By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Behaviour Interactive and the Kadokawa Corporation have partnered on the upcoming release of a licensed Dead By Daylight Chapter based on the popular horror franchise Ringu.
The cult favorite Japanese horror film Ringu (often known simply as Ring) was released in 1998, based on the 1991 novel by Koji Suzuki. It follows a reporter investigating a cursed videotape that kills the viewer seven days after watching it. The US film The Ring was released in 2002, and was equally popular with both audiences and critics.
The deal with Canadian game developer Behaviour Interactive doubles the trouble, as the psychological horror of Ringu combines with Dead By Daylight, a survival-horror game that has taken the world by storm.
Dead By Daylight is an online multi-player game that features popular licensed horror properties such as Stranger Things, Silent Hill, and Resident Evil. It was created by Canadian game company, Behaviour Interactive.
Founded in 1992, Behaviour Interactive is Canada’s largest independent game developer and publisher. The company has more than 900 employees at its studio in Montreal. In 2021, its most successful IP, the award-winning Dead by Daylight, surpassed 36 million players on all platforms.
“We are very excited for the collaboration with Behaviour Interactive and the Dead by Daylight team,” says Kadokawa producer Reiko Imayasu. “We’ll be sending one of our most haunting characters to the Fog to pour down horrors that will rival all the great predecessors. Fans should beware of their heart; this deadly newcomer will definitely strike them, and they will tremble with fear whilst they wait.”
Kōji Suzuki’s Ring, originally published in 1991, marked the beginning of the iconic Japanese-American horror franchise. In 1998, the novel was adapted into a Japanese feature film of the same name.
The Ringu franchise now includes eight Japanese films, two television series, six manga adaptations, three English-language film remakes, a Korean film remake, and two video games; The Ring: Terror’s Realm and Ring: Infinity. The premise of the franchise involves a video that, upon viewing, promises death in seven days.
The Kadokawa Corporation owns the rights to the Ringu franchise. The company is a Japanese media conglomerate that was created as a result of a merger between the original Kadokawa Corporation and Dwango Co., Ltd. in 2014.
Very little information has been given on the content included in the upcoming collaboration. However, a teaser trailer has been released by Behaviour Interactive that features the main antagonist of the franchise, Sadoko, emerging from a well.
“Well, the only thing I can say is that this new chapter will leave a mark,” teases Dave Richard, Creative Director at Behaviour Interactive. “A real heart-pounding experience. Tell a friend, or else…”
It goes without saying that survival won’t be easy, so players are encouraged to hone their gaming skills before taking on the infamous Sadako.
The licensed Ringu expansion will be released in March 2022.