, who first appears in Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 and acts as the main antagonist of the series, is a dishevelled children’s mascot animatronic possessed by a dead serial killer. In his debut game, Springtrap stalks the player character and attempts to capture and grotesquely murder them.
Considered one of the series’ most popular characters, Springtrap’s addition to the Dead by Daylight roster has been in demand by fans for years. Others, however, criticised developers of the game for working with Five Nights at Freddy’s creator Scott Cawthorn in the collaboration.
Who is Five Nights at Freddy’s creator Scott Cawthorn?
Scott Cawthorn is a Texas-born video games developer who became a prominent figure in the games industry after the release of the first Five Nights at Freddy’s game in 2014.
Since then, the horror series has proliferated into an industry powerhouse, with 11 mainline titles, several books, and even a movie series.
The 46-year-old first entered games development after wanting to make adventure games based on his beliefs as a devout Christian. His early works, which were meant to be family-friendly kids’ games, were criticised for featuring “uncanny” and unintentionally disturbing mascot characters.
Eventually, he utilised his art style to create the unsettling mascot animatronics of the fictional pizza restaurant Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria for the game series, becoming one of the most prominent developers of the time.
In 2021, however, Cawthorn became the point of major backlash after it was revealed that he had donated largs sums of money to the Republican Party, including to US president Donald Trump during his failed 2020 election campaign.
The developer later clarified his stance in a Reddit post, saying he was an unabashed supporter of the Republican Party and considers himself to be “pro-life.” The post received wide-ranging criticism, especially from the prominent LGBTQ+ portion of the Five Nights at Freddy’s fanbase. Cawthorn responded by saying he would step away from active game development.
Why are people mad at Dead by Daylight’s collaboration with Five Nights at Freddy’s?
The controversy has caused division among Five Nights at Freddy’s fans, with many arguing that contributing to and supporting the series contributes to Cawthorn’s net worth and would therefore allegedly help the Republican Party, which are openly and vehemently anti-LGBTQ+.
One user wrote: “I’ve personally tried to stop interacting with [Five Nights at Freddy’s] … because Scott Cawthorn is a Trump supporter.”
According to donations tracker, OpenSecrets, Cawthorn has not donated to any political or public campaigns since August 2020.
Despite this, some have argued that Dead By Daylight, which has a major LGBTQ+ following, is inadvertently supporting anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment by collaborating with Cawthorn and his horror series.
While Cawthorn does not currently actively develop Five Nights at Freddy’s content and games, he allegedly still has directive control of the franchise and profits from it.
One user argued that the criticism goes beyond a “differing opinion,” since Cawthorn has financially contributed to the Republican Party.
The controversy is, however, still “hotly debated” as some have argued, with parts of the community arguing that the series can be enjoyed while still condemning Cawthorn’s beliefs. Others have instead chosen to stage a boycott of Five Nights at Freddy’s content and, as a result, Dead by Daylight.
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