After a year of speculation, rumors, doubt, and uncertainty, Five Nights at Freddy’s has finally landed in Dead by Daylight. With the debut of The Anamatronic, 40 Killers are officially available within the world of Dead by Daylight. It’s been roughly 10 years since the debut of Dead by Daylight, as well as Five Nights at Freddy’s, and in a crossover we always dreamed would happen but never imagined would, Springtrap is here to stay. Even after just messing around with him for a little bit in Customs, it may be time to hang up my Clown mask and become a Springtrap main. Not only does he look stunning, but he plays better than I could have imagined.Screenshot: Shaun CichackiYes, the Characters May Be Goofy Mascots, but the Lore and Implications of ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Is DarkI think the biggest thing that I was worried about was how Springtrap was going to be portrayed in Dead by Daylight. During the COVID pandemic, I embarked on my FNAF journey for the first time. I picked up a copy on the Nintendo Switch and played through each of the numbered entries, falling further into the rabbit hole as I progressed. I cheesed my way through FNAF 4 by buying a pair of $1 headphones from the local Dollar Tree, as I was struggling to hear the animatronics breathing with better headphones. It’s a great hack, and if you’re struggling, I strongly suggest doing the same. Trust me. But the FNAF games are fairly tame compared to the bloodbath that is Dead by Daylight. Sure, the lore of William Afton/The Animatronic murdering children and stuffing them into animatronic suits may be dark. But we never see the action taking place. That’s why I was genuinely surprised to see Behaviour letting William go all out in Dead by Daylight. He’s ruthless, pursuing enemies with lethal intent. He’s ready to kill once again, knife in one hand and a throwable axe in the other. He looks and sounds fantastic, but how do you implement the general jumpscare gameplay into a 4v1 asymmetrical multiplayer game? Well, it’s actually pretty easy, and the result is fantastic.Screenshot: Shaun CichackiOpen the Door, Get on the Floor, Springtrap Won’t Mess Around No MoreJumpscares are the main form of horror in Five Nights at Freddy’s. Watching cameras, keeping our eyes peeled for whatever may be lurking in the dark. All of those general gameplay ideas have been implemented into Dead by Daylight, and it’s incredibly cool. Jumping through a door allows The Animatronic to get across the map quickly. If he encounters a survivor in the room at the same time? It’s jumpscare time. Finding ways to keep the roots of what makes FNAF so loved by fans, all while keeping things competitive and interesting in Dead by Daylight, couldn’t have been easy. But somehow, the team at Behaviour pulled it off better than I could have ever expected them to. One thing I was genuinely shocked by was the Mori for Springtrap. As I’ve mentioned, FNAF isn’t a very violent franchise, at least on the surface level. But Dead by Daylight, on the other hand, is. Watching him grab a survivor, stab them through the back, and shove them into an Endoskeleton for the first time was astounding. It’s just so incredibly cool to see a collaboration like this come to life in front of our eyes. Especially since this is, canonically, the first time we’ve ever gotten to step out as one of the main characters of the franchise. No, walking around inside Glamrock Freddy in Security Breach doesn’t count. Video via Behaviour on YouTubeI Can’t Wait for New Fans To Flock to ‘Dead by Daylight’ Because of This CollaborationIt’s a much more mature take on the franchise for fans both old and new. Look at it this way: someone who was 8 years old when they first discovered Five Nights at Freddy’s when it released in 2014 would be 18 or 19 years old now. What better way to rekindle their love with their favorite franchise than by getting to play as their greatest foe? The Animatronic deserves to be here, and I can’t wait for fans to try him out.I fell in love with Dead by Daylight just a few years ago. Just like FNAF, I finally jumped on the DBD bandwagon much later than many other players did. But over the years, I’ve poured countless hours into this game, and I can’t wait for new fans to have a chance to check it out for themselves. With the sheer number of crossovers available in the game, even if new fans eventually tire of The Animatronic, there are so many other characters to mess around with. It’s just a wonderful celebration of horror and all things creepy, and I hope that these new fans are welcomed with open arms. I can rest easy now, knowing that Behaviour brought Springtrap to life in the most perfect way possible. The new map is filled with Easter Eggs that long-time FNAF fans are going to lose their minds over, and Springtrap is the perfect addition to the ever-growing roster of Killers available here. Now, if we can somehow get The Toreador added somewhere? Then we can all rest easy. Until then, I’ll be residing in the Fog, and I hope to see you there, too. The post I Can’t Believe It’s Finally Here: Springtrap Is in ‘Dead by Daylight’, and the ‘FNAF’ Mascot Is Utterly Amazing appeared first on VICE.